The present invention contemplates a variety of improved techniques including methods and apparatus for coordinating a plurality of devices, and more specifically, a method and apparatus for coordinating a plurality of devices to estimate or calculate various distances, relative positions, device attitudes, and other absolute and/or relative kinematic data.

A charge port detector system may include a charger arm, a set of ultrasonic sensors carried by the charger arm, and one or more physical processors. The set of ultrasonic sensors may receive ultrasonic signals from one or more ultrasonic emitters of a charging target. Times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals may be obtained. The charger arm may be moved based on the times at which the set of ultrasonic sensors received the ultrasonic signals. The movement of the charger arm may align the charger arm to a charge port of the charging target.

In one embodiment, a method includes retrieving positions P1, P2 and P3 of a first, second and third attendee position, respectively, P1, P2, P3 being determined based on detecting speech from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, by a first microphone array of a first collaboration apparatus, retrieving distances D1, D2 and D3 from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, to a second microphone array of a second collaboration apparatus, D1, D2, D3 being determined based on detecting speech from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, by the second microphone array, P1 and D1 defining a circle C1 centered at P1 with radius D1, P2 and D2 defining a circle C2 centered at P2 with radius D2, P3 and D3 defining a circle C3 centered at P3 with radius D3, calculating a position P4 based on a proximity of a circumference of C1, C2 and C3.

A method and apparatus for ranging finding of signal transmitting devices is provided. The method of signal reception is digitally based only and does not require receivers that are analog measurement devices. Ranging can be achieved using a single pulse emitting device operating in range spaced relation with a minimum of a single signal transmitter and a single digital receiver and processing circuitry. In general a plurality of transmitting pulsed emitters may be ranged and positioned virtually simultaneously in 3-dimensions (XYZ coordinates) using a configuration of a plurality of digital receivers arranged in any fixed 3-dimensional configuration. Applications may involve at least one single transmitter to receiver design to determine range, or at least one transmitted reflecting signal off from an object to determine range.

A method for mapping a source location by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining sensor data. The method also includes mapping a source location to electronic device coordinates based on the sensor data. The method further includes mapping the source location from electronic device coordinates to physical coordinates. The method additionally includes performing an operation based on a mapping.

According to one embodiment, a spatial position measurement apparatus, includes: a transmission unit configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave accompanying with a transmission source identifiable from three or more transmission sensors provided on a first object; a detection unit configured to detect the ultrasonic wave received by two or more reception sensors provided on a second object; a distance calculation unit configured to calculate distances between the transmission sensors and the reception sensors based on propagation time of the ultrasonic wave; and a coordinate calculation unit configured to calculate, in a coordinate system where a position of one group out of a group of the transmission sensors and a group of the reception sensors is fixed, positional coordinates of another group based on the distances.

Disclosed are methods and systems for determining distance between two or more mobile devices utilizing a sound emitted from each device such as a chirp. Each device may determine or receive an indication of a time reference for each instance the device emits or detects a chirp. Utilizing the time reference data, the distance between the two or more devices may be determined assuming the sound travels at a constant speed of 340.29 m/s. Techniques for disambiguating orientation of the devices relative to one another rare also disclosed.

Disclosed are methods and systems for determining distance between two or more mobile devices utilizing a sound emitted from each device such as a chirp. Each device may determine or receive an indication of a time reference for each instance the device emits or detects a chirp. Utilizing the time reference data, the distance between the two or more devices may be determined assuming the sound travels at a constant speed of 340.29 m/s. Techniques for disambiguating orientation of the devices relative to one another rare also disclosed.

A method for determining relative location of an acoustic event along a channel such as a wellbore includes obtaining two acoustic signals at are obtained at two different and known depths in the wellbore, dividing the acoustic signals into windows, and determining the relative loudnesses of pairs of the windows. The power of the acoustic signals may be used as a proxy for the loudness of the acoustic event, and this determination can be made in the time or frequency domains. The relative depth of the acoustic event can then be determined relative to the two known depths from the relative loudnesses. The acoustic event may be, for example, casing vent flow, gas migration, a leak along a pipeline, or sounds observed in an observation well from a nearby well in which fracking is being performed.

The invention relates to a device for monitoring the position and/or location and/or movement of a tool to which an inertial sensor, such as a gyroscope sensor and/or an inertial sensor, is attached. A monitoring unit is provided in order to determine the position and/or location and/or movement of the tool on the basis of a specified starting situation using the detected sensor data. The device is characterized in that in order to calibrate the sensor(s), at least one image capturing unit is provided which is designed to capture one or more images of the tool at least at specified points in time or in intervals; an image analysis unit is provided for determining the position and/or location and/or movement of the tool; and the monitoring unit is designed to calibrate the sensor data in order to process the data.