Jan 13, 2026

US12520896 - System, method, and apparatus for detecting IR radiation in a marker system

A marker system includes an enclosure with a controller therewithin. Emitters are electrically interfaced to the controller and include visible wavelength emitters and infrared wavelength emitters. The controller is configured to selectively initiate a flow of electric current though the visible wavelength emitters or through the infrared wavelength emitters causing the visible wavelength emitters or the infrared wavelength emitters to emit light and the light passes through the enclosure. There is at least one infrared detector, each of which is electrically interfaced to the controller and each of which is configured to detect infrared light that enters the enclosure. When the controller receives an electrical signal from any of the at least one infrared detector indicating reception of infrared light, the controller emits a signal to warn of the reception of infrared light (e.g., an audible signal, a vibration, a wireless signal, a wired signal).

The patent describes a marker system that includes a controller within an enclosure, which can selectively activate visible and infrared wavelength emitters. It features multiple infrared detectors that signal the controller upon detecting infrared light, prompting it to emit a unique warning signal based on the specific wavelength detected.

Claim 1

1 . A marker system comprising: an enclosure; a controller in the enclosure, the controller receives power from an external power source; a plurality of emitters electrically interfaced to the controller, the plurality of emitters comprising visible wavelength emitters and infrared wavelength emitters, the controller configured to selectively initiate a flow of electric current though the visible wavelength emitters or through the infrared wavelength emitters causing the visible wavelength emitters or the infrared wavelength emitters to emit light, the light passing through the enclosure; a plurality of infrared detectors, each infrared detector of the plurality of infrared detectors is electrically interfaced to the controller, each infrared detector is configured to detect the infrared light that enters the enclosure, and at least one infrared detector detects infrared light of a first infrared wavelength and at least one other infrared detector detects the infrared light of a second infrared wavelength; and when the controller receives an electrical signal from any of the at least one infrared detector indicating reception of the infrared light, the controller emits a unique signal indicative of the first infrared wavelength or another unique signal indicative of the second infrared wavelength to warn of the reception of the infrared light in the first or second infrared wavelength. an enclosure; a controller in the enclosure, the controller receives power from an external power source; a plurality of emitters electrically interfaced to the controller, the plurality of emitters comprising visible wavelength emitters and infrared wavelength emitters, the controller configured to selectively initiate a flow of electric current though the visible wavelength emitters or through the infrared wavelength emitters causing the visible wavelength emitters or the infrared wavelength emitters to emit light, the light passing through the enclosure; a plurality of infrared detectors, each infrared detector of the plurality of infrared detectors is electrically interfaced to the controller, each infrared detector is configured to detect the infrared light that enters the enclosure, and at least one infrared detector detects infrared light of a first infrared wavelength and at least one other infrared detector detects the infrared light of a second infrared wavelength; and when the controller receives an electrical signal from any of the at least one infrared detector indicating reception of the infrared light, the controller emits a unique signal indicative of the first infrared wavelength or another unique signal indicative of the second infrared wavelength to warn of the reception of the infrared light in the first or second infrared wavelength.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12520896

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12520896