Orientation and position sensing methods and devices are disclosed. The described methods and devices are based on implementing magneto-electric-quasi-static fields for position and orientation sensing in lossy-dielectric, conducting, or metallic non-line-of-sight environments, where obstructions or occlusions or nearby objects exists that are lossy in nature and that typically perturb radio or electromagnetic wave signaling. Detailed experimental results highlighting the performance of the disclosed methods are also presented.

Orientation and position sensing methods and devices are disclosed. The described methods and devices are based on implementing magneto-electric-quasi-static fields for position and orientation sensing in lossy-dielectric, conducting, or metallic non-line-of-sight environments, where obstructions or occlusions or nearby objects exists that are lossy in nature and that typically perturb radio or electromagnetic wave signaling. Detailed experimental results highlighting the performance of the disclosed methods are also presented.

A beacon with a preferably anodized aluminum body, cylindrical in shape, and threaded. The exact diameter and thread size of a water catcher cap is defined by the accompanying MWIR/LWIR beacon it threads onto. The accompanying component male thread allows the water catching cover to be threaded down completely for when the MWIR/LWIR beacon is powered on, thus creating an IR iris for the beacon emission, also while cooling the MWIR/LWIR beacon by being able to capture water within its open space cavity between the accompanying component and the water catching cover wall. Further in a wet environment, the open nature of the water catching cover permits rapid quenching by ambient water and refill of water catcher. Alternatively, when thread in the upmost position it protects the accompanying MWIR/LWIR beacon point of emission.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

A tag for time-of-flight (ToF) applications includes: at least three light sources configured to controllably emit light; a light detector configured to receive one or more modulated light signals from a ToF camera system; and a processing circuit configured to determine one or more time periods in which the ToF camera system is sensitive for light reception and control the at least three light sources to sequentially and individually emit light according to a predefined lighting pattern during the one or more time periods. Corresponding apparatuses and methods for determining rotation and/or translation parameters for conversion between different coordinate systems are also provided.

A method for object tracking. The method includes capturing a sequence of images of a scene, detecting, by a hardware processor, based on a pattern of local light change across the sequence of images, a reflective light source in the scene, comparing, by the hardware processor in response to detecting the reflective light source, a location of the reflective light source in at least one image of the sequence of images and a target position within the at least one image to generate a result, and generating, by the hardware processor based on the result, a control signal for changing a field-of-view of a camera device such that the reflective light source substantially aligns with the target position within the field-of-view, wherein the reflective light source emits an object-reflected light.

A system for facilitating navigation of an aircraft comprises one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores data into a data store and program code that, when executed by the processors, causes the system to detect an infrared site signal indicating a site code transmitted by one or more infrared beacons that form a beacon network around a site. The site code represents a site. In response to detecting the infrared site signal, the system determines the site indicated by the site code. The system searches for two or more infrared beacon signals and detects the two or more infrared beacon signals. In response to detecting the two or more infrared beacon signals, the system determines a location of the aircraft based on the two or more infrared beacon signals.

The invention discloses a positioning light beam emission system, a method and an indoor positioning system. A positioning space includes a plurality of positioning sub-spaces. A plurality of positioning light beam emission devices are fixed at predetermined positions in the plurality of positioning sub-spaces, respectively, and the positioning light beam emission devices are used to emit positioning light beams toward the respective positioning sub-spaces in a sweeping manner with a predetermined sweeping cycle and predetermined angular velocity. Each positioning light beam has a linear cross section and is rotated about a rotation axis in the sweeping manner, the rotation axis not perpendicular to an extended direction of the linear cross section.

In an embodiment, an optical sensor includes (i) a first lens array including a plurality of first lenses, (ii) a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of first lenses, and (iii) a plurality of signal-modifying elements each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of first lenses. The plurality of signal-modifying elements includes (a) a first signal-modifying optical element having a first spatially-dependent transmission function, and (b) a second signal-modifying optical element having a second spatially-dependent transmission function differing from the first spatially-dependent transmission function.