ULTRASONIC LOCATIONING INTERLEAVED WITH ALTERNATE AUDIO FUNCTIONS

• US 20160077192A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Calvarese, Russell E., Connolly, Sean A., Dubois, Janine E., Lavery, Richard J., Marvel, Sean D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,816,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/74 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/80 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional transducers or transducer systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/26 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence

Abstract

Ultrasonic locationing interleaved with alternate audio functions includes a plurality of transmitters for emitting ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals. A backend controller schedules the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals from each transmitter. The backend controller can characterize an interference effect of defined interference parameters for each alternate audio signal, with respect to the ultrasonic bursts, and modify interleave scheduling of the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals in accordance with the respective interference effect. A mobile device can receive the ultrasonic bursts for locationing of the mobile device, while a user or other device that can act on information in the alternate audio signals. Input from a user to an interface device can trigger the backend controller to schedule an alternate audio signal containing information related to the input.

Claims

1. A system for ultrasonic locationing interleaved with alternate audio functions, the system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters operable to emit ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals;

a backend controller communicatively coupled to the transmitters, the backend controller including a scheduler operable to schedule the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals from each transmitter, wherein the backend controller is operable to characterize an interference effect of defined interference parameters for each alternate audio signal, with respect to the ultrasonic bursts, the scheduler to scheduling interleaving of the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals in accordance with the respective interference effect;

a mobile device communicatively coupled to the backend controller, the mobile device being operable to receive the ultrasonic bursts for locationing of the mobile device; and

a user or other device that can act on information in the alternate audio signals.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input interface device coupled to the backend controller, wherein input supplied from the input interface device triggers the backend controller to schedule an alternate audio signal containing information related to the input.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is at least one of the group of a camera, a wireless communication interface, a Radio Frequency Identification reader, an alarm, a sensor, a timer, and an audio interface.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a camera, and wherein the input is a particular gesture forwarded to the backend controller for recognition, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in audible form that includes directions for the user to take in response to the particular gesture.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a camera, and wherein the input is a particular gesture at a location forwarded to the backend controller for recognition, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in audible form that includes directions for the user to take in response to the particular gesture at that location.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a camera, and wherein the input is a presenting an object to the camera, which is forwarded to the backend controller for recognition, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in audible form that includes one of the group of a price of the object, a quantity of the object in stock, and acknowledgement to replenish the stock of the object.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a Radio Frequency Identification reader, and wherein the input is placing an object near the reader to be read by the reader and forward an identification of the object to the backend controller, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in audible form that includes a price of the object for the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the input interface also includes a camera that provides video to the backend controller so that the backend controller can verify that the object being read by the Radio Frequency Identification reader is being moved by the user.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a camera, and wherein the input is capturing an image of an event by the camera, which is forwarded to the backend controller for recognition, whereupon the backend controller can identify the event and schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in ultrasonic form to change a state of a device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the input interface is a camera, and wherein the input is capturing an image of the user by the camera, which is forwarded to the backend controller for facial recognition, whereupon the backend controller can verify an identity of the user and schedule an alternate audio signal containing information in ultrasonic form to unlock a device to permit access for the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the camera can further track the user through a point-of-sale.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a sensor, and wherein the input is an alert provided by the sensor, which is forwarded to the backend controller, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing the alert information to the user or other device.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is an audio interface in the mobile device able to detect a Doppler shift in an ultrasonic burst indicating motion of the mobile device, and wherein the input is an indication that the mobile device is moving, which is forwarded to the backend controller, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing Doppler information in an ultrasonic pulse longer than the ultrasonic burst in order to obtain a Doppler measurement of the pulse.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a timer, and wherein the input is an alert provided by expiry of the timer, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing an ultrasonic signal to generate loud noise.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is an audio interface able to detect noise in the environment, and wherein the input is a noise level, which is forwarded to the backend controller to determine a location of the noise and whether the noise level is more than a normal noise level, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing information to direct associates to the location.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is an audio interface able to detect noise in the environment, and wherein the input is a noise level, which is forwarded to the backend controller to determine if the noise level is more than a threshold, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing emergency information for people within the environment.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the backend controller is further operable to characterize a power profile of each alternate audio function, and the scheduler is further operable to interleave each alternate audio function without exceeding any heating and voltage drop limits in the power profile.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the input interface is a timer, and wherein the input is an alert provided by expiry of the timer, whereupon the backend controller can schedule an alternate audio signal containing an ultrasonic signal having a frequency and sensitivity to annoy pests from populating the transmitters.

19. A method for ultrasonic locationing interleaved with alternate audio functions, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of transmitters;

defining interference parameters for each alternate audio signal;

characterize an interference effect of the defined interference parameters for each alternate audio signal with respect to the ultrasonic bursts;

scheduling interleaving of the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals from each transmitter in accordance with the respective interference effect;

receiving the ultrasonic bursts for locationing of a mobile device; and

acting on information in the alternate audio signals.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of supplying input to trigger scheduling of an alternate audio signal containing information related to the input.