The invention discloses a constellation of relay vehicles comprising a receiver of navigation signals and a transmitter of positioning signals to an area of service where a number of rovers manoeuver, wherein the position of the relay vehicle may be adjusted to optimize one or more of an SNR or a DOP index of the positioning signals. In some embodiments, the optimal configuration of the constellation of relay vehicles may be further defined based on priority indexes allocated to the rovers. The invention is applicable to terrestrial or underwater rovers, respectively serviced by aerial or nautical relay vehicles.

Techniques for positioning using acoustic tags are provided. An example method for determining a location of a mobile device includes receiving acoustic tag information with the mobile device, the acoustic tag information is associated with an appliance, detecting an acoustic signal with the mobile device, determining a correlation value for the acoustic signal and the acoustic tag information, identifying at least one appliance and a corresponding appliance location based on the correlation value, and determining the location of the mobile device based at least in part on an appliance location.

A locational information transmission apparatus that transmits information for identifying a location is provided. The locational information transmission apparatus includes a radio communication unit that performs radio communication; a sound wave transmitting unit that transmits a sound wave including first identification information; a radio wave transmitting unit that transmits a radio wave including second identification information; and a transmission control unit that changes, depending on control information reported via the radio communication, a method of transmitting the sound wave or a method of transmitting the radio wave.

Injectable acoustic tags and a process of making are described for tracking host animals in up to three dimensions. The injectable acoustic tags reduce adverse biological effects and have a reduced cost of manufacture compared with conventional surgically implanted tags. The injectable tags are powered by a single power source with a lifetime of greater than 30 days. The injectable tags have an enhanced acoustic signal transmission range that enhances detection probability for tracking of host animals.

A system and methods for estimating the location of a mobile device are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a mobile device receives a wireless electromagnetic signal and an ultrasound signal from a first beacon during a first occurrence of a time slot. The mobile device further receives a wireless electromagnetic signal and an ultrasound signal from a second beacon during a second occurrence of the time slot, where the ultrasound signals from the first and second beacons have non-overlapping areas of coverage. The electromagnetic and ultrasound signals from the first beacon are used to estimate a first location of the mobile device, and the electromagnetic and ultrasound signals from the second beacon are used to estimate a second location of the mobile device.

A method of locating an underwater based system, the method including determining the underwater based system's geo-location, encoding the underwater based system's geo-location for RF transmission, encoding the underwater based system's geo-location for acoustic transmission, and transmitting RF and acoustic signals containing the encoded geo-location to a receiving station. A locator for locating an underwater based system including a buoy, a global positioning system having an antenna and a receiver, an RF transmission system including an antenna and a transmitter, an underwater acoustic transducer, and a locator control unit adapted to determine the underwater based system's geo-location, encode the underwater based system's geo-location for RF transmission, encode the underwater based system's geo-location for acoustic transmission, and transmit RF and underwater acoustic signals containing the encoded geo-location.

Disclosed are devices suitable for connection to a light fixture, that in some embodiments are useful as components of a network and/or position-determining system.

An ejectable flight data recorder for robust retention of flight data and aiding in locating an aircraft after an emergency situation comprises: a buoyant housing comprising an internal cavity, a door for access to at least a portion of the internal cavity, and an aerodynamic outer shape having a longitudinal axis; an energy-dissipating nose cone for reducing an impact load on the housing when the flight data recorder impacts a water surface; a nonvolatile memory configured to store flight data; a position sensor for detecting a geographic position of the flight data recorder; a radio transmitter; an antenna electrically coupled to the radio transmitter; a sustainable power system; and a hydrophone for acoustically tracking a sinking trajectory of the aircraft in a body of water.

A transmitter is provided that is capable of communicating with a management apparatus via a network and is configured to output a plurality of sound waves in a plurality of different directions. The transmitter includes a memory storing a program, and a processor configured to execute the program to implement processes of outputting a first sound wave including first unique information in a first output direction of the plurality of different directions, outputting a second sound wave including second unique information that differs from the first unique information in a second output direction that differs from the first output direction, and individually controlling the first sound wave output by the first sound wave output unit and the second sound wave output by the second sound wave output unit based on a request from the management apparatus.

Devices, non-transitory computer-readable media and methods for providing a haptic signal based upon a detection of an object are disclosed. For example, the processor of a device may transmit a first ultrasonic signal via an ultrasonic emitter and detect an object based upon a receiving of a reflected signal via an ultrasonic detector, where the reflected signal comprises a reflection of the first ultrasonic signal from the object. The processor may further monitor for a second ultrasonic signal via the ultrasonic detector. The device may be associated with a user, and the second ultrasonic signal may be associated with a teammate of the user. The processor may also select whether to provide an instruction to a haptic actuator when the object is detected, based upon whether the second ultrasonic signal is received via the ultrasonic detector.