A path finding system using a series of networked receiver beacons is disclosed. The system includes receiver beacons placed on a path. Each of the receiver beacons include a transceiver receiving and sending signals and a location indicator such as a LED, that when activated indicates the location of the receiver beacon. Each of the receiver beacons include a controller coupled to the indicator and the transceiver. The controller is operable to receive an activation signal to activate the indicator. A transmitter is paired with each of the receiver beacons. The transmitter includes a transceiver to send an activation signal to at least one of the receiver beacons. The receiver beacon receives the activation signal and activates the indicator. The receiver beacon also relays the activation signal to at least another receiver beacon.

Head-mounted augmented reality (AR) devices can track pose of a wearer's head to provide a three-dimensional virtual representation of objects in the wearer's environment. An electromagnetic (EM) tracking system can track head or body pose. A handheld user input device can include an EM emitter that generates an EM field, and the head-mounted AR device can include an EM sensor that senses the EM field. EM information from the sensor can be analyzed to determine location and/or orientation of the sensor and thereby the wearer's pose. The EM emitter and sensor may utilize time division multiplexing (TDM) or dynamic frequency tuning to operate at multiple frequencies. Voltage gain control may be implemented in the transmitter, rather than the sensor, allowing smaller and lighter weight sensor designs. The EM sensor can implement noise cancellation to reduce the level of EM interference generated by nearby audio speakers.

Autonomous vehicles, equipped with 5G/6G technology, can cooperate to avoid collisions only after they determine which wireless address belongs to which other vehicle in traffic. Systems and methods provided herein can enable autonomous vehicles to identify other autonomous vehicles in view, thereby associating each vehicle with a particular wireless address. A first vehicle emits an infrared light pulse while simultaneously broadcasting a wireless message with its wireless address, while a second vehicle receives the wireless address and the simultaneous infrared pulse. The second vehicle can thereby identify the first vehicle spatially and by wireless communication. The second vehicle responds by transmitting a second wireless message and simultaneously emitting a second infrared pulse. The first vehicle receives the second infrared pulse and the second wireless message, thereby identifying the second vehicle. After such localization and identification, the vehicles can then cooperate effectively.

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 for determining item availability are provided. A computer implemented method for determining item availability in a shopping space comprising: receiving a request for an item for purchase from a customer, querying an inventory database to determine whether the item for purchase is in stock, in an event that the item for purchase is not in stock according to the inventory database: determining an out of stock response to present to the customer, in an event that the item for purchase is in stock according the inventory database: instructing a motorized transport unit to travel to a display space in the shopping space corresponding to the item for the purchase, determining whether the item is available in the display space based on information captured by one or more sensors of the motorized transport unit, and in an event that the item for purchase is not available in the display space: determining an item unavailable response to present to the customer.

Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods to reduce a scan for identifying physical objects are disclosed. An example system includes a light source to broadcast a light signal, a window adjuster to set a scan parameter for the light signal, and a transceiver to receive communication indicative of a physical position of a mobile unit. In the example system, the window adjuster is to adjust the scan parameter based on the physical position.

A location tracking system using encoded light beams emitted from a stationary beacon and a receiver mounted onto an object within a three-dimensional (3D) space within the field of view of the stationary beacon. The receiver receives and processes the encoded light beams from two or more stationary beacons. The receiver is configured to decode information from the received light beams and to calculate the position of the object within the 3D space over a span of several meters, with resolution in the range of a few mm or cm. The receiver location is calculated as a single point at the intersection of three light beam or angular planes. A typical configuration of one-dimensional array beacon consists of a plurality of light sources mounted on a cylindrical curved surface of a particular radius. A vertical apodizing slit placed at the center of the circular curve limits the horizontal angular profile of encoded light beams as can be seen or received by the receiver in the far field to roughly 1-5 encoded light beams at a time. Each light source emits a light beam encoded with a unique code that allows the receiver to identify the light source that emitted the light beam. Certain signal processing techniques allow the receiver to detect, process, and decode information from the light beam including light intensity profile of each received light beam. This information is used by the receiver to infer a point where the receiver is located at the intersection of three angular planes where it is located relative to the beacons, and thus the location of the object is fully determined in 3D space.

Circuits for controlling magnetic-based tracking systems are described. These systems may be used in virtual reality applications, for example to track in real-time the location of one or more body parts. The systems use a beacon emitting mutually orthogonal magnetic fields. On the receiver side, one or more sensors disposed on different parts of a body receive the magnetic fields. The beacon includes switching amplifiers for driving the magnetic field emitters. Being binary, these amplifiers may be controlled by binary signals. The circuits may exhibit a resonant frequency response, and may be operated off-resonance, thus providing for a better control of the magnetic fields amplitude. As a result, however, fluctuations in the envelop of the magnetic fields due to the presence of a beating tone may arise. These fluctuations may be shortened by gradually activating the drivers for the magnetic field emitters.

A system for a remotely controlled device to determine its location and orientation is disclosed. The system includes a remotely controlled device, at least one sensor connected to the remotely controlled device, the at least one sensor comprising a processor, and at least one emitter, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to receive the signal from the at least one emitter and the processor is configured to determine the location and orientation of the remotely controlled device.

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.