System and method for small cell based augmented reality

• US 10,568,065 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher, Towster, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Heiber, Shantell L
• Application Number:
  US15/794,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20180049155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Information such as navigation information is delivered to a mobile device user in a cellular communications network via a device other than the mobile device. A small cell telecommunications base station receives from the mobile device an identification of the mobile device, and determines a location of the user within the small cell. Based on the identification of the mobile device and the location of the user of the mobile device, the information is delivered to the user via a device other than the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

by a first small cell telecommunications base station in a cellular telecommunications network, receiving from a first mobile device an identification of the first mobile device via a first low-range cellular communications transceiver;

the first small cell telecommunications base station being in communication with a guidance information delivery device, the guidance information delivery device being visible to a user of the first mobile device without the user being required to view the first mobile device;

by a second small cell telecommunications base station in the cellular telecommunications network, receiving from a second mobile device an identification of the second mobile device via a second low-range cellular communications transceiver;

computing a location of a meeting point using a location of the first small cell telecommunications base station and a location of the second small cell telecommunications base station; and

delivering guidance information to the user of the first mobile device to guide the user of the first mobile device to the meeting point, the guidance information being delivered via the guidance information delivery device without transmitting the guidance information through the first mobile device and without requiring the user of the first mobile device to view the first mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is a projector in communication with the first small cell telecommunications base station and positioned to project the guidance information on surfaces visible to the user of the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a location of the user of the first mobile device within a first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station; and

selecting the delivery device based on the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises interpreting images received from a camera positioned within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station, the camera being in communication with the first small cell telecommunications base station without communicating through the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises receiving location data determined by a GPS receiver of the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises receiving information on a signal strength of a signal received by the first small cell telecommunications base station from the first mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance information delivered to the user of the first mobile device is communicated to the delivery device by a third small cell telecommunications base station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is an audio system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is a device selected from a group consisting of a video display device, a laser pointer and an illumination light.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving customization information from the user of the first mobile device via a mobile app running on the first mobile device.

11. A cellular telecommunications network, comprising:

a processor;

a first small cell telecommunications base station in communication with the processor and in communication with a first mobile device via a first low-range cellular communications transceiver;

a guidance information delivery device in communication with the first small cell telecommunications base station, the guidance information delivery device being visible to a user of the first mobile device without the user being required to view the first mobile device;

a second small cell telecommunications base station in communication with the processor and in communication with a second mobile device via a second low-range cellular communications transceiver;

a memory device having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations;

receiving from the first small cell telecommunications base station an identification of the first mobile device;

receiving from the second small cell telecommunications base station an identification of the second mobile device;

computing a location of a meeting point using a location of the first small cell telecommunications base station and a location of the second small cell telecommunications base station; and

delivering guidance information to the user of the first mobile device to guide the user of the first mobile device to the meeting point, the guidance information being delivered via the guidance information delivery device without transmitting the guidance information through the first mobile device and without requiring the user of the first mobile device to view the first mobile device.

12. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 11, wherein the delivery device is a projector in communication with the processor and positioned to project the guidance information on surfaces visible to the user of the first mobile device.

13. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 11, wherein the information delivered to the user of the first mobile device is delivered via a third small cell telecommunications base station.

14. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the user of the first mobile device within a first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station; and

selecting the delivery device based on the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station.

15. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 14 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises interpreting images received from a camera positioned within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station, the camera being in communication with the first small cell telecommunications base station without communicating through the first mobile device.

16. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 14 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises receiving location data determined by a GPS receiver of the first mobile device.

17. The cellular telecommunications network of claim 14 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises receiving information on a signal strength of a signal received by the first small cell telecommunications base station from the first mobile device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for guiding a mobile device user to a meeting point, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a first mobile device an identification of the first mobile device via a first low-range cellular communications transceiver;

receiving from a second mobile device an identification of the second mobile device via a second low-range cellular communications transceiver;

computing a location of the meeting point using a location of the first small cell telecommunications base station and a location of the second small cell telecommunications base station;

connecting to a guidance information delivery device, the guidance information delivery device being visible to a user of the first mobile device without the user being required to view the first mobile device; and

delivering guidance information to the user of the first mobile device to guide the user of the first mobile device to the meeting point, the guidance information being delivered to the user of the first mobile device via the guidance information delivery device without transmitting the guidance information through the first mobile device and without requiring the user of the first mobile device to view the first mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the user of the first mobile device within a first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station; and

selecting the delivery device based on the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the determining the location of the user of the first mobile device within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station comprises interpreting images received from a camera positioned within the first cellular coverage area of the first small cell telecommunications base station, the camera being in communication with the first small cell telecommunications base station without communicating through the first mobile device.