Location marker with lights

• US 10,176,722 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyd, Scott Patrick, Cui, Chengwu, Graber, Sarah, O'Brien, Barry James, Watson, Joshua John, Wilcox, Scott Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/250,806
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340321, 340331, 34053913, 3408154, 340948, 340953, 362183, 362237
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A location marker that may be used to provide information to a vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The location marker may include a plurality of lights that may be individually sequenced on and off at different times to create a time domain signal sequence that is readable by the vehicle. The lights may provide information in various different ways. The specific lights that are illuminated at a certain time may form a light pattern that includes or is associated with information. Different light patterns may be displayed over time to provide different information to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the amount of time that a light is on or off (or both) may provide information as a time domain signal sequence (e.g., flashing lights) to the vehicle. In various embodiments, the location marker may include retroreflectors arranged in a pattern used to identify the location marker.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of lights;

one or more sensors to identify a presence of an obstacle; and

a light controller to;

encode first information into a first time domain signal sequence and to cause the plurality of lights to turn on and off to output at least the first time domain signal sequence via light emitted from the plurality of lights, the first time domain signal sequence readable by a vehicle that is in view of the plurality of lights to communicate the first information to the vehicle, the first information comprising at least one of a first location identifier associated with a first location of the apparatus, a first indication of the presence of the obstacle, or a second indication of a location of the obstacle; and

encode second information into a second time domain signal sequence, the second information comprising at least a second location identifier associated with a second location of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first information further comprises an instruction to the vehicle to temporarily hold a position.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the light controller causes the plurality of lights to communicate the first location identifier using the first time domain signal sequence and causes the plurality of lights to communicate a message via a light pattern, the message being at least partially different than the first location identifier.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a communication device configured to receive the first location identifier from a device.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a proximity sensor to detect at least object movement proximate to the apparatus, and wherein the light controller causes at least some of the plurality of lights to turn on to create a predetermined pattern or flashing sequence in response to receipt of a signal from the proximity detector generated in response to detection of at least the object movement.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the light controller provides approach information to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) moving toward the plurality of lights.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of retroreflectors arranged about a surface that includes the plurality of lights to form a pattern, the pattern readable to extract at least one of a message or the first location identifier.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a housing including a directional shape, and wherein the light controller illuminates at least some of the plurality of lights that bound the directional shape to enable a device to determine the directional shape.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a power source, wherein the power source is configured to power the light controller in a low power state at a first time and power the light controller in a normal power state at a second time when the light controller activates at least some of the plurality of lights, wherein the apparatus consumes more power during operation in the normal power state than during operation in the low power state.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the light controller enters the normal power state in response to a signal that indicates a presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the signal generated by at least one of a microphone or an imaging device that identifies the UAV.

11. A method comprising:

receiving first information encoded into a first time domain signal sequence;

controlling a plurality of lights of a device through a light controller to turn on and off at least some of the plurality of lights;

sequencing at least some of the plurality of lights on and off to create the first time domain signal sequence readable by a vehicle;

activating individual lights of the plurality of lights to form a light pattern readable by the vehicle, wherein at least one of the first time domain signal sequence or the light pattern are configured to communicate a first location identifier associated with a first location of the device to the vehicle;

receiving second information encoded into a second time domain signal sequence; and

sequencing at least some of the plurality of lights on and off to create the second time domain signal sequence, the second time domain signal sequence configured to communicate a second location identifier associated with a second location of the device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the first time domain signal sequence, the second time domain signal sequence, or the light pattern comprises an emergency code to cause the vehicle to refrain from approaching a specific location.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising identifying a presence of the vehicle prior to performing the sequencing or the activating.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising terminating the sequencing or the activating in response to at least one of a passage of a duration of time, a completion of predetermined number of iterations of the first time domain signal sequence or the second time domain signal sequence, or a wireless signal initiated by a user.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

detecting at least one obstacle proximate to the plurality of lights, and wherein at least one of the first time domain signal sequence, the second time domain signal sequence, or the light pattern includes an indication of the at least one obstacle.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising communicating the first information or the second information to an electronic device in view of the plurality of lights.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising communicating third information via the time domain signal sequence to the vehicle;

and

communicating fourth information via the light pattern to the vehicle, wherein the third information is at least partially distinct from the fourth information.

18. A system, comprising:

a plurality of lights;

a light controller to encode first information into a first time domain signal sequence and second information into a second time domain signal sequence, the light controller causing the plurality of lights to turn on and off to output at least one of a light pattern, the first time domain signal sequence, or the second time domain signal sequence via light emitted from the plurality of lights, wherein the first time domain signal sequence and the second time domain signal sequence are readable by a vehicle in view of the plurality of lights to communicate the information to the vehicle, wherein the first information comprises a first location identifier associated with a first location of the light controller and the second information comprises a second location identifier associated with a second location of the light controller; and

a vehicle sensor configured to process at least one of the time domain signal sequence or the light pattern.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first location identifier includes an address of a delivery location.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and wherein the light controller provides approach information to the UAV moving toward the plurality of lights.