Infrared beacon positioning system

• US 6,292,744 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: LaMarca, Anthony G., Cass, Todd A., Weiser, Mark D., Want, Roy, Goldberg, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/669,115
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/214, 701/216, 701/217, 342/70, 342/74, 342/385, 342/386, 342/457, 340/815
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/01 adapted for specific applications or environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information

Abstract

A positioning system including a light source, infrared beacon and controller. The infrared beacon broadcasts a signal. The positioning system may be used with a portable computing device.

Claims

1. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a controller associated with the infrared beacon.

2. The physical positioning system of claim 1, wherein the data signal is a predetermined series of infrared pulses.

3. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the lighting device is at least one of an incandescent, fluorescent, and high intensity discharge lighting device.

4. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the data signal further comprises at least one of identification information, location information, geographic information, time dependent information, weather information, and temperature information.

5. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the high intensity discharge lamp is at least one of metal halide and sodium.

6. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the light source is mounted in a fixture on at least one of a pole and a structure.

7. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the light source is securable to the lighting fixture using at least one of a screw fitting and bayonet fitting.

8. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the infrared beacon is powered at the reduced supplied voltage through an electrical connection.

9. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the lighting fixture supplies electrical power at a determined voltage.

10. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the light source is attached to a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage.

11. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is attached between the voltage converter and the infrared beacon.

12. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller generates an electrical pulse train convertible by the infrared beacon into a predetermined series of infrared pulses.

13. The physical positioning system of claim 1 wherein the oscillator is attached to trigger the microcontroller.

14. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller operatively associated with the voltage converter and the infrared beacon.

15. The physical positioning system of claim 14 wherein the data signal is representative of a physical location.

16. The physical position system of claim 14 wherein the data signal is an infrared pulse.

17. The physical positioning system of claim 14 wherein the infrared beacon is powered at the reduced supplied voltage through an electrical connection to the voltage converter.

18. The physical positioning system of claim 14 further comprising a portable computing device associated with infrared receivers.

19. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller and an oscillator adapted to trigger the microcontroller to initiate an electrical pulse train.

20. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller and a trigger circuit adapted to trigger the microcontroller.

21. The physical positioning system of claim 20 wherein the trigger circuit is responsive to at least one of optical, pressure, and motion input.

22. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller and a trigger circuit adapted to trigger the microcontroller to initiate an electrical pulse train, the trigger circuit adapted to being activated by an infrared input signal.

23. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller and a trigger circuit adapted to trigger the microcontroller to initiate an electrical pulse train, the trigger circuit adapted to being activated by a radio input signal.

24. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture, the light source operatively associated with a voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal; and

a microcontroller and a trigger circuit adapted to trigger the microcontroller to initiate an electrical pulse train, the trigger circuit adapted to being activated by a user activated switch input signal.

25. A physical positioning system comprising:

a light source adapted to be removably attachable to a lighting fixture that supplies electrical power at a determined voltage, the light source having an attached voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon operatively connected to the voltage converter, the infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal;

a portable computing devices equipped with infrared receivers adapted to receive the data signal from the infrared beacon and determine its physical location; and

a microcontroller;

wherein the infrared beacon is adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal.

26. The physical positioning system of claim 25, wherein the portable computing device further comprises a global positioning system receiver.

27. The physical positioning system of claim 25, wherein the infrared beacon further comprises an infrared trigger mechanism adapted to activate broadcast of the data signal, and the portable computing device is adapted to provide an infrared beam to activate the trigger mechanism.

28. The physical positioning system of claim 25, wherein the infrared beacon further comprises a radio trigger mechanism adapted to activate broadcast of the data signal, and the portable computing device is adapted to provide a radio broadcast to activate the trigger mechanism.

29. A data transmission system comprising:

a light source adapted to be rotatably attachable to a lighting fixture that supplies electrical power, the light source having an attached voltage converter to provide a reduced supplied voltage;

an infrared beacon operatively connected to the voltage converter, the infrared beacon configured to selectively broadcast a data signal;

a portable computing device equipped with at least one infrared receiver adapted to receive the selected data signal from the infrared beacon; and

a microcontroller;

wherein the infrared beacon is adapted to broadcast a data signal in response to an interrogatory signal.

30. The physical positioning system of claim 29, wherein the infrared beam is adapted to selectively broadcast more than one data stream in response to predefined conditions.

31. The physical positioning system of claim 29, wherein the infrared beacon further comprises an infrared trigger mechanism adapted to activate broadcast of the data signal, and the portable computing device further comprises an infrared beam to activate the trigger mechanism.

32. The physical positioning system of claim 29, wherein the infrared beacon further comprises a radio trigger mechanism adapted to activate broadcast of the data signal, and the portable computing device further comprises a radio broadcaster to activate the trigger mechanism.

33. A positioning system comprising:

a light source;

an infrared beacon adapted to broadcast a data signal; and

a controller operatively associated with the infrared beacon.