Method and system for modifying a beacon light source for use in a light based positioning system

• US 10,334,683 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• 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): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dobbs, Kristin
• Application Number:
  US14/991,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 348 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/02 Preprocessing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/14 by matching peak patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20056 Discrete and fast Fourier transform, [DFT, FFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20216 Image averaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20224 Image subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure related to a method for modifying a beacon light source for use in a light-based positioning system. In some embodiments, the method includes selecting a modulation scheme for the light source, determining a duty cycle for the light source based on the modulation scheme, the duty cycle having a proportion of time the light source is in an on state and a corresponding proportion of time the light source is in an off state, the proportion of time the light source is in an off state resulting in reduced luminosity of the light source, and supplying additional power to the light source to compensate for the reduced luminosity of the light source by the duty cycle.

Claims

1. A method for modulating a light source in a light based positioning system, the method comprising:

indicating a modulation scheme for the light source to carry light based positioning system data, wherein the modulation scheme periodically varies an output of the light source from a peak output level to a bottom output level;

adding a DC bias to the modulation scheme;

transmitting the light based positioning system data in response to adding the DC bias to the modulation scheme, the transmitting step comprising applying the modulation scheme with the DC bias to the light source resulting in a modulated light output, wherein;

the DC bias reduces a required power for the peak output level to achieve a given brightness by increasing the bottom output level of the modulation scheme,

the peak output level is increased beyond an un-modulated output of the modulated light output, and

an average modulated light output of the light source is equal to the un-modulated output of the light source; and

reducing the required power for the peak output level by the DC bias to maintain thermal heating of the light source below a threshold, wherein the threshold comprises a thermal heating level resulting in a drooping effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise electrical current levels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise voltage levels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

5. A modulated light source for use in a light based positioning system, the light source comprising:

an emitter with a luminosity broadcasting a modulated signal containing positioning system data; and

a modulator for receiving a modulation scheme and driving the luminosity of the emitter while adding a DC bias to the modulation scheme to produce a modulated luminosity output containing the positioning data and to transmit the positioning system data via the emitter in response to adding the DC bias to the modulation scheme, wherein;

the modulation scheme periodically varies the luminosity of the emitter from a peak output level to a bottom output level,

the DC bias reduces a required power for the peak output level to achieve a given brightness by increasing the bottom output level of the modulation scheme,

the peak output level is increased beyond an un-modulated output of the emitter, and

an average output of the emitter is equal to the un-modulated output of the modulated luminosity output of the emitter;

wherein the peak output level is reduced by the DC bias to maintain thermal heating of the light source below a threshold, and the threshold comprises a thermal heating level resulting in a drooping effect.

6. The light source of claim 5, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise electrical current levels.

7. The light source of claim 5, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise voltage levels.

8. The light source of claim 5, wherein the emitter comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

9. A lighting device for use in an indoor positioning system, comprising:

a light source configured to output visible light for general purpose lighting; and

a modulator coupled to modulate luminosity of visible light output from the light source to produce a modulated visible light output containing indoor positioning system data, to add DC bias to a modulation scheme and to send the indoor positioning system data in response to adding the DC bias to the modulation scheme, wherein;

the modulation scheme with the added DC bias periodically varies the luminosity of the visible light output from a peak output level to a bottom output level,

the DC bias reduces a required power for the peak output level to achieve a given brightness of the visible light output from the light source by increasing the bottom output level of the modulation scheme, and

the peak output level is increased beyond an un-modulated output of the modulated visible light output;

wherein the peak output level is reduced by the DC bias to maintain thermal heating of the light source below a threshold, and the threshold comprises a thermal heating level resulting in a drooping effect.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the indoor positioning system data sent via the modulated luminosity of light output from the light source represents information enabling determination of position of a mobile device receiving the light output from the light source.

11. The lighting device of claim 10, wherein the information represented in the indoor positioning system data sent via the modulated luminosity of light output from the light source includes an identification of the lighting device unique among lighting devices in an indoor positioning system.

12. The lighting device of claim 9, further comprising:

a driver circuit coupled to supply drive power to the light source;

wherein the modulator is coupled to the driver circuit to cause the driver circuit to modulate the drive power supplied to the light source.

13. The lighting device of claim 12, wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

14. The lighting device of claim 12, further comprising a microcontroller coupled to supply the data to the modulator.

15. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise electrical current levels.

16. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the peak output level and the bottom output level comprise voltage levels.

17. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the light source is configured to provide illumination in addition to sending the data.

18. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source configured to output visible light; and

a modulator coupled to modulate luminosity of visible light output from the light source to carry data of an indoor positioning system, to add DC bias to a modulation scheme and to send the indoor positioning system data via modulated visible light output of the source in response to adding the DC bias to the modulation scheme, wherein;

the modulation scheme periodically varies the luminosity of the visible light output from a peak output level to a bottom output level to carry data,

the DC bias reduces a required power for the peak output level to achieve a given brightness by increasing the bottom output level of the modulation scheme, and

the peak output level is increased beyond an un-modulated output of the modulated visible light output;

wherein the peak output level is reduced by the DC bias to maintain thermal heating of the light source below a threshold, and the threshold comprises a thermal heating level resulting in a drooping effect.

19. The lighting device of claim 18, wherein the modulation scheme also includes a dimming signal.

20. The lighting device of claim 18, wherein power of the light source transferred during the bottom output level of the modulation scheme compensates for reduction in transfer of power during the peak output level of the modulation scheme.

21. A method for modulating a light source in a light based positioning system, the method comprising:

indicating a modulation scheme for the light source to carry light based positioning system data, wherein the modulation scheme periodically varies an output of the light source from a peak output level to a bottom output level;

adding a DC bias to the modulation scheme;

applying the modulation scheme with the DC bias to the light source resulting in a modulated light output; and

using the modulated light output to transmit the light based positioning system data from the light source using the modulation scheme with the applied DC bias,

wherein the DC bias reduces a required power for the peak output level that drives the light source at a given brightness by increasing the bottom output level of the modulation scheme such that power of the light source transferred during the bottom output level of the modulation scheme compensates for reduction in transfer of power during the peak output level of the modulation scheme;

wherein the peak output level is reduced by the DC bias to maintain thermal heating of the light source below a threshold, and the threshold comprises a thermal heating level resulting in a drooping effect.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein an amount of the increase in the bottom output level is approximately equivalent to an amount of decrease in the peak output level.