Electronic device including a lighting device, capable of illuminating a room or the like; a photodetector; an ultra-wideband pulse transmitter; an ultra-wideband pulse receiver; a controller, connectable to the internet;
where the controller is adapted for coding a signal and transmitting it to the lighting device and/or to the pulse transmitter, and for decoding a signal received by the photodetector or the pulse receiver; the lighting device is adapted to transmit the signal as a LiFi signal and the pulse transmitter is adapted to transmit the signal as a UWB signal.

Some embodiments include apparatuses providing control over movement of motorized transport units at a retail facility, comprising: multiple self-propelled motorized transport units; a wireless communication network; and a central computer system, wherein the central computer system comprises: a transceiver; a control circuit; and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed cause the control circuit to: receive an override command, from a worker associated with the retail facility, to cause a first motorized transport unit of the multiple motorized transport units to implement one or more actions; confirm a valid authorization of the worker to override one or more operating limits of the first motorized transport unit; and override the one or more operating limits and communicate one or more instructions to the first motorized transport unit configured to cause the first motorized transport unit to implement the one or more actions in accordance with the override command.

A system can be used with a drone delivery service that facilitates a service delivery via at least one drone delivery device. The system includes a code generator configured to generate beacon data that identifies a subscriber. A beacon generator is configured to generate a wireless homing beacon that indicates the beacon data, wherein the wireless homing beacon is detectable by the at least one drone delivery device to facilitate the service delivery to the subscriber by the drone delivery device at a location selected by the subscriber and a network interface is configured to communicate via a network. The system receives delivery image data captured after the service delivery by the drone delivery device.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for sorting items discarded in a shopping facility. A system for sorting discarded items comprises a motorized transport unit configured to travel around discarded items placed in a sorting area in the shopping facility, the motorized transport unit comprises a sensor device and an item mover device, an item characterization database storing characteristics corresponding to a plurality of items likely to be found in the shopping facility, and a central computer system. The central computer system is configured to receive data from the sensor device on the motorized transport unit, determine an item characteristic of an item among the discarded items in the sorting area, determine a sorting category of the item from a plurality of predefined categories, and cause the motorized transport unit to move the item, with the item mover device, from the sorting area into a category area.

Techniques for determining a position of a mobile device using visible light communication signals are provided. An example device includes memory and a processor configured to in response to a determination that at least one first image of a plurality of images stored in the memory is of a modulated light signal transmitted by a light source and comprising coded information, determine a spatial location of a reference point of the light source based on the coded information, in response to a determination that at least one second image of the plurality of images is of an unmodulated light signal emanating from the light source, determine an image location of the reference point of the light source in the at least one second image, and determine a position of the mobile wireless communication device based on the image location of the reference point and the spatial location of the reference point.

An LED light and communication system is in communication with a broadband over power line communications system. The LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication signal.

Some embodiments provide methods and systems of monitoring trash cans. A central computer system of a shopping facility identifies a first motorized transport unit and a second motorized transport unit; communicates routing instructions based on a mapping of the shopping facility to each of the first and second motorized transport units directing the first and second motorized transport units to a trash can receptacle, wherein the second motorized transport unit transports a replacement second trash can; communicates trash can removal instruction to the first motorized transport unit to cause the first motorized transport unit to remove the first trash can from the trash can receptacle; and communicates a trash can replacement instruction to the second motorized transport unit to cause the second motorized transport unit to place the second trash can into the trash can receptacle in place of the first trash can.

Techniques and architecture are disclosed for navigating an area with multi-panel luminaires configured to display fiducial patterns. In an embodiment, a system includes a plurality of luminaires located in an area and configured to display one or more fiducial patterns recognizable by a mobile computing device. The luminaire includes a plurality of panels, each panel associated with one or more solid-state light sources. The luminaire also includes at least one driver configured to control the light sources to transmit light through the plurality of panels at varying light intensities to display a fiducial pattern and configured to detect errors in the display of the fiducial pattern.

Disclosed are methods, assemblies and devices useful for identifying the location and/or motion of a mobile device in a specified area, for assisting in mapping a specified area and also to methods, assemblies and devices for determining a location of anchors found at fixed locations in a specified area.

A system for determining a location of a work machine operator relative to a work machine comprises a machine controller, a radio frequency receiver, and an infrared transmitter unit. The unit comprises a plurality of infrared transmitters configured to generate infrared signals that collectively divide a 360-degree area around the infrared transmitter unit into a plurality of zones. A remote controller remote from the work machine, which comprises a radio frequency transceiver and an infrared receiver, is configured to receive the infrared signal generated by at least one of the plurality of infrared transmitters. The remote controller has a computer system which is configured to decode information within the one or more infrared signals to determine whether the operator is in an approved zone. The computer system enables the radio frequency transceiver to communicate with the radio frequency receiver upon determining that the operator is in the approved zone.