Systems and methods for tiling optically narrowcast signals

• US 9,912,406 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aron Surefire, LLC
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Shatz, Narkis E., Bortz, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolf, Darren E
• Application Number:
  US15/592,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20170244484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0009 having refractive surfaces only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0023 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/009 for use with infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0095 for use with ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 : Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 : Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/50 : Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 : Details of coding or modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/5162 : Return-to-zero modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/541 : Digital intensity or amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/60 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/615 : Arrangements affecting the optical part of the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/616 : Details of the electronic signal processing in coherent optical receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/66 : Non-coherent receivers, e.g. using direct detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/697 : Arrangements for reducing noise and distortion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 : Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 : Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 : The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 : Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 : Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 : Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for optical narrowcasting are provided for transmitting various types of content. Optical narrowcasting content indicative of the presence of additional information along with identifying information may be transmitted. The additional information (which may include meaningful amounts of advertising information, media, or any other content) may also be transmitted as optical narrowcasting content. Elements of an optical narrowcasting system may include optical transmitters and optical receivers which can be configured to be operative at distances ranging from, e.g., 400 meters to 1200 meters. Moreover, the elements can be implemented on a miniaturized scale in conjunction with small, user devices such as smartphones, thereby also realizing optical ad-hoc networking, as well as interoperability with other types of data networks. Optically narrowcast content can be used to augment a real-world experience, enhance and/or spawn new forms of social-media and media content.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an optical receiver assembly comprising;

a lenslet array including a plurality of lenslets, each of the plurality of lenslets including a first side and a second side, the first side being convex;

an optical detector array including a plurality of optical detectors, each optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors positioned in a focal plane of the plurality of lenslets, each of the lenslets positioned to concentrate flux collected over the first side of the lenslet array received from a field of view onto at least one optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors, the field of view including at least one tiled optical beam transmitted by an optical transmitter assembly comprising a combination of optical beams having an optical intensity uniformly distributed over a two-dimensional angular output region, wherein one or more edges of two or more optical beams of the combination of optical beams abut each other to create the two-dimensional angular output region;

a signal amplifier and filter coupled to the optical detector array amplifying and filtering signals received from the optical detector array to create an amplified signal;

a format converter converting an optical format of the amplified signal to a digital signal; and

a data processor extracting identification information from the the digital signal, wherein the extracted identification information identifies a source of the optical transmitter assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of optical detectors and a corresponding one of the plurality of lenslets are optically aligned with each other.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of lenslets are positioned such that each of their respective optical axes are parallel to each other.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the system to;

display on a graphical user interface, based on the identification information extracted from the digital signal, a visual representation of the source overlaid over a live display of a field of view of a video camera;

receive data corresponding to user input at the graphical user interface selecting the visual representation of the source; and

in response to receiving the data, display on the graphical user interface, a visual representation of the identification information extracted from the digital signal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging lens; and

an additional optical detector array in a focal plane of the imaging lens, the imaging lens and the additional optical detector array receiving at least one optical beacon from at least one of the optical transmitter assembly and an additional optical transmitter assembly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each optical detector can detect an optical signal in the 10 nm to 10⁶ nm spectrum.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a multi-channel receiver and each optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors is dedicated to receive flux within an optical waveband of a corresponding channel of the multi-channel receiver.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a spectral filter configured to reduce levels of out-of-band flux incident on at least one optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors.