Remotely actuated marker buoy

Abstract

The remotely actuated marker buoy is releasably tethered to, or immediately adjacent to, a maritime animal trap (e.g., crab trap, lobster pot, etc.) or other submerged object requiring recovery. The operator (fisherman, etc.) uses a transmitter to send a signal to a receiver at the trap to release the buoy when trap recovery is desired. The buoy is tethered to the trap, enabling the fisherman to sight the buoy when it rises to the surface and thus recover the trap by drawing up the tether. The transmitter may include an authentication code requirement to prevent another party from recovering the trap if the transmitter is stolen. The system may include a reply transmitter at the trap to provide a signal if the trap is empty and cancel the release of the buoy. The operator may override this recovery cancellation, if desired.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A remotely actuated marker buoy, comprising:
 a fish trap having a single entryway;   a tether line selectively extendible from the fish trap, the tether line having a distal end;   a marker buoy attached to the distal end of the tether line, the marker buoy being selectively secured to the fish trap;   a receiver and actuator attached to the fish trap, the receiver and actuator having means for releasing the marker buoy from the fish trap upon receiving an appropriate signal, wherein the means for releasing the marker further includes means for sending notification from the receiver and actuator to the transmitter when the catch entry counter has recorded a number of marine animals fewer than a predetermined number, wherein the predetermined number is at least one;   a transmitter remotely disposed from the receiver and actuator, the transmitter being configured to selectively send a signal to the receiver and actuator;   a catch entry counter, the counter including a trigger disposed at the single entryway of the fish trap, the catch entry counter counting the number of marine animals entering the fish trap;   means for canceling the signal received from the transmitter when the catch entry counter has recorded a number of marine animals fewer than a predetermined number and wherein the transmitter further includes:   i) means for overriding the means for canceling the signal received from the transmitter; and   an authentication code therewith, the authentication code precluding signal transmission from the transmitter when an incorrect authentication code is entered into the transmitter.   
     
     
         8 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The remotely actuated marker buoy according to  claim 7 , wherein the transmitter further includes a GPS receiver incorporated therein, the GPS receiver being adapted to determine the geographic position of the transmitter. 
     
     
         12 - 18 . (canceled)