Navigation system tracking high-efficiency indoor lighting fixtures

• US 10,251,027 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Zhang, Xinyu, Zhang, Chi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US15/379,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system for identifying the location of a mobile device uses signatures of standard room lighting derived from the frequency spectrum of light fluctuations associated with driver circuitry of that lighting. Improved sensitivity (frequency and dynamic range) are provided by using a pair of dedicated photodetectors which may deduce a one-dimensional angular location of a light source by comparing the signals developed by two photodetectors having different angular sensitivities.

Claims

1. A mobile device for indoor location determination comprising:

a first light sensor having a first axis passing through the first light sensor, the first light sensor receiving and measuring light received at a first range of angles with respect to the first axis, the first light sensor having a first angular sensitivity function describing a sensitivity of the first light sensor as a function of angle in the first range of angles over a field of view;

a second light sensor having a second axis parallel to the first axis and passing through the second light sensor, the second light sensor receiving and measuring light received at a second range of angles with respect to the second axis, the second light sensor having a second angular sensitivity function describing a sensitivity of the second light sensor as a function of angle in the second range of angles over the field of view, the second angular sensitivity function being different from the first angular sensitivity function so that an angle of a light measured by the first light sensor and second light sensor may be deduced from a known difference between the first angular sensitivity function and the second angular sensitivity function;

an electronic computer receiving signals from the first and second light sensors and having;

(a) a processor; and

(b) a memory communicating with the processor and holding a program executable by the processor to;

(i) measure signals from the first light sensor and the second light sensor to identify multiple light source signals from multiple light sources using the first and second light sensors within the fields-of-view according to known light source signatures;

(ii) determine an angle of each of the multiple light sources with respect to the mobile device based on a matching of light source signatures and a determination of a difference in the measured signals from the first light sensor and second light sensor of the matched light sources caused by a predetermined differences between the first angular sensitivity function and the second angular sensitivity function of the first and second light sensors respectively; and

(iii) identify the location of the mobile device based on the angle of the multiple light sources and a known mapping of light sources to locations.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the field-of-view is greater than 30 degrees.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors provide a cutoff frequency greater than 80 kilohertz.

4. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the first and second light sensors provide a frequency response operatively extending to 160 kilohertz.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors have a dynamic range of at least 80 decibels.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors have parallel axes.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second light sensors has a separate lens.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the memory further holds a map identifying locations of light sources and light source signatures for those light sources and wherein the electronic computer identifies the location of the multiple light sources by matching light source signatures to frequencies extracted from the signals of the first and second light sensors.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the electronic computer isolates multiple light signals by identifying and suppressing sidebands of fundamental frequencies of each of the multiple light sources.

10. The mobile device of claim 1 further including a three-axis accelerometer and wherein the program identifies an orientation of the axes to correct the determined angles of the multiple light sources.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 further including a compass and wherein the program identifies an orientation of the mobile device with respect to the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field to identify the location.

12. The mobile device of claim 10 further including at least one of a gyroscope and a compass and wherein the program augments identification of the location of the mobile device using dead reckoning based on inertial guidance provided by the three-axis accelerometer.

13. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein further including a cell phone communication circuit for allowing communication over a cell phone network.

14. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a vehicle having electric motors for movement and wherein the electronic computer further controls the electric motors to control motion of the vehicle using the identified location of the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors have a dynamic range in excess of 80 decibels.

22. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors have a response with a cutoff frequency in excess of 60 kilohertz.

23. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sensors are physically separate and electrically independent.

24. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second range of angles are identical.

15. A method of determining indoor position location using:

a mobile device having;

a first light sensor having a first axis passing through the first light sensor, the first light sensor receiving and measuring light received at a first range of angles with respect to the first axis, the first light sensor having a first angular sensitivity function describing a sensitivity of the first light sensor as a function of angle in the first range of angles over a field of view;

a second light sensor having a second axis parallel to the first axis and passing through the second light sensor, the second light sensor receiving and measuring light received at a second range of angles with respect to the second axis, the second light sensor having a second angular sensitivity function describing a sensitivity of the second light sensor as a function of angle in the second range of angles over the field of view, the second angular sensitivity function being different from the first angular sensitivity function so that an angle of a light measured by the first light sensor and second light sensor may be deduced from a known difference between the first angular sensitivity function and the second angular sensitivity function;

an electronic computer receiving signals from the first and second light sensors and having;

a processor; and

a memory communicating with the processor and holding a program executable by the processor to;

(i) measure signals from the first light sensor and the second light sensor to identify multiple light source signals from multiple light sources using the first and second light sensors within the fields-of-view according to known light source signatures;

(ii) determine an angle of each of the multiple light sources with respect to the mobile device based on a matching of light source signatures and a determination of a difference in the measured signals from the first light sensor and second light sensor of the matched light sources caused by a predetermined differences between the first angular sensitivity function and the second angular sensitivity function of the first and second light sensors respectively; and

(ii) identify the location of the mobile device based on the angle of the multiple light sources and a known mapping of light sources to locations;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) creating a map providing the location of multiple light sources within an environment and associating each light source with a light source signature; and

(b) using the mobile device to;

(i) identify multiple light source signals from the first and second light sensors within the field-of-view according to known light source signatures;

(ii) determine an angle of the multiple light sources with respect to the respective axes based on the different angular sensitivities of the first and second light sensors; and

(iii) identify the location of the mobile device based on the angle of the multiple light sources on the map.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the multiple light sources include LED lights.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the multiple light sources include fluorescent lights.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the multiple light sources are positioned at a ceiling at least three meters above a floor and the first and second independent light sources are elevated from a floor by less than 1.5 meters.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the multiple light sources are positioned at a ceiling at least four meters above the ground.

20. The method of claim 15 further wherein the mobile device further (iv) identifies the orientation of the mobile device based on the angle of the multiple light sources.