Independent beacon based light position system

• US 10,024,948 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganick, Aaron, Ryan, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US14/988,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 348 61
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/60 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Systems an methods are provided that disclose providing a positioning service for devices based on light received from one or more light sources. This light based positioning service uses light information transmitted by each light source to determine the position of the device. The positioning information can include three dimension position information in a building that can then be used to deliver services and information to a mobile device. The content delivered to a mobile device can include multimedia, text, audio, and/or pictorial information. The positioning information along with other location or positioning information can be used in providing augmented reality or location aware services. The light sources can be independent beacons that broadcast information in visible light at a rate that is undetectable by the human eye. Content can be retrieved from a server over a communications connection.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a rolling shutter camera;

a wireless interface configured to communicate through a network over a wireless medium;

a processor coupled to the rolling shutter camera and the wireless interface;

a memory; and

software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

periodically sample a wireless communication signal received via the wireless interface;

determine distance parameters based on the wireless communication signal; and

use the distance parameters to determine that the mobile device is in proximity to an area enabled for visible light positioning;

in response to the determination, operate the rolling shutter camera to capture one or more images including;

a first modulated visible light signal transmitted from a first visible light source and a second modulated visible light signal transmitted from a second visible light source;

demodulate the first and second modulated visible light signals from the captured one or more images to obtain;

first data carried in the first modulated visible light signal and second data carried in the second modulated visible light signal;

from the obtained first and second data, determine a first identification of the first visible light source and a second identification of the second visible light source; and

process the first and second identifications to determine a position of the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device when processing the first and second identifications is further configured to:

transmit the first and second identifications via the wireless interface and the network to a server with a request for location data;

receive via the network and the wireless interface, in response to the request, location data that corresponds to indoor coordinates matching the respective received first and second identification.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, further comprising a display device coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor when running the software further configures the mobile device to:

retrieve, based on the indoor coordinates corresponding to the received location data, a map of an indoor space including the indoor coordinates; and

present the map of the indoor space on the display device with an identifying marker overlaid on the presented map corresponding to the indoor coordinates.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

an ambient light sensor coupled to the processor,

an internal sensor coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor, when running the software, further configures the mobile device to;

detect, based on a signal from the ambient light sensor, a change in the ambient light indicating the unavailability of the rolling shutter camera to capture images;

in response to the detected lighting change, sample data received from the internal sensor;

based on the sampled data and a previously determined position of the mobile device, determine an updated position of the mobile device.

5. A mobile device, comprising:

an image sensor;

an ambient light sensor;

one or more internal sensors;

a wireless interface configured to communicate over a wireless medium;

a processor coupled to the image sensor, the ambient light sensor, the one or more internal sensors, and the wireless interface;

a memory; and

software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

periodically sample a wireless communication signal received via the wireless interface;

determine distance parameters based on the wireless communication signal;

use the distance parameters to determine that the mobile device is close to an area enabled for visible light positioning;

in response to a determination that the mobile device is close to the enabled area, sample data output by the ambient light sensor;

in response to the sampled data of the ambient light sensor indicating light being detected, operate the image sensor to capture one or more images of light sources in the enabled area; and

analyze the captured one or more images of the light sources determine the presence of encoded information in the one or more captured images.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein running of the software by the processor further configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to a determination that encoded information is not present in the captured images, record data generated by the internal sensor in the memory; and

use the recorded data to determine a position of the mobile device with reference to a last known position of the mobile device.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein running of the software by the processor further configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to:

in response to a determination that encoded information is present in the captured images, retrieve one more identification codes of light sources from the encoded information;

transmit, via the wireless interface, a request for position information corresponding to the retrieved identification codes to a server;

receive, via the wireless interface, in response to the transmitted request location data corresponding to the one or more identification codes; and

update a position of the mobile device with reference to known positions of the light sources captured in the images.

8. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the internal sensor includes an accelerometer, a microphone, and/or a gyroscope.

9. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein:

the wireless interface connects to one or more of a global positioning system, a wide area network, a local area network or cellular data network, and

connections to the wide area network or the local area network are via Bluetooth and/or WiFi communications within an indoor location containing the light sources.

10. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the mobile device position information includes additional records including one or more of accelerometer data, gyroscope data, Wi-Fi triangulation data, digital compass data, light source fingerprinting data, global positioning system data, infrared data, Bluetooth data or ultrasonic audio data.

