SITUATIONAL MARKING AND AWARENESS TAG (SMART) BEACON, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120218101A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9609385 Canada Inc.
• Original Assignee: Timothy D.F. Ford
• Inventors: FORD, TIMOTHY D.F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7032 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed comprising a plurality of small independent light sources which are arranged in a mesh network and capable of exchanging data such that they can be operated together and under control of a controller in order to provide enhanced lighting effects in particular applications.

Claims

1. A beacon lighting system comprising:

a wireless control channel;

a plurality of small independent light sources each comprising a wireless transceiver for communicating via said wireless control channel, an independent power source, at least one LED and a clock synchronized to a common time source; and

a master controller for transmitting control data to each of said plurality of small independent light sources via said wireless control channel;

wherein when at least a first one of said plurality of small independent light sources is outside a transmission range of said master controller and at least a second one of said plurality of small independent light sources is within range of said master controller and said first one, said second one relays said control data received from said master controller to said first one and further wherein said plurality of small independent light sources subsequently emits light according to said control data and said common time source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control data comprises an illuminating sequence, said plurality of small independent light sources subsequently repeatedly illuminating said at least LED according to said illuminating sequence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said control data comprises a command to each of said plurality of small independent light sources halt illuminating said at least one LED according to said illuminating sequence and a command to each of said plurality of small independent light sources commence illuminating said at least one LED according to said illuminating sequence.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of small independent light sources comprises a plurality of common predefined timing diagrams stored in memory, wherein said control data comprises a reference to one of said timing diagrams, and further wherein said plurality of small independent light sources subsequently illuminate said at least one LED according to said referenced timing diagram.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of said timing diagrams is of a predetermined time length Δ

T and wherein said selected timing diagram is reset after expiry of said predetermined time length Δ

T and according to said common time source.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless control channels, wherein said master controller and each of said plurality of small independent light sources comprises a switch for selecting one of said wireless control channels and further wherein said control data is transmitted via a selected one of said plurality of wireless control channels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said small independent light sources comprises a plurality of LEDs and further wherein each of said plurality of LEDs emits one of red, green, blue and white light and infrared.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said small independent light sources comprises a GPS receiver outputting a GPS clock signal as said common time source.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each wireless transceiver has an operational range of about 500 feet when said small independent light sources are on the ground.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said master controller is able to transmit simultaneously on all said plurality of wireless control channels.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said control data includes a command to not retransmit said control data.

12. A beacon tactical system comprising:

a wireless communication channel;

a controller emitting a control signal comprising an indication that said control signal should be relayed; and

a plurality of wearable beacons, each of said beacons comprising an independent power source, a transceiver for transmitting and receiving on said wireless communication channel and at least one LED for emitting a preprogrammed sequence of light flashes in response to said control signal transmitted by said controller and received at said transceiver via said wireless communication channel;

wherein when at least a first one of said plurality of wearable beacons is outside a transmission range of said controller and at least a second one of said plurality of wearable beacons is within range of said controller and said first one and provided said control signal indicates that it should be relayed, said second one relays said control signal received from said controller to said first one and further wherein said plurality of wearable beacons which have received said control signal subsequently emit light according to said received control signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of wearable beacons further comprises a group ID, wherein at least one of said plurality of wearable beacons comprises a first group ID and at least one of said plurality of wearable beacons comprises a second group ID different from said first group ID and further wherein said control data is transmitted only to those wearable beacons comprising said first group ID.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of wearable beacons further comprises a unique node ID and a location module comprising a GPS receiver and an accelerometer for determining a current location of said beacon wherein said current location is transmitted together with said unique ID from time to time to said controller using said transceiver.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of wearable beacons comprises a sensor for sensing a predetermined condition, wherein on sensing said predetermined condition a notification is transmitted together with said unique node ID to said controller using said transceiver and further wherein on sensing said predetermined condition said least one LED emits a preprogrammed sequence of light flashes indicative of said sensed condition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said sensor comprises an accelerometer and wherein said notification is transmitted together with said unique node ID to said controller when a sensed acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said sensor comprises at least one vital sign sensor and wherein said notification is transmitted together with said unique node ID to said controller when a sensed vital sign exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein each transceiver has an operational range of less than about 150 feet when said plurality of wearable beacons are worn by a user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller comprises a screen for displaying a map of said received current location of each of said plurality of wearable beacons and said notification.

20. A clustered beacon system comprising:

a plurality of independent portable light emitting beacons, each of said beacons comprising a light emitting source, an independent power source and a wireless transceiver having a range;

wherein when at least one of said beacons is within range of at least one other of said beacons, said in range beacons exchange synchronizing transmissions via their respective transceivers and further wherein each of said in range beacons subsequently emits a sequence of synchronized light flashes in accordance with data contained within said synchronizing transmissions.