Coordinating devices to estimate distance, relative position, and device attitude

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A method of determining a spatial model of an environment by processing information gathered by a plurality of active devices located within the environment, the method comprising:
 transmitting a first transmission from an active device into the environment, wherein the first transmission contains a first transmission characteristic associated with the active device and location of the first transmission within the environment;   receiving a second transmission from another active device located within the environment, wherein the second transmission includes a second transmission characteristic associated with the other active device and the location of the second transmission within the environment;   processing the first transmission characteristic and the second transmission characteristic to determine a first portion of a spatial model of the environment with respect to the location of the first transmission;   processing the first transmission characteristic and the second transmission characteristic to determine a second portion of the spatial model of the environment with respect to the location of the second transmission; and   processing the first portion of the spatial model and the second portion of the spatial model to determine a third portion of the spatial model indicative of spatial locations of at least some of the plurality of active devices within the environment.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the first transmission comprises an audio signal transmission. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the first transmission characteristic comprises an amplitude of the audio signal transmission. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the second transmission comprises an audio signal transmission. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the second transmission characteristic comprises an amplitude of the audio signal transmission. 
     
     
         57 . The method of claim  51 , wherein processing the first portion of the spatial model and the second portion of the spatial model to determine the third spatial model further comprises processing other data gathered from the environment about the location of the first transmission and about the location of the second transmission. 
     
     
         58 . A method of processing data from a plurality devices located proximate to each other within an environment to determine a spatial model indicative of the positions of the plurality of devices within the environment, the method comprising:
 receiving a first transmission from a first active device, wherein the first transmission includes a first transmission characteristic associated with a location of the first transmission and data associated with the environment about the first transmission location;   receiving a second transmission from a second active device, wherein the second transmission includes a second transmission characteristic associated with a location of the second transmission and data associated with the environment about the second transmission location;   processing the first transmission characteristic with respect to the location of the second transmission to generate a first portion of a spatial model indicative of at least the relative distance between the first active device and the second active device; and   processing the second transmission characteristic with respect to the location of the first transmission to generate a second portion of the spatial model associated with at least the relative distance between the first active device and the second active device; and   analyzing the first portion of the spatial model and the second portion of the spatial model to determine a third portion of the spatial model indicative of the proximity of the first active device and second active device to each other within the environment.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the first transmission comprises a nonintrusive signal. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , further comprising coordinating the transmission of the first transmission and the second transmission. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the data associated with the environment about the location of the first transmission comprises data received from a plurality of sensors configured to sense the environment. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein at least one of the plurality sensors comprises an audio signal sensor. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the first transmission characteristic is associated with the second signal transmission. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein analyzing the first portion of the spatial model comprises determining a relative attitude between the first active device and the second active device. 
     
     
         65 . A computer-readable storage medium storing code configured to direct one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems to process data from a plurality devices located proximate to each other within an environment to determine a spatial model indicative of the positions of the plurality of devices within the environment, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:
 code for receiving a first transmission from a first active device, wherein the first transmission includes a first transmission characteristic associated with the location of the first transmission and data associated with the environment about the location of the first transmission;   code for receiving a second transmission from a second active device, wherein the second transmission includes a second transmission characteristic associated with the location of the second transmission and data associated with the environment about the location of the second transmission;   code for processing the first transmission characteristic with respect to the location of the second transmission location to determine a first portion of a spatial model indicative of at least the relative distance between the first active device and the second active device; and   code for processing the second transmission characteristic with respect to the location of the first transmission to determine a second portion of the spatial model associated with at least the relative distance between the first active device and the second active device; and   code for analyzing the first portion of the spatial model and the second portion of the spatial model to determine a third portion of the spatial model indicative of the proximity of the first active device and second active device to each other within the environment.   
     
     
         66 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 65 , wherein the first transmission comprises a nonintrusive signal. 
     
     
         67 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 65 , further comprising code for coordinating the transmission of the first transmission and the second transmission. 
     
     
         68 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 65 , wherein the data associated with the environment about the first transmission location comprises data received from a plurality of sensors configured to sense the environment. 
     
     
         69 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 68 , wherein at least one of the two sensors comprises an audio signal sensor. 
     
     
         70 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 65 , wherein the first transmission characteristic is associated with the second signal transmission. 
     
     
         71 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 65 , wherein code for analyzing the first portion of the spatial model comprises code for determining a relative attitude between the first active device and the second active device.