US 11,938,960 B1
Systems and methods for controlling vehicles with navigation markers
Adam Joseph Greenbaum, Boston, MA (US); Yvetta Pols Sandhu, Winchester, MA (US); and Gregory Cartagena, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jul. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/373,360.
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60W 50/00 (2006.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01); G01C 21/20 (2006.01); G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01); G06F 16/25 (2019.01); G06F 16/28 (2019.01)
CPC B60W 60/001 (2020.02) [B60W 50/00 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); G01C 21/206 (2013.01); G01J 1/0488 (2013.01); G01J 1/429 (2013.01); G06F 16/25 (2019.01); G06F 16/28 (2019.01); B60W 2050/0003 (2013.01); B60W 2050/0004 (2013.01); B60W 2050/146 (2013.01); B60W 2420/42 (2013.01); B60W 2720/10 (2013.01); B60W 2720/12 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a navigation marker designed to emit a fluorescence emission; and
a vehicle comprising:
a light detection assembly having:
a light emitting diode (LED) that emits ultraviolet (UV) light at a first wavelength;
a narrowband filter, wherein a second light emitted from the navigation marker and having a second wavelength can propagate through the narrowband filter and the narrowband filter blocks the first wavelength;
a photodiode aligned with the narrowband filter and configured to sense the second light propagating through the narrowband filter; and
a lens positioned between and aligned with the narrowband filter and the photodiode;
a computing device configured to:
determine optical data based on the second light sensed by the photodiode and indicative of the second wavelength;
determine the optical data corresponds to a first vehicle action based on the second wavelength and a database, the database comprising a first vehicle action and a second vehicle action and associating the first vehicle action with the second wavelength and the second vehicle action with a third wavelength, the vehicle action corresponding to one or more of reducing vehicle speed, increasing vehicle speed, stopping the vehicle, presenting an audible alarm, presenting a visual alarm, or wirelessly transmitting a message; and
cause the vehicle to perform the first vehicle action,
wherein the second light is emitted from the navigation marker illuminated by the first light.