Ultrasonic locationing interleaved with alternate audio functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816638-B2
Application number	US-201414487194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

Ultrasonic locationing interleaved with alternate audio functions includes a plurality of transmitters for emitting ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals. A backend controller schedules the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals from each transmitter. The backend controller can characterize an interference effect of defined interference parameters for each alternate audio signal, with respect to the ultrasonic bursts, and modify interleave scheduling of the ultrasonic bursts and alternate audio signals in accordance with the respective interference effect. A mobile device can receive the ultrasonic bursts for locationing of the mobile device, while a user or other device that can act on information in the alternate audio signals. Input from a user to an interface device can trigger the backend controller to schedule an alternate audio signal containing information related to the input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for ultrasonic locationing, comprising:
a plurality of transmitters, each of the plurality of transmitters operable to emit a first audio signal and a second audio signal, the first audio signal being an ultrasonic burst emitted at a first frequency, the second signal being emitted at a second frequency that is different from the first frequency;
a controller communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of transmitters, the controller operable to:
instruct each of the plurality of transmitters to emit the first audio signal pursuant to a predefined scheduling sequence;
determine an interference effect of the second audio signal on the first audio signal;
based on the interference effect, determine an interference parameter for the second audio signal, the interference parameter causing an avoidance of an interference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and
instruct at least some of the plurality of transmitters to emit the second audio signal pursuant to the interference parameter; and

a mobile device communicatively coupled to the controller, the mobile device being operable to receive the first audio signal and communicate a receipt of the first audio signal to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency is ultrasonic.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency is audible.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine the interference effect of the second audio signal on the first audio signal emitted pursuant to the predefined scheduling sequence.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an input device coupled to the controller, wherein an input supplied from the input device triggers the controller to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal, the second audio signal containing information related to the input.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the input is at least one of a camera, a wireless communication interface, a radio frequency identification reader, an alarm, a sensor, a timer, and an audio interface.

7. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is a camera,
wherein the input is a gesture from a user, the gesture being recognizable by the controller, and
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal containing information in audible form, the information including directions for the user to take in response to the input.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the user is at a location, the location being recognizable by the controller, and wherein the directions are based at least in part on the location.

9. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is a camera,
wherein the input is a presenting an object to the camera, the object being recognizable by the controller, and
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal containing information in audible form, the information including at least one of a price of the object, a quantity of the object in stock, and acknowledgement to replenish the stock of the object.

10. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader,
wherein the input is a placing an object near the RFID reader to be read by the RFID reader, the object being recognizable by the controller, and
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal containing information in audible form, the information including at least one of a price of the object, a quantity of the object in stock, and acknowledgement to replenish the stock of the object.

11. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is a camera,
wherein the input is a capture of an image, the image being recognizable by the controller,
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal at an ultrasonic frequency, and
wherein the mobile device is operative to change from a first state to a second state in response to receiving the second audio signal.

12. The system of claim 11 ,
wherein the first state is a locked state,
wherein the second state an unlocked state,
wherein the image is that of a user, and
wherein, the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio upon a recognition of the user as an authorized user.

13. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is a sensor,
wherein the input is an alert provided by the sensor, the alert being recognizable by the controller,
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal containing information related to the alert.

14. The system of claim 5 ,
wherein the input device is an audio interface in the mobile device operable to detect a Doppler shift in the first audio signal, the Doppler shift indicating motion of the mobile device,
wherein the input is an indication that the mobile device is moving, and
wherein the controller is operable to schedule the transmission of the second audio signal, the second audio signal containing Doppler information in an ultrasonic pulse longer than the first audio signal for obtaining a Doppler measurement of the ultrasonic pulse.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to:
characterize a power profile of the second audio signal, the power profile defining at least one of a heating limit and a voltage drop limit for each of the plurality of transmitters, and
instruct the at least some of the plurality of transmitters to emit the second audio signal pursuant to the power profile.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interference parameter is at least one of a sound pressure level, a frequency, a reverberation time, and time slot.

17. A method of providing an audio signal in a venue employing ultrasonic locationing, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of transmitters, each of the plurality of transmitters operable to emit a first audio signal and a second audio signal, the first audio signal being an ultrasonic burst emitted at a first frequency, the second signal being emitted at a second frequency that is different from the first frequency;
instructing, by a controller, each of the plurality of transmitters to emit the first audio signal pursuant to a predefined scheduling sequence;
determining an interference effect of the second audio signal on the first audio signal;
based on the interference effect, determining an interference parameter for the second audio signal, the interference parameter causing an avoidance of an interference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and
instructing, by the controller, at least some of the plurality of transmitters to emit the second audio signal pursuant to the interference parameter;
receiving, by a mobile device, the first audio signal; and
communicating, by the mobile device, a receipt of the first audio signal to the controller.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second frequency is ultrasonic.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second frequency is audible.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the interference parameter is at least one of a sound pressure level, a frequency, a reverberation time, and time slot.

Assignees

• Symbol Technologies Inc
• Symbol Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Calvarese Russell E
• Connolly Sean A
• Dubois Janine E
• Lavery Richard J
• Marvel Sean D

Classifications

• G01S1/74 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• G01S1/80

  using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional transducers or transducer systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems · CPC title

• G01S5/26 Primary

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title