11. A method, comprising:

periodically sampling, by a processor of a mobile device, a wireless communication signal received via a wireless interface of the mobile device;

determining, by the processor, distance parameters based on the wireless communication signal;

determining, by the processor, that the mobile device is in proximity to an area enabled for visible light positioning based on the distance parameters;

in response to a determination that the mobile device is in the proximity of the area enabled for visible light positioning, operating, by the processor, a rolling shutter camera of the mobile device to capture one or more images, where in the one or more captured images include;

a first modulated visible light signal transmitted from a first visible light source, and

a second modulated visible light signal transmitted from a second visible light source;

demodulating the first and second modulated visible light signals from the captured one or more images;

obtaining from the demodulated first and second modulated visible light signals first data carried in the first modulated visible light signal and second data carried in the second modulated visible light signal;

determining from the obtained first and second data a first identification of the first visible light source and a second identification of the second visible light source; and

processing the first and second identifications to determine a position of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the processing further comprises:

transmitting via the wireless communication interface of the mobile device the first and second identifications to a server with a request for location data;

receiving, in response to the request, location data that corresponds to indoor coordinates matching the respective received first and second identification.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving, based on the indoor coordinates corresponding to the received location data, a map of an indoor space including the indoor coordinates for presentation on a display device of the mobile device; and

presenting an identifying marker overlaid on the map of the indoor space on the display device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

prior to determining the proximity of the mobile device to the visible light positioning enabled area by the processor of a mobile device, receiving a signal from an ambient light sensor of the mobile device indicating the availability of the rolling shutter camera to capture images.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining an estimate of a current mobile device position and an uncertainty associated with the current estimation based on mobile device positioning information obtained from the one or more of a global positioning system, a cellular communication system, a Bluetooth communication system or a WiFi communication system.

16. A mobile device, comprising:

an image sensor;

a display device;

a memory;

map information of an indoor location stored in the memory;

a wireless interface configured to communicate over a wireless medium;

a processor coupled to the image sensor, the memory, and the wireless interface; and

software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

periodically sample a wireless communication signal received via the wireless interface;

determine distance parameters based on the wireless communication signal;

use the distance parameters to determine that the mobile device is in proximity to an indoor location enabled for visible light positioning;

in response to a determination that the mobile device is in proximity to the enabled indoor location, present on the display device an identifying marker of mobile device position overlaid on map information of the indoor location;

receive, by the image sensor, light source image data from a light source in the indoor space;

determine an updated position of mobile device within indoor location; and

update presentation of the identifying marker on the display device as the mobile device moves in the indoor location based on the determined updated position.

17. A mobile device, comprising:

a rolling shutter camera;

a wireless interface configured to communicate through a network over a wireless medium;

a processor coupled to the rolling shutter camera and the wireless interface;

an ambient light sensor coupled to the processor,

an internal sensor coupled to the processor;

a memory; and

software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

determine that the mobile device is in proximity to an area enabled for visible light positioning;

in response to the determination, operate the rolling shutter camera to capture one or more images including;

a first modulated visible light signal transmitted from a first visible light source and a second modulated visible light signal transmitted from a second visible light source;

demodulate the first and second modulated visible light signals from the captured one or more images to obtain;

first data carried in the first modulated visible light signal and second data carried in the second modulated visible light signal;

from the obtained first and second data, determine a first identification of the first visible light source and a second identification of the second visible light source; and

process the first and second identifications to determine a position of the mobile device;

detect, based on a signal from the ambient light sensor, a change in ambient light indicating unavailability of the rolling shutter camera to capture the one or more images;

in response to the detected lighting change, sample data received from the internal sensor; and

based on the sampled data and a previously determined position of the mobile device, determine an updated position of the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor, when running the software, further configures the mobile device to:

determine the updated position of the mobile device using inertial navigation.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the internal sensor is one or more of an accelerometer, a digital compass, a barometer or a gyroscope.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor, when running the software, further configures the mobile device to:

detect, based on a signal from the ambient light sensor, a change in the ambient light indicating the availability of the rolling shutter camera to capture images;

in response to the detected change in ambient, operate the rolling shutter camera to capture one or more additional images using the rolling shutter camera; and

determine an updated position of the mobile device based on the captured one or more additional images.