Orientation of an ultrasonic signal

• US 9,013,960 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wulff, Thomas E., Calvarese, Russell E., Lavery, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/452,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 367/119, 367/127
• US Class Current: 367/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/00 Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/801 Details G01S3/82, G01S3/84, G01S3/86 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A system and method for orientation of an ultrasonic signal includes at least two emitters in a mobile device that includes an orientation sensor that can determine a device orientation. A receiver at a fixed, known point includes at least two microphones operable to receive an ultrasonic signal from the device. The mobile device can drive the emitters to produce an ultrasonic signal that is oriented towards the receiver. A location engine can establish a location of the mobile device using the time delay of arrival of an ultrasonic burst from the mobile device impinging on each microphone of the receiver. In response to the location and/or the orientation, the mobile device operable to drive the emitters to produce a signal that is oriented towards the receiver.

Claims

1. A system for orientation of an ultrasonic signal, comprising:

a mobile device including at least two emitters operable to emit an ultrasonic signal, the mobile device also including an orientation sensor operable to determine an orientation of the mobile device;

in response to the orientation, the mobile device operable to drive the emitters to orient the ultrasonic signal in a preferred direction;

a receiver with at least two microphones operable to receive the ultrasonic signal, the receiver located at a fixed, known point in an environment of the system; and

a location engine operable to establish a location of the mobile device within the environment of the system; and

wherein

in response to the location and the orientation, the mobile device operable to drive the emitters to orient the ultrasonic signal towards the receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is operable to emit an ultrasonic burst to the receiver, such that the location engine can determine a location of the mobile device within the environment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the time delay of arrival of the ultrasonic burst from the mobile device impinging on each microphone is utilized by the location engine to determine a location of the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location engine is operable to use a multilateration locationing technique to determine and track a location of the mobile device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitters are oriented in different directions in the mobile device, and wherein the mobile device is operable to drive only one of the emitters that is most oriented towards the receiver.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the emitters are oriented in a phased array in the mobile device, and wherein the mobile device is operable to drive the emitters to beam steer the ultrasonic signal towards the receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the microphones are oriented in different directions in the receiver, and wherein the receiver is operable to operate only one of the microphones that is most oriented towards the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising multiple receiver assemblies, each with at least two microphones operable to receive the ultrasonic signal, the receiver assemblies located at a fixed, known points in an environment of the system, and wherein the receiver assembly that is most closely positioned near the mobile device is the only assembly activated.

9. A system for orientation of an ultrasonic signal, comprising:

a mobile device including at least two emitters operable to emit an ultrasonic signal, wherein the emitters are oriented in different directions in the mobile device, the mobile device also including an orientation sensor operable to determine an orientation of the mobile device;

a receiver with at least two microphones operable to receive the ultrasonic signal, the receiver located at a fixed, known point in an environment of the system;

a location engine operable to establish a location of the mobile device within the environment of the system;

wherein

in response to the location and the orientation, the mobile device operable to drive only one of the emitters that is most oriented towards the receiver.

10. A method for orientation of an ultrasonic signal, comprising:

providing a mobile device including at least two emitters operable to emit an ultrasonic signal and a receiver with at least two microphones operable to receive the ultrasonic signal, the receiver located at a fixed, known point in an environment of the system;

determining an orientation of the mobile device;

establishing a location of the mobile device within the environment of the system; and

in response to the location and the orientation, driving the emitters to orient the ultrasonic signal towards the receiver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein driving includes driving only one of the emitters that is most oriented towards the receiver, where the emitters are oriented in different directions in the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising operating only one of the microphones that is most oriented towards the mobile device, where the microphones are oriented in different directions in the receiver.