Apparatus for operation of connected infrastructure
Methods and apparatus for determining a location and an orientation of a smart device via wireless communication. The location and direction of the smart device may be used to generate a data query and/or submit information into a data storage, referencing a time, place and direction of the smart device.
1. Apparatus for indicating an orientation of a smart device, the apparatus comprising:
a) a first antenna array attached at a first position relative to a smart device and operative to receive a first wireless communication from a first transceiver and receive a second wireless communication with the first antenna array from a second transceiver;
b) a first timing mechanism generating a time of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array;
c) a second timing mechanism generating a time of arrival of the second wireless communication with the first antenna array
d) a processor in logical communication with a digital storage storing executable software, the executable software executable on demand to operate the processor to:
i) generate an angle of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array;
ii) generate an angle of arrival of the second wireless communication with the first antenna array;
iii) generate a virtual line intersecting a space occupied by the smart device based upon the angle of arrival of the first wireless communication and the time of arrival of the first wireless communication and the angle of arrival of the second wireless communication and the time of arrival of the second wireless communication; and
e) generate a direction of orientation of the smart device based upon a direction of the virtual line.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the executable software additionally operates the processor to generate a location of the smart device based upon the first wireless communication received by the first antenna array and the second wireless communication received by the first antenna array.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the executable software additionally operates the processor to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in the direction of orientation of the smart device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the executable software additionally operates the processor to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in a direction other than the direction of orientation of the smart device.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth 5.1 transmission.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the executable software additionally operates the processor to receive a third wireless communication with the first antenna array from a third transceiver located within a transmission range of the third transceiver; generate an angle of arrival of the third wireless communication with the first antenna array; generate a time of arrival of the third wireless communication with the first antenna array; and generate the virtual line intersecting the space occupied by the smart device additionally based upon the angle of arrival of the third wireless communication and the time of arrival of the third wireless communication.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the first wireless communication, the second wireless communication and the third wireless communication is received by the second antenna array in place of the first antenna array.
8. Apparatus for indicating an orientation of a smart device, the apparatus comprising:
a) a first antenna array positioned at a first position relative to the smart device and functional to receive a first wireless communication from a first transceiver;
b) a processor in logical communication with the first antenna array and operative via executable software to generate an angle of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array and a time of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array;
c) a second antenna array positioned at a second position relative to the smart device and functional to receive a second wireless communication from the first transceiver;
d) the processor in logical communication with the second antenna array and operative via executable software to generate an angle of arrival of the second wireless communication from the first transceiver with the second antenna array and a time of arrival of the second wireless communication received with the second antenna array;
e) a user interface screen displaying a user interface comprising a virtual line intersecting a space occupied by the smart device based upon the angle of arrival of the first wireless communication and the time of arrival of the first wireless communication and the angle of arrival of the second wireless communication and the time of arrival of the second wireless communication and displaying an orientation of the smart device based upon a direction of the virtual line.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a location of the smart device based upon the first wireless communication received by the first antenna array and the second wireless communication received by the second antenna array.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in a direction of orientation of the smart device.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in a direction other than a direction of orientation of the smart device.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth 5.1 transmission.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is additionally operative to receive a third wireless communication from a second transceiver located within a transmission range of the second transceiver with one of the first antenna array and the second antenna array; generate an angle of arrival of the third wireless communication;
generating a time of arrival of the third wireless communication; and generate the virtual line intersecting the space occupied by the smart device additionally based upon the angle of arrival of the third wireless communication and the time of arrival of the third wireless communication.
14. Apparatus for indicating an orientation of a smart device, the apparatus comprising:
a) a first antenna array fixedly positioned at a first position relative to the smart device and operative to receive a first wireless communication from a first transceiver;
b) a second antenna array fixedly positioned at a second position relative to the smart device and operative to receive a second wireless communication from a second transceiver;
c) a processor in logical communication with a digital storage storing executable software, the executable software executable on demand to operate the processor to:
i) generate an angle of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array;
ii) generate a time of arrival of the first wireless communication with the first antenna array;
iii) generate an angle of arrival of the second wireless communication with the second antenna array;
iv) generate a time of arrival of the second wireless communication with the second antenna array;
v) generate a virtual line intersecting a space occupied by the smart device based upon the angle of arrival of the first wireless communication and the time of arrival of the first wireless communication and the angle of arrival of the second wireless communication and the time of arrival of the second wireless communication; and
vi) generate an orientation of the smart device based upon a direction of the virtual line.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a location of the smart device based upon the first wireless communication received by the first antenna array and the second wireless communication received by the second antenna array.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in a direction of orientation of the smart device.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is additionally operative to generate a virtual ray originating within a virtual space occupied by the smart device, said virtual ray comprising a portion of the virtual line and extending in a direction other than a direction of orientation of the smart device.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein one of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth 5.1 transmission.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processor is additionally operative to: generate an angle of arrival of the third wireless communication received by a third wireless communication from a third transceiver located within a transmission range of the third transceiver with one of the first antenna array and the second antenna array; generate a time of arrival of the third wireless communication; and generate the virtual line intersecting the space occupied by the smart device additionally based upon the angle of arrival of the third wireless communication and the time of arrival of the third wireless communication.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein one of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication comprises a wavelength in a sub-gigahertz range.