Patent Application
20210131136
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The disclosure relates to grave marker devices and more particularly pertains to a new grave marker device for enhancing the experience of observing a gravesite.
Including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The prior art relates to grave marker devices.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base that is positionable on the ground at a gravesite. A grave marker is coupled to and extends upwardly from the base such that the grave marker is associated with the gravesite. A touch screen is coupled to the grave marker and the touch screen displaying indicia comprising words and images associated with a deceased person buried at the gravesite. In this way the touch screen enhances mourning the deceased person. A speaker is coupled to the grave marker to emit audible sound outwardly therefrom that is associated with the deceased person.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The forward surface 26 has a plurality of speaker openings 28 each extending into an interior of the grave marker 20, and the grave marker 20 is hollow. A control circuit 30 is coupled to the grave marker 20 and an electronic memory 32 is coupled to the grave marker 20. The electronic memory 32 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 and the electronic memory 32 stores a database 12 comprising digital imagery and digital audio. The electronic memory 32 may comprise RAM, a hard disk drive or any other type of electronic data storage.
A touch screen 34 is provided and the touch screen 34 is coupled to the grave marker 20. The touch screen 34 displays indicia 36 comprising words and images associated with a deceased person buried at the gravesite 14. In this way the touch screen 34 enhances the process of mourning the deceased person. The touch screen 34 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 such that the touch screen 34 receives the digital imagery from the electronic memory 32. Additionally, the touch screen 34 is positioned on the forward surface 26 of the grave marker 20. The touch screen 34 may comprise an LCD touch screen or any other type of electronic display that responds to touch.
A speaker 38 is coupled to the grave marker 20 to emit audible sounds outwardly therefrom. The speaker 38 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 such that the speaker 38 receives the digital audio from the electronic memory 32. The speaker 38 may comprise an electronic speaker of any conventional design and the speaker 38 is aligned with each of the speaker openings 28 in the forward surface 26 of the grave marker 20. A data port 40 is recessed into the grave marker 20 to receive a data cord of an electronic device. The data port 40 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30 for downloading data into the electronic memory 32. The data port 40 may comprise, but not be limited to, a usb port, a firewire port, a micro usb port or any other type of electronic data port.
A transceiver 42 is coupled to the grave marker and the transceiver 42 is electrically coupled to the control circuit. The transceiver 42 is in electrical communication with a global positioning system 43 for determining the physical location of the gravesite 14. In this way the transceiver 42 can communicate the physical location of the gravesite 14 to a personal electronic device for guiding the user to the gravesite 14.
The transceiver 42 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the personal electronic device may be a smart phone or the like.
A power supply 44 is coupled to the grave marker 20 and the power supply 44 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The power supply 44 comprises at least one battery 46 that is positioned in the grave marker 20. The at least one battery 46 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 30. The power supply 44 also includes a solar panel 48 that is coupled to the top surface 24 of the grave marker 20 to be exposed to sunlight. The solar panel 48 is electrically coupled to the at least one battery 46 for charging the at least one battery 46.
In an alternative embodiment 50 as is most clearly shown in
Continuing in the alternative embodiment 50, the grave marker 20 is movably positioned in the vault 52. Each of the actuators 60 engages a respective one of a first lateral surface 62 and a second lateral surface 64 of the grave marker 20. Additionally, each of the actuators 60 is turned on in a first condition for raising the grave marker 20 into a deployed position having the grave marker 20 extending outwardly through the top end 54 of the vault 52. Each of the actuators 60 is turned on in a second condition for lowering the grave marker 20 into a stored position having the grave marker 20 being retracted into the vault 52.
In an alternative embodiment 66 as is most clearly shown in
The alternative embodiment 66 in
In use, the digital imagery and the digital audio are downloaded into the electronic memory 32 through the data port 40. Thus, the touch screen 34 displays selected imagery and words associated with the deceased. Additionally, the speaker 38 emits the digital audio that is associated with the deceased. In this way a person that is observing the gravesite 14 can see imagery on the touch screen 34 as well as hear the audio from the speaker 38. The person observing the gravesite 14 can also manipulate the touch screen 34 for accessing menus or additional information that is stored in the electronic memory 32.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
