Information communication method

• US 10,666,871 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• 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, Mukai, Tsutomu, Matsushita, Yosuke, Iida, Shigehiro, Yamada, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dobson, Daniel G
• Application Number:
  US16/217,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20190124249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 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 is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor 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. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and sending the identification information to a server. The method further includes obtaining menu information related to the identification information from the server, the menu information related to a restaurant where the subject is installed, and displaying the menu information on a display of the terminal device.

Claims

1. An information communication method for obtaining identification information from a subject that transmits the identification information by change in luminance 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;

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

obtaining a direction of light of the subject, the light of the subject entering into the image sensor;

calculating a distance between the terminal device and the subject using the direction;

obtaining a location of the subject, which is specified by the identification information;

calculating a location of the terminal device using the distance and the location of the subject;

obtaining target information input by a user of the terminal device; and

displaying, on a display of the terminal device, a route from the location of the terminal device to a location related to the target information on a map of a facility.

4. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the map of the facility is pre-installed in the terminal device.

5. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the facility is any one of a museum, a supermarket, a station, and a restaurant.

6. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the terminal device is a smart phone, the image sensor is located in a display side of the smart phone, and

wherein, in the obtaining of the bright line image, the display side of the smart phone is directed to the subject, which is located in a ceiling of the facility.

7. The information communication method according to claim 6,

wherein the image sensor is a face camera of the smart phone.

8. The information communication method according to claim 7,

wherein both the display and the face camera are directed to a face of a user of the smart phone.

9. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein, in the displaying, the map of the facility is displayed on the display during the bright line image is obtained and the identification information is obtained.

10. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the direction of light is an angle of the light to a horizontal.

11. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the target information is related to a product.

2. An information communication device for obtaining identification information from a subject that transmits the identification information by change in luminance, 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;

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

obtaining a direction of light of the subject, the light of the subject entering into the image sensor;

calculating a distance between the terminal device and the subject using the direction;

obtaining a location of the subject, which is specified by the identification information;

calculating a location of the terminal device using the distance and the location of the subject;

obtaining target information input by a user of the terminal device; and

displaying, on a display of the terminal device, a route from the location of the terminal device to a location related to the target information on a map of a facility.

3. A non-transitory recording medium that stores a program for controlling an information communication device for obtaining identification information from a subject that transmits the identification information by change in luminance, 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;

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

obtaining a direction of light of the subject, the light of the subject entering into the image sensor;

calculating a distance between the terminal device and the subject using the direction;

obtaining a location of the subject which is specified by the identification information;

calculating a location of the terminal device using the distance and the location of the subject;

obtaining target information input by a user of the terminal device;

displaying, on a display of the terminal device, a route from the location of the terminal device to a location related to the target information on a map of a facility.