The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 1995
Filed:
May. 20, 1993
Ellen L Mercier, Oconomowoc, WI (US);
Carl E Mercier, Oconomowoc, WI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A system for remotely sensing the delivery of mail to a mailbox uses a transmitter mounted on the mailbox. The transmitter generates a prescribed signal when the door of the mailbox is opened. The system also uses a receiver adapted for placement at a location remote from the transmitter. The receiver has two receiving circuits. The first receiver circuit generates a mail arrival output in response to receipt of the prescribed signal from the transmitter. The first receiver circuit maintains the generation of the mail arrival output regardless of continued receipt of the prescribed signal, until receipt of a prescribed termination command entered by the user. This way, the user knows when the mailbox door has been opened. The second receiver circuit generates a receiver locator output separate from the mail arrival output in response to receipt of the prescribed signal from the transmitter. Unlike the first receiver circuit, the second receiver circuit automatically terminates the receiver locator output in the absence of receipt of the prescribed signal after a predetermined time period. The temporal receiver locator output indicates when the receiver is placed in the remote location for good reception of the prescribed signal.