Rotating identifications in light-based positioning systems

• US 10,117,316 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Stout, Barry, Windisch, Reiner, Kumar, Nitin, Diener, Claus, Ziemssen, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello, Agustin
• Application Number:
  US15/783,237
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 398172
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Various embodiments disclosed herein include a light-based communication system. The system includes a plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit light-based communication (LCom) signals, and a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of luminaires. The server is configured to assign an identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, transmit the assigned identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the assigned identifier via LCom signals, rotate, in response to receiving a trigger signal, the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires, and transmit the rotated identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the rotated identifier via LCom signals.

Claims

1. A light-based communication system, comprising:

a plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit light-based communication (LCom) signals; and

a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of luminaires and configured to;

assign an identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires;

transmit the assigned identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the assigned identifier via LCom signals;

rotate, in response to receiving a trigger signal, the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires; and

transmit the rotated identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the rotated identifier via LCom signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

update mapping information that associates the physical location of each of the plurality of luminaires with the assigned identifier of the luminaire.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mapping information is stored on a cloud server communicatively coupled to the server.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a computing device receives the LCom signals and accesses the mapping information to determine the position of the computing device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server associates a database of identifiers with each of the plurality of luminaires; and

the assigned identifier and the rotated identifier for each luminaire is selected from the database of identifiers associated with the luminaire.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to rotate the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires by:

generating, for each of the plurality of luminaires, a subset of identifiers from a database of identifiers; and

selecting the rotated identifier from the subset of identifiers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger signal is based on at least one of periodic time intervals, an alternating current power supply that powers the plurality of luminaires, a reboot of the plurality of luminaires, a power cycle pattern applied to the plurality of luminaires, a change in dimming level of the plurality of luminaires, and a change in load shedding level of the plurality of luminaires.

8. A method of providing identifiers in a light-based communication system, comprising:

assigning, by a server, an identifier to each of a plurality of luminaires;

transmitting the assigned identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the assigned identifier via light-based communication (LCom) signals;

rotating, by the server in response to receiving a trigger signal, the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires; and

transmitting the rotated identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the rotated identifier via LCom signals.

9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising

updating mapping information that associates the physical location of each of the plurality of luminaires with the assigned identifier of the luminaire.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mapping information is stored on a cloud server communicatively coupled to the server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a computing device receives the LCom signals and accesses the mapping information to determine the position of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

associating, by the server, a database of identifiers with each of the plurality of luminaires, wherein the assigned identifier and the rotated identifier for each luminaire is selected from the database of identifiers associated with the luminaire.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein rotating the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires comprises:

generating, for each of the plurality of luminaires, a subset of identifiers from a database of identifiers; and

selecting the rotated identifier from the subset of identifiers.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger signal is based on at least one of periodic time intervals, an alternating current power supply that powers the plurality of luminaires, a reboot of the plurality of luminaires, a power cycle pattern applied to the plurality of luminaires, a change in dimming level of the plurality of luminaires, and a change in load shedding level of the plurality of luminaires.

15. A light-based communication system, comprising:

a plurality of luminaires, wherein a first luminaire in the plurality of luminaires stores a first database of identifiers and is configured to;

transmit a first identifier in the first database of identifiers via a first light-based communication (LCom) signal;

rotate, in response to receiving a first trigger signal, from the first identifier to a second identifier in the first database of identifiers; and

transmit the second identifier via a second LCom signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a second luminaire in the plurality of luminaires stores a second database of identifiers and is configured to:

transmit a third identifier in the second database of identifiers via a third LCom signal;

rotate, in response to receiving a second trigger signal, from the third identifier to a fourth identifier in the second database of identifiers; and

transmit the fourth identifier via a fourth LCom signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first database of identifiers and the second database of identifiers includes at least one common identifier.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal are received at the same time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein rotating from the first identifier to the second identifier comprises:

generating a subset of identifiers from the first database of identifiers, the subset of identifiers including the second identifier; and

selecting the second identifier from the subset of identifiers.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the subset of identifiers includes the first identifier.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires is configured to rotate identifiers in response to receiving the first trigger signal.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first trigger signal is based on at least one of periodic time intervals, an alternating current power supply that powers the plurality of luminaires, a reboot of the plurality of luminaires, a power cycle pattern applied to the plurality of luminaires, a change in dimming level of the plurality of luminaires, and a change in load shedding level of the plurality of luminaires.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein a mobile computing device receives the first LCom signal and the second LCom signal and accesses mapping information to determine the position of the computing device.

24. A method of providing identifiers in a light-based communication system, comprising:

transmitting, by a first luminaire in a plurality of luminaires, a first identifier in a database of identifiers via a first light-based communication (LCom) signal, wherein the database of identifiers is stored in the first luminaire;

rotating, by the first luminaire in response to receiving a trigger signal, from the first identifier to a second identifier in the database of identifiers; and

transmitting, by the first luminaire, the second identifier via a second LCom signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein rotating from the first identifier to the second identifier comprises:

generating a subset of identifiers from the database of identifiers, the subset of identifiers including the second identifier; and

selecting the second identifier from the subset of identifiers.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the subset of identifiers includes the first identifier.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of luminaires is configured to rotate identifiers in response to receiving the trigger signal.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the trigger signal is based on at least one of periodic time intervals, an alternating current power supply that powers the plurality of luminaires, a reboot of the plurality of luminaires, a power cycle pattern applied to the plurality of luminaires, a change in dimming level of the plurality of luminaires, and a change in load shedding level of the plurality of luminaires.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein a mobile computing device receives the first LCom signal and the second LCom signal and accesses mapping information to determine the position of the computing device.