SYSTEM, DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF A REMOTE OBJECT

• US 20190018167A1
• Filed: 09/03/2018
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garadget, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Garadget, Inc.
• Inventors: Grisak, Denis
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/14 using reflectors

Abstract

Various controllers herein detect a remote object'"'"'s change of position. A controller emits a laser through a laser emitter at the remote object and measures an intensity of light reflected back to the controller through a photosensor disposed in proximity to the laser emitter. The surface of the remote object comprises a retroreflective portion, which reflects most of the laser beam'"'"'s light in the direction it came from. A change in the remote object'"'"'s position is detected when the intensity of light measured is substantially different after altering a factor of the laser emitter, such as power state.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a laser emitter communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to emit a laser beam at a remote object comprising at least one retroreflective portion;

a photosensor communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the memory comprises instructions encoded on non-transitory media that when executed by the processor, cause the device to detect whether the remote object has changed its position, the instructions comprising;

detecting a first light intensity measurement through the photosensor;

toggling a power state of the laser emitter;

detecting a second light intensity measurement through the photosensor; and

detecting a threshold difference between the first light intensity measurement and the second light intensity measurement.

2. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, through a processor of a device communicatively coupled to a photosensor and a laser emitter, a first light intensity measurement through the photosensor, wherein the laser emitter is configured to emit a laser beam at a retroreflective portion of a remote object;

toggling a power state of the laser emitter;

detecting a second light intensity measurement through the photosensor; and

detecting a threshold difference between the first light intensity measurement and the second light intensity measurement.

3. A system comprising:

a controller comprising;

a processor;

a memory;

a laser emitter communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to emit a laser beam at a retroreflective portion of a remote object;

a photosensor communicatively coupled to the processor

wherein the memory comprises instructions encoded on non-transitory media that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to detect whether the remote object has changed its position, the instructions comprising;

detecting a first light intensity measurement through the photosensor;

toggling a power state of the laser emitter;

detecting a second light intensity measurement through the photosensor;

determining whether the remote object is in the predetermined position based on detecting a threshold difference between the first light intensity measurement and the second light intensity measurement.