Organic navigational beacons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11579232-B1
Application number	US-202016922888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2020
Priority date	Feb 7, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Navigation beacons may be trained to receive signals of opportunity from one or more vehicles, to recognize their own position based on such signals, and to transmit information regarding their own position to one or more other vehicles accordingly. The navigation beacons may be of small size and feature a basic construction including one or more transceivers, power sources and the like, and may communicate via a Bluetooth® Low Energy, Ultra Wideband or long-range low-power wireless standard, or any other standard. The navigation beacons may be installed in any location, preferably being mounted to one or more existing fixed structures or facilities (e.g., transportation structures or facilities), and may operate in active and/or passive modes when learning their positions or servicing position information to one or more remote devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
depositing a beacon in a location, wherein the beacon comprises:
a processor;
a transceiver; and
a power source;

receiving, by the transceiver of the beacon, at least a first signal from a first vehicle, wherein the first signal comprises:
a latitude of the first vehicle at a first time;
a longitude of the first vehicle at the first time; and
an altitude of the first vehicle at the first time,
wherein the beacon is not programmed with a position of the beacon prior to receiving the first signal;

determining, by the processor of the beacon, the position of the beacon based in part on the first signal;
receiving, by the transceiver of the beacon, at least a second signal from a second vehicle,
wherein the second signal comprises a request for a position of the second vehicle; and
in response to the request,
determining, by the processor of the beacon, the position of the second vehicle based at least in part on the position of the beacon and the first signal; and
transmitting, by the transceiver of the beacon, a third signal comprising information regarding the position of the second vehicle to the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the beacon in the location comprises one of:
dropping the beacon by air at the location; or
fastening the beacon to a structure at the location.

3. A method comprising:
prior to a first time,
depositing a first beacon at a location;

receiving at least a first signal by a first beacon, wherein the first signal is transmitted by a first system, and wherein the first signal comprises information regarding a position of the first system associated with the location at the first time;
determining, by the first beacon, a position of the first beacon based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the first system at the first time; and
transmitting, by the first beacon to a second system at a second time, a second signal comprising information regarding the position of the first beacon and information regarding a distance between the position of the first beacon and a position of the second system at the first time,
wherein the second time follows the first time, and
wherein the first beacon comprises a circuit board having at least one processor, at least one memory component, at least one transceiver and at least a portion of at least one power source.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first beacon is mounted to one of:
a structure comprising a lighting element at the location;
a structure comprising a mail receptacle at the location; or
a structure embedded in a roadway surface at the location.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving at least the first signal by the first beacon comprises:
receiving a plurality of signals by the first beacon, wherein each of the plurality of signals comprises information regarding a position of one of a plurality of systems at a time, and wherein the first signal is one of the plurality of signals, and wherein the first system is one of the plurality of systems.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the first beacon, that the first signal further comprises a predetermined authentication key,
wherein the position of the first beacon is determined based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the first beacon in response to determining that the first signal further comprises the predetermined authentication key.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the first beacon, a confidence level associated with at least one of the position of the first beacon or the distance between the position of the first beacon and the position of the second system at the first time,
wherein the second signal further comprises the confidence level.

8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the first beacon, a confidence level associated with at least one of the position of the first beacon or the distance between the position of the first beacon and the position of the first system at the first time; and
determining, by the first beacon, that the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold,
wherein the second signal is transmitted in response to determining that the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving at least a third signal by the first beacon at a third time, wherein the third signal is transmitted by the second system, wherein the third signal comprises a request for information regarding the position of the first beacon, and wherein the third time precedes the second time; and
authenticating, by the first beacon, the third signal,
wherein the second signal is transmitted by the first beacon to the second system at the second time in response to authenticating the third signal.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first beacon comprises a frame formed from at least one of a plastic, a metal, a wood or a composite material, and
wherein the circuit board is disposed within the frame.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving at least the first signal by the first beacon comprises:
receiving a third signal by the first beacon, wherein the third signal is transmitted by one of a second beacon or a third system, wherein the third signal comprises information regarding a position of the one of the second beacon or the third system at a third time, and wherein the third time precedes the second time,
wherein the position of the first beacon is determined based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the first system at the first time and the information regarding the one of the second beacon or the third system at the third time.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the position of the first beacon comprises:
determining, by the first beacon based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the first system at the first time, a first latitude and a first longitude of the first system at the first time;
determining, by the first beacon based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the first system at the first time, a first bearing from which the first signal was received; and
determining, by the first beacon, the position of the first beacon based at least in part on at least the first latitude, the first longitude and the first bearing.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first signal or the second signal is one of:
a signal in one of a plurality of two-megahertz channels within a spectrum of approximately 2.4000 to 2.4835 gigahertz (GHz);
a signal having a bandwidth of at least five hundred megahertz transmitted within a spectrum of approximately 3.1 to 10.6 gigahertz (GHz); or
a signal within a spectrum of approximately 902 to 928 megahertz (MHz).

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one power source comprises at least one of a battery, a fuel cell or a solar cell.

15. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first beacon, at least a third signal, wherein the third signal is transmitted by a third system, wherein the third signal comprises information regarding a position of the third system at a third time, and wherein the third time follows the second time; and
updating, by the first beacon, the position of the first beacon based at least in part on the information regarding the position of the third system at the third time.

16. A first beacon comprising:
a frame;
at least

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Duksta John Clark Coonley
• Hahn Camerin Cole
• Hensel Fabian Thomas
• Huebner Ronald Eugene

Classifications

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/20

  Arrangements for acquiring, generating, sharing or displaying traffic information (arrangements for monitoring traffic G08G5/72) · CPC title

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title