Directional beacon device

• US 8,736,829 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Inventors: Primm, Michael R., Parvey, Dale, Joy, Ryan D., Gaskins, Chris C., Graczyk, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US13/360,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 285, 35613901-1391
• US Class Current: 356/139.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/70 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

A beacon device includes a control circuitry, a window, and a plurality of sets of illumination sources. The window includes a prismatic structure forming a ring from a planar perspective. The prismatic structure defines an inside surface and an outside surface from the planar perspective. The plurality of sets of illumination sources are coupled to the control circuitry. Each set of illumination sources includes a first illumination source disposed proximal to the inside surface of the prismatic structure and includes a second illumination source disposed proximal to the outside surface of the prismatic structure. The control circuitry is to illuminate a first set of the plurality of sets of illumination sources to transmit a signal in a first direction.

Claims

1. A beacon device comprising:

circuitry to initiate transmission of a signal via illumination sources;

a first set of the illumination sources;

a second set of the illumination sources; and

a window having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface and including a prismatic structure extending from the concave inner surface, the first set of illumination sources disposed on a first side of the prismatic structure from a cross-sectional perspective and the second set of illumination sources disposed on a second side of the prismatic structure from a cross-sectional perspective, the circuitry to initiate transmission of the signal in a first direction using the first set of the illumination sources or to initiate transmission of the signal in a second direction using the second set of illumination sources.

2. The beacon device of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing a pattern code, the control circuitry to transmit the signal via the first set or the second set of illumination sources based on the pattern code.

3. The beacon device of claim 1, further comprising a location code, the signal to include the location code.

4. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the illumination sources comprises infrared illumination sources.

5. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the first set of the of illumination sources further comprises a third illumination source disposed away from the prismatic structure and pointed in the first direction.

6. The beacon device of claim 1, further comprising a central set of illumination sources disposed at a location central to the prismatic structure, each illumination source of the central set pointed in a direction substantially perpendicular.

7. The beacon device of claim 1, wherein the convex outer surface is disposed at an angle relative to the first side of the prismatic structure to provide the signal at an incident angle relative to a normal vector of the convex outer surface that is not greater than 45°

.

8. The beacon device of claim 7, wherein the incident angle is not greater than 42°

.

9. A tracking system comprising:

a tracking tag; and

a beacon device to communicate a location to the tracking tag via a signal, the beacon device comprising;

circuitry to initiate transmission of the signal via illumination sources;

a first set of the illumination sources;

a second set of the illumination sources; and

a window having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface and including a prismatic structure extending from the concave inner surface, the first set of illumination sources disposed on a first side of the prismatic structure from a cross-sectional perspective and the second set of illumination sources disposed on a second side of the prismatic structure from a cross-sectional perspective, the circuitry to initiate transmission of the signal in a first direction using the first set of the illumination sources or to initiate transmission of the signal in a second direction using the second set of illumination sources.

10. The tracking system of claim 9, further comprising a central system, the tracking tag to receive the signal and to communicate the location to the central system.

11. The tracking system of claim 9, further comprising a central set of illumination sources disposed at a location central to the prismatic structure, each illumination source of the central set pointed in a direction substantially perpendicular.