Agent supportable device for communicating in a direction of interest

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12475273-B2
Application number	US-202418438506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2024
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An Agent supportable device for determining a direction of an item of interest. The Agent supportable device includes an antenna configured to communicate with the reference transceiver associated with the item of interest. A receiver in the Agent supportable device is in logical communication with the antenna. A transmitter is also in logical communication with the antenna. A digital storage contains software executable upon demand via a processor in logical communication with the digital storage. The processor is operative via execution of the software to cause the apparatus to display a user interface on a visual display that includes an arrow indicating a direction of the item of interest in relation to the apparatus and a distance between the apparatus and the item of interest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An Agent supportable device for communicating in a direction interest, the Agent supportable device comprising:
a Node supportable by an agent at a location relative to a ground plane, the Node comprising: a. a memory storing a software program; b. a network interface enabling the Agent supportable device to communicate via a wireless data communication standard; c. an antenna configured to communicate with a wireless data transceiver; d. an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver in logical communication with the antenna; e. a transmitter also in logical communication with the antenna; f. a user interface surface; g. a clock; h. a processor in logical communication with the memory, the processor operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to:
i. with the location sensor, generate a location of the Agent supportable device;
ii. with the receiver, receive a first digital communication from the wireless data transceiver comprising a UWB transceiver, the first digital communication comprising an identifier and data useful in determining a distance of the wireless data transceiver from the Agent supportable device;
iii. referencing the first digital communication, generate the distance between the wireless data transceiver and the Agent supportable device;
iv. with the transmitter, transmit a second digital communication to the wireless data transceiver, the second digital communication comprising data useful to determine a direction of the wireless data transceiver in relation to the Agent supportable device;
v. calculate one or both of: a round trip time, and a time of flight, of at least one of the first digital communication and the second digital communication,
vi. based upon one of the first digital communication and the second digital communication, generate the direction of the wireless data transceiver in relation to the Agent supportable device;
vii. generate a directional vector representing the direction of the wireless data transceiver comprising a UWB transceiver in relation to the Agent supportable device;
viii. display a user interface on the user interface surface, the user interface comprising an arrow symbol representing the wireless vector and indicating the direction of the wireless data transceiver in relation to the Agent supportable device the direction of the wireless data transceiver comprising a direction of interest; and
ix. display on the user interface the distance between the Agent supportable device and the wireless data transceiver.

2 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 additionally comprising a camera array comprising multiple image capture angles, wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to display a user interface comprising a virtual reality view of a setting comprising a location of the Agent supportable device.

3 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the wireless data transceiver is incorporated into an appliance.

4 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the wireless data transceiver is incorporated into a smart device.

5 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the wireless data transceiver is incorporated into an item of equipment.

6 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the wireless data transceiver is incorporated into a machinery.

7 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the wireless data transceiver is incorporated into an automation.

8 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the software is additionally operative to cause the UWB transceiver to transmit a control command to operate an apparatus.

9 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 additionally comprising a location sensor, wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the location sensor to receive global positioning signals (GPS) and reference the GPS signals to generate the location of the Agent supportable device.

10 . The Agent supportable device of claim 9 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to reference the GPS and indicate in the user interface at least one of: an address, a unit number, and a lot number.

11 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to generate a geospatial location of the wireless data transceiver relative to the Agent supportable device.

12 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to generate an angle of transmission of the second digital communication.

13 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to generate an angle of departure of at least one of the first digital communication and the second digital communication.

14 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 additionally comprising a camera, and the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to provide a drop down menu on the user interface comprising Agent selectable items of interest in a field of view of the camera.

15 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the Agent supportable device additionally comprises an accelerometer and the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to indicate in the user interface movement of the Agent supportable device towards or away from the wireless data transceiver.

16 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program associating the Agent supportable device with at least one of: a person and an entity.

17 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to determine a geospatial location comprising Cartesian Coordinates.

18 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to generate indicators of distance from the wireless data transceiver based upon a comparison of timing signals received from the wireless data transceiver.

19 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to generate indicators of direction of the wireless data transceiver in relation to the Agent supportable device.

20 . The Agent supportable device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is additionally operative via execution of the software program to cause the Agent supportable device to determine a geospatial location based upon multilateration referencing the distance between the Agent supportable device and the wireless data transceiver and geometry of a geometric shape.

Assignees

• Middle Chart Llc

Inventors

• Wodrich Michael
• Santarone Michael S
• Pugh Randall
• Duff Jason E

Classifications

• G06T2210/04

  Architectural design, interior design · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G06T7/00

  Image analysis · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title