Importance

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Abstract

The low power child locator system consists of a lightweight, low power radio frequency transmitter beacon worn by the child and a radio frequency directional receiver that can be used to direct the user to the radio frequency beacon transmitter. The transmitter can be programmed to generate a unique signal to prevent its output radio signal from being received by another receiver. The transmitter-receiver pair therefore communicates to the exclusion of other transmitters and receivers that are operational in the vicinity of the transmitter-receiver pair. Since the child is assumed to not have traveled a great distance from their original location, the radio frequency directional receiver operates as a simple signal strength indicator, using a plurality of narrow beam antennas to enable the user to vector in on the transmitted signal. Each of the plurality of directional antennas is capable of receiving radio signals of predetermined characteristics exclusively from a narrowly defined region of space which is located proximate to the ground and radially extending outward from the directional antenna. A plurality of indicators, each associated with at least one of the plurality of directional antennas and capable of a variable range of illumination magnitude are used in conjunction with a signal strength detector. The signal strength detector activates the plurality of indicators as a function of the identified strength of the radio signals received from each of the associated plurality of directional antennas to thereby indicate the direction from which the radio signals emanate.

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First Claim