Man Overboard Tracking Device

[thomas_hoole@yahoo.com]

Referring back to Sailingdog's post (#17)...

And yet, there is a signifiant functional gap between Sea-Marshal and Life-Tag. I agree that the merit of delaying a full SAR alert warrants further discussion. It does seem, however, that one could pursue the gap between Sea Marshal and Life-Tag with an intermediate system (short range vessel to victim tracking link) at a price point that also falls between the two. Thoughts?

 

[sailingdog]

IMHO, it depends a lot on the conditions, if the MOB occurs in relatively calm seas, do you really think mobilizing all the personnel and craft for a SAR effort really makes sense. In heavy seas, strong winds and night, yeah, trip the PLB... but from what I've seen, many MOB incidents happen in relatively calm conditions, because the crew and captain get complacent about them...and a mistake gets made.

Really? If you're worried enough about MOB to have some kind of MOB device at all it seems almost axiomatic to me that any MOB is going to be a full on MAYDAY... If you have a good recovery then call the authorities and tell them all is well, if not and SAR is available, why wait?

--Tom.

 

[tsmwebb]

IMHO, it depends a lot on the conditions, if the MOB occurs in relatively calm seas, do you really think mobilizing all the personnel and craft for a SAR effort really makes sense. In heavy seas, strong winds and night, yeah, trip the PLB... but from what I've seen, many MOB incidents happen in relatively calm conditions, because the crew and captain get complacent about them...and a mistake gets made.

I think I see what you're saying. Context matters: a person in the water because her sunfish capsized is seldom a MAYDAY. But, I'm hard pressed to see the there being many situations on a private vessel where an expensive MOB system will be deployed (both purchased and worn by the crew) where an MOB would not be a MAYDAY. I admit I'm arguing theory here. I don't use anything like this and it isn't on my list despite thousands of short handed sailing hours far offshore. Heck, it has to be absolutely hideous before I even think about clipping in.

I can imagine a limited market for the device among serious safety geeks. But I'm thinking most of them would think a person in the water constituted a MAYDAY so a PLB would be better if the cost were the same. A larger market might be the day charter, snorkeling/diving trade. Periodically they loose track of the head count and leave someone behind. Radio tagging the clients might help and provide a feeling of security to them. And, I can see a regulatory angle for that market if you can convince some legislature or insurance carrier that it is worthwhile to require some such device...

--Tom.

 

[Joe]

Let me ask the group, if you were given a Sea Marshal system and enough individual transmitters for your entire crew (take cost out of the picture for the moment), would you wear this device regularly and insist that your crew do so as well?

Yes, I would. I would just attach them to all the harnesses, and require all crew on deck to wear them... I don't see any problem for a skipper requiring a crew to wear their transmitter. The less expensive system appears to be the old 121.5 technology that has been retired. It is what I had in mind when I suggested the radio direction finder......

Sea Marshall is European based... and the site will show you that they provide all types of locator devices for the marine environment.. Lost divers, platform workers, jetty fishermen, commercial operations, etc.... The good news is you don't have to invent something...... it's been done. Through your initial market research you've found that that your product already exists. So now you can concentrate on developing a market plan.. with the goal of making this product standard safety equipment. I would approach Sea Marshall and propose they give you a license to market a turnkey, low cost product based on their 121.5mhz system and package it to compete against the Raymarine system. You can create your own packaging and product name to suit your target market. For instance, Nissan has a license to market outboard motors made by Tohatsu under their own name.

You're a businessman......... not an inventor... You simply want to bring an existing product to the masses. It is your goal to make people aware of it and then convince them that it is desirable and affordable. You goal also includes being able to produce, deliver and service the product to a high standard.

 

[Dean5735]

I too hold a patent on my invention. It is an automatic tailgate release and relatch system for dump trucks. My advise is FORGET THE PATENT!! They cost alot (luckily I didn't have to pay for mine out of pocket, our business paid it), they are easy to get around with some changes, and they are very hard and expensive to protect when the japs or chineeze get ahold of it!!
Just build the thing and sell it, then keep on improving it so the competitors can't keep up.
Trust me, in the real world your patent will be left behind, saddly enough.
But I AM PROUD OF MINE and it is great for conversation.
Keep up the good work. Dean

 

[Hermit Scott]

If you have a guy on the ground in China you can do some good otherwise how would you even know who is doing what. The Japanese patent system is very similar to ours.
The best band for the buck other than the US patent office is the European Union patent.
Not all patents are easy to get around. It depneds on the nature of the invention. I saw an entire industry wait for a patent to expire. The trade show following the expiration of the patent, every major player had an full line of equipment with the formerly patened feature.
A good patent will cover a key part of an invention, then another key part, then another until the whole thing is covered. each key part must be very broad to be worth anything.
A good pateneable clause would be "a chair with 4 legs". A better patenable clause would be "a chair with at least one leg".
Lazy attorneys will put your whole invention in one clause. It is sure to be accepted. But VERY easy to get around.

 

[dvideohd]

At the risk of not being a "professional...."...

If you Patent, then you BETTER have a very good idea of how to defend your patent... they DO NOT defend themselves.. Better understand how to COST EFFECTIVELY protect your work...

A good patent is a start...

It could use some good claims......

and there should be a "patent thicket" around a truly novel idea and implementation.

*************************

I think you will hear a lot of opinions on this... but in many businesses, you don't HAVE any value as a company without a good IP portfolio.

I have seen businesses VANISH because they did not defend - cost effectively - their patents. Seen others that ONLY EXIST because they DID defend the patents they went and got.....

***********

lots of pros and cons - depending on what your patent can cover and do...

--jr

 

[dvideohd]

FWIW....

I think if GM and Chrysler had intelligently pursued the patent aspects on their car parts, then they would be a prosperous company today. Oh well....

--jr

 

[Hermit Scott]

My first patent, I had a lawyer write all the contracts and agree to defend it for 10% of revenues whether he had to defend it or not. Some of the books I read recommended something like that because of the enormous costs involved in litigation.
I have 3 more in the works, but no way to pay for them right now. Just to get them filed and argued with the patent examiners until they are accepted will cost 6 or 7k a piece. If any of them gets enough interest the money will appear.