Systems and methods for tiling optically narrowcast signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017244484-A1
Application number	US-201715592162-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2017
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
an optical receiver assembly comprising:
an optical beacon receiver configured to:
detect and receive an optical beacon from an optical transmitter assembly; and
extract identification information from the received optical beacon, wherein the extracted identification information identifies a source of the optical transmitter assembly; and

an optical signal receiver configured to:
detect and receive an optical signal from the optical transmitter assembly; and
extract information from the received optical signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical beacon receiver comprises a plurality of optical detectors.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of optical detectors comprises an optical detector array.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the optical beacon receiver comprises a plurality of receiver optics, each one of the plurality of receiver optics being optically aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of optical detectors.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of receiver optics are positioned such that each of their respective optical axes are parallel to each other.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal receiver comprises a plurality of optical detectors.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of optical detectors comprises an optical detector array.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the optical signal receiver comprises a plurality of receiver optics, each one of the plurality of receiver optics being optically aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of optical detectors.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of receiver optics are positioned such that each of their respective optical axes are parallel to each other.

10 . 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 received optical beacon, 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 information extracted from the received optical signal.

Assignees

• Surefire Llc

Inventors

• Shatz Narkis E
• Bortz John C

Classifications

• H04B10/1143 Primary

  Bidirectional transmission · CPC title

• G02B27/30

  Collimators · CPC title

• H04B10/541

  Digital intensity or amplitude modulation · CPC title

• H04B10/60

  Receivers · CPC title

• G02B13/0015

  characterised by the lens design · CPC title