Information communication method

• US 10,051,194 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Mitsuaki, Nakanishi, Koji, Aoyama, Hideki, Fuchigami, Ikuo, Shin, Hidehiko, Mukai, Tsutomu, Matsushita, Yosuke, Iida, Shigehiro, Yamada, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dobson, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/654,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 Details of coding or modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines by capturing the subject that changes in luminance, and obtaining identification information of the subject by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image. The method further includes sending the identification information to a server, obtaining place information indicating a location of the subject from the server, and displaying a location of the terminal device on a map.

Claims

1. An information communication method for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines, the information communication method comprising:

setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject;

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time;

obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image;

sending the identification information to a server;

obtaining place information identified by the identification information from the server, the place information indicating a location of the subject; and

displaying a location of the terminal device on a map, on a display of the terminal device using the place information.

2. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the map is stored in the terminal device.

3. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the map is obtained from the server.

4. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the displaying displays an arrow from the location of the terminal device to an objective location on the map, on the display of the terminal device.

5. The information communication method according to claim 4,

wherein the objective location is stored in the terminal device.

6. The information communication method according to claim 4,

wherein the objective location is obtained from the server.

7. The information communication method according to claim 4,

wherein the subject is an electric bulletin board displaying a starting time of a vehicle, and

wherein the displaying displays the arrow when ticket information of a user indicates the vehicle.

8. The information communication method according to claim 7,

wherein the vehicle is a train and the objective location is a platform where the train comes.

9. The information communication method according to claim 7,

wherein the vehicle is an airplane and the objective location is a boarding gate where the airplane comes.

10. The information communication method according to claim 7,

wherein the vehicle is a bus and the objective location is a bus stop where the bus comes.

11. An information communication device for obtaining information from a subject, the information communication device including a processor and an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines, the processor executes operations comprising:

setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject;

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time;

obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image;

sending the identification information to a server;

obtaining place information identified by the identification information from the server, the place information indicating a location of the subject; and

displaying a location of the terminal device on a map, on a display of the terminal device using the place information.

12. A non-transitory recording medium that stores a program for controlling an information communication device for obtaining information from a subject, the information communication device including a processor and an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines, the program executed by the processor causing the information communication device to execute:

setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject;

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time;

obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image;

sending the identification information to a server;

obtaining place information identified by the identification information from the server, the place information indicating a location of the subject; and

displaying a location of the terminal device on a map, on a display of the terminal device using the place information.