# US 12,225,258 B2 · Intelligent remote control positioning and alert system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,258 B2 - Document ID: US12225258B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/959,416 - Filed: 2022-10-04 - Published: 2023-04-06 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-06 - Assignees: ARRIS Enterprises LLC - Applicants: ARRIS Enterprises LLC - Inventors: Swaroop Mahadeva; Sadeesh Kumar Karuppiah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225258B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/42222: {Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device} - H04W 4/026: {using orientation information, e.g. compass} - H04N 21/42221: {Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]} - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system for determining a location and an orientation of a remote control unit within a mesh network. A remote control unit (RCU) includes a top wireless orientation beacon at a first end and a bottom wireless orientation beacon at a second end. The top wireless orientation beacon and the bottom wireless orientation beacon provide location information to a controller device. A plurality of wireless mesh beacons are disposed in a predetermined area to form a mesh network, and the controller device uses the plurality of mesh beacons to generate a map of the predetermined area. The controller device processes location information obtained from the RCU to determine a position and orientation of the RCU relative to the controller device in the map of the predetermined area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a controller device (CD) coupled to a display device; a remote control unit (RCU) having a top wireless orientation beacon at a first end and a bottom wireless orientation beacon at a second end, wherein the top wireless orientation beacon and the bottom wireless orientation beacon provide location information to the controller device, and wherein the controller device processes the location information to determine a position and orientation of the RCU relative to the controller device; and wherein the location information is provided in a first signal from the top wireless orientation beacon that includes a first identifier of the top wireless orientation beacon and a first timestamp and in a second signal from the bottom wireless orientation beacon that includes a second identifier of the bottom wireless orientation beacon and a second timestamp. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of: the top wireless orientation beacon and the bottom wireless orientation beacon comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons; and the controller device generates an out-of-range indication when the controller device determines one of the RCU is not located within a predetermined area and the orientation of the RCU prevents the controller device from receiving a command signal from the RCU, wherein the out-of-range indication includes at least one of a vibration of the RCU, a sound played by the RCU or the display device, a warning displayed on the display device, and a voice notification played by the RCU or the display device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprises a plurality of wireless mesh beacons disposed in a predetermined area to form a mesh network, the controller device using the plurality of mesh beacons to generate a map of the predetermined area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of wireless mesh beacons comprise a first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons that communicate directly with the controller device and a second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons that communicate with the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons, wherein the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons provides a first signal including a first identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device and relays a second signal including a second identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device, wherein the controller device processes the first signal and the second signal to determine a location in the predetermined area for each of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons and in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are received by a plurality of wireless mesh beacons, the plurality of wireless mesh beacons determining a power measurement associated with the first signal and with the second signal, the plurality of wireless mesh beacons forwarding, to the controller device, the first identifier of the top wireless orientation beacon, the first timestamp from the first signal, and the power measurement associated with the first signal, and the second identifier of the bottom wireless orientation beacon, the second timestamp from the second signal, and the power measurement associated with the second signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controller device determines a first position of the top wireless orientation beacon at the first end of the RCU using the first identifier of the top wireless orientation beacon, the first timestamp from the first signal, and the power measurement associated with the first signal, and determines a second position of the bottom wireless orientation beacon at the second end of the RCU using the second identifier of the bottom wireless orientation beacon, the second timestamp from the second signal, and the power measurement associated with the second signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the controller device determines an orientation of the RCU based on the first position and the second position. ### Claim 8 A method for determining a position of a remote control unit (RCU), comprising: providing a controller device at a display device; determining when a first signal is received at the controller device from a top wireless orientation beacon at a first end of a remote control unit in a predetermined area, and when a second signal is received at the controller device from a bottom wireless orientation beacon at a second end of the remote control unit in the predetermined area; determining, when the first signal is received at the controller device, first location information associated with the top wireless orientation beacon from the first signal and, when the second signal is received at the controller device, second location information associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon from the second signal; and processing, by the controller device, the first location information to determine a position and orientation of the top wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device, and the second location information to determine a position and orientation of the bottom wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising: forming a mesh network using a plurality of wireless mesh beacons disposed in the predetermined area; and generating a map of the predetermined area based on signals from the plurality of wireless mesh beacons in the mesh network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the map of the predetermined area based on the signals from the plurality of wireless mesh beacons further comprises transmitting a first signal from a first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons directly to the controller device and transmitting the second signal from a second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the plurality of wireless mesh beacons for forwarding to the controller device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting the first signal from the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons comprises transmitting a first identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device and the transmitting the second signal from the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons further comprises transmitting a second identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons that is forwarded by the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising processing the first signal and the second signal by the controller device to determine a location in the predetermined area for each of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons and in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of: the determining, when the first signal is received at the controller device, first location information associated with the top wireless orientation beacon from the first signal further comprises determining a first identifier and a first timestamp associated with the top wireless orientation beacon in the first end of the RCU, and wherein the determining when the second signal is received at the controller device, second location information associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon from the second signal further comprises determining a second identifier and a second timestamp associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon in the first end of the RCU; and the processing, by the controller device, the first location information to determine the position and orientation of the top wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device and the second location information to determine the position and orientation of the bottom wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device further comprises determining one of the RCU is not located within the predetermined area and the orientation of the RCU prevents the controller device from receiving a command signal from the RCU, and generating an out-of-range indication when one of the RCU is determined to not be located within the predetermined area and the orientation of the RCU prevents the controller device from receiving the command signal from the RCU. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the processing, by the controller device, of the location information to determine a position and orientation of the RCU in the predetermined area relative to the controller device further comprises processing the first location information and the second location information to determine a first position of the top wireless orientation beacon at the first end of the RCU, to determine a second position of the bottom wireless orientation beacon at the second end of the RCU, and to determine the orientation of the RCU based on the first position and the second position. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising: providing a controller device at a display device; determining when a first signal is received at the controller device from a top wireless orientation beacon at a first end of a remote control unit (RCU) in a predetermined area, and when a second signal is received at the controller device from a bottom wireless orientation beacon at a second end of the remote control unit in the predetermined area; determining, when the first signal is received at the controller device, first location information associated with the top wireless orientation beacon from the first signal and, when the second signal is received at the controller device, second location information associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon from the second signal; and processing, by the controller device, the first location information to determine a position and orientation of the top wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device, and the second location information to determine a position and orientation of the bottom wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 further comprising: forming a mesh network using a plurality of wireless mesh beacons disposed in the predetermined area; and generating a map of the predetermined area based on signals from the plurality of wireless mesh beacons in the mesh network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the generating the map of the predetermined area based on the signals from the plurality of wireless mesh beacons further comprises transmitting a first signal from a first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons directly to the controller device and transmitting the second signal from a second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the plurality of wireless mesh beacons for forwarding to the controller device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein at least one of: the transmitting the first signal from the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons comprises transmitting a first identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device and the transmitting the second signal from the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons further comprises transmitting a second identifier and timestamp of each wireless mesh beacon in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons that is forwarded by the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons to the controller device; and the computer-readable instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to perform operations comprising processing the first signal and the second signal by the controller device to determine a location in the predetermined area for each of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons in the first subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons and in the second subset of the plurality of wireless mesh beacons. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein at least one of: the determining, when the first signal is received at the controller device, first location information associated with the top wireless orientation beacon from the first signal further comprises determining a first identifier and a first timestamp associated with the top wireless orientation beacon in the first end of the RCU, and wherein the determining when the second signal is received at the controller device, second location information associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon from the second signal further comprises determining a second identifier and a second timestamp associated with the bottom wireless orientation beacon in the first end of the RCU; and the processing, by the controller device, the first location information to determine the position and orientation of the top wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device and the second location information to determine the position and orientation of the bottom wireless orientation beacon relative to the controller device further comprises determining one of the RCU is not located within the predetermined area and the orientation of the RCU prevents the controller device from receiving a command signal from the RCU, and generating an out-of-range indication when one of the RCU is determined to not be located within the predetermined area and the orientation of the RCU prevents the controller device from receiving the command signal from the RCU; and the processing, by the controller device, of the first location information and the second location information to determine a position and orientation of the RCU in the predetermined area relative to the controller device further comprises processing the first location information and the second location information to determine a first position of the top wireless orientation beacon at the first end of the RCU, to determine a second position of the bottom wireless orientation beacon at the second end of the RCU, and to determine the orientation of the RCU based on the first position and the second position.