Optical micromesh for computerized devices

• US 10,451,714 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Gonzalez Hernandez, Jose Omar, Clay, William, Espinosa, Pablo Antonio, Ansfield, Fred, Mohapatra, Bibhudendu, Resch, Keith, Usami, Morio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US15/370,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20180156900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 702 89
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/484 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems

Abstract

Multiple camera systems which use laser illumination for ranging benefit from a heartbeat to synchronize the timing of the individual lasers to eliminate collisions of multiple simultaneous laser emissions. An optical micromesh system provides for the dynamic entry and egress of mobile and stationary nodes. The optical communication between nodes may be controlled using time domain multiplexing (TDM) to avoid cross talk and communication collision due to overlapping laser illumination. By using an optical, laser based micromesh network, laser ranging can be used to dynamically map node location.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

access a transmission schedule;

transmit laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine at least one range to at least one object using reflections of the laser range-finding beams; and

synchronize at least one computer clock with a signal in an optical micromesh that includes the device.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising the at least one processor.

3. The device of claim 2, comprising at least one camera providing signals to the at least one processor representative of reflections of the laser range-finding beams.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to establish the device as a master device that assigns slots in the transmission schedule to other devices to transmit range-finding beams.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is a heartbeat signal and the mesh network comprises an optical micromesh.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to receive the transmission schedule from a master device.

7. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

transmit laser range-finding beams to determine at least one range to at least one object using times of flight of the beams; and

assign slots in a transmission schedule to other devices in an optical micromesh so that the other devices transmit range-finding beams during respective slots in the transmission schedule.

8. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

access a transmission schedule having an association with a master device;

transmit laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine at least one range to at least one object using time of flight of at least one beam, wherein the device is a first device in an optical micromesh and the master device is a peer to the first device in the optical micromesh.

9. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

access a transmission schedule having an association with a master device;

transmit laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine at least one range to at least one object, wherein the device is a first device in an optical micromesh and the master device is a not a peer to the first device in the optical micromesh.

10. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

access a transmission schedule;

transmit laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine at least one range to at least one object; and

establish the device as a master device at least in part using time stamps of respective messages in an optical micromesh.

11. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

access a transmission schedule;

transmit laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine at least one range to at least one object; and

establish the device as a master device at least in part using device identifying information in respective messages in an optical micromesh.

12. An assembly comprising:

plural computerized devices;

each computerized device comprising at least one laser emitter configured to output signals useful for generating images of other devices;

the computerized devices being programmed with instructions to emit laser beams using time division and/or space division emission rules wherein a peer device or a non-peer device in a micromesh of the plural computerized devices is established as a master device to coordinate laser beam emission.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the devices are programmed with instructions to emit laser beams using time division emission rules.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the devices are programmed with instructions to emit laser beams using space division emission rules.

15. A method comprising:

accessing a transmission schedule;

transmitting laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine ranges to devices using times of flights of the beams; and

synchronizing at least one computer clock with a signal in a mesh network.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising providing signals to at least one processor representative of reflections of the laser range-finding beams.

17. A method comprising:

accessing a transmission schedule;

transmitting laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule; and

establishing a peer device in a micromesh of devices as a master device to implement the transmission schedule.

18. A method comprising:

accessing a transmission schedule;

transmitting laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule; and

establishing a non-peer device as a master device to implement the transmission schedule.

19. A method comprising:

accessing a transmission schedule;

transmitting laser range-finding beams according to the transmission schedule to determine ranges to devices using times of flight of the beams;

wherein the transmission schedule includes time slots assigned to respective devices in an optical micromesh for defining when the devices transmit the laser range finding beams.