Information communication method

• US 10,531,010 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2019
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• 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, Matsushita, Yosuke, Iida, Shigehiro, Mukai, Tsutomu, Yamada, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dobson, Daniel G
• Application Number:
  US16/394,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20190253598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 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 obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines so that 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. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject. In the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines. During asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.

Claims

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

setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines 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; and

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

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines, and

wherein, during asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.

2. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, a first start time from when one of the plurality of exposure lines starts to be exposed is asynchronous with a first timing of change in luminance of the subject.

3. The information communication method according to claim 2,

wherein the first timing of change in luminance is a timing when a luminance changes from a first luminance to a second luminance, and the first luminance is different from the second luminance.

4. The information communication method according to claim 3,

wherein a brightness of the first luminance is higher than a brightness of the second luminance.

5. The information communication method according to claim 3,

wherein a brightness of the second luminance is higher than a brightness of the first luminance.

6. The information communication method according to claim 2,

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, a second start time from when another exposure line, which is adjacent to the one of the plurality of exposure lines, starts to be exposed is asynchronous with a second timing of change in luminance.

7. The information communication method according to claim 6,

wherein the second timing is next to the first timing.

8. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the minimum width of the stripe pattern is a result of capturing a minimum duration of change in luminance.

9. The information communication method according to claim 8,

wherein the minimum duration of change in luminance is a duration in which a predetermined luminance is kept.

10. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines up to 10 bright lines.

11. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to a dark line of the stripe pattern or a bright line of the stripe pattern.

12. An information communication device for obtaining information from a subject, the information communication device including a processor and an image sensor, the processor executes operations comprising:

setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines 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; and

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

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines, and

wherein, during asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.

13. 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, the program executed by the processor causing the information communication device to execute:

setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines 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; and

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

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines, and

wherein, during asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.