LIGHT DEVICE, COMMUNICATION UNIT AND POSITIONAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130330085A1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KUSAKARI, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 9,301,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25758 between a central unit and a single remote unit by means of an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/043 using ambient awareness, e.g. involving buildings using floor or room numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A light device includes a light source that irradiates light to the outside; a positional information transmission part that transmits positional information of the light device to a wireless terminal; a terminal information reception part that receives identification information of the wireless terminal and the positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the positional information; a terminal information transmission part that transmits the identification information and the positional information to a management server that manages a position of the wireless terminal; and a voltage conversion part that converts a voltage of power supplied from an external power source and supplies the power to the positional information transmission part, the terminal information reception part and the terminal information transmission part.

Claims

1. A light device comprising:

a light source that irradiates light to the outside;

a positional information transmission part that transmits positional information of the light device to a wireless terminal;

a terminal information reception part that receives identification information of the wireless terminal and the positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the positional information;

a terminal information transmission part that transmits the identification information and the positional information to a management server that manages a position of the wireless terminal; and

a voltage conversion part that converts a voltage of power supplied from an external power source and supplies the power to the positional information transmission part, the terminal information reception part and the terminal information transmission part.

2. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the positional information transmission part transmits the positional information using a communication method by which indoor positioning can be carried out.

3. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the positional information includes at least one of latitude and longitude coordinates of the light device, information of a floor of a building on which the light device is placed, and information of the building in which the light device is placed.

4. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the light source includes a semiconductor light emitting element that emits light by power supplied by the voltage conversion part.

5. A communication unit which is connected with a power supply part of a lighting fixture, the communication unit comprising:

a positional information transmission part that transmits positional information of the communication unit to a wireless terminal;

a terminal information reception part that receives identification information of the wireless terminal and the positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the positional information;

a terminal information transmission part that transmits the identification information and the positional information to a management server that manages a position of the wireless terminal; and

a voltage conversion part that converts a voltage of power supplied from the power supply part and supplies the power to the positional information transmission part, the terminal information reception part and the terminal information transmission part.

6. A positional information management system comprising:

a light device that has positional information of the light device;

a wireless terminal that receives the positional information from the light device and transmits the positional information and identification information to the light device; and

a management server that receives the positional information and the identification information from the light device and manages a position of the wireless terminal, wherein

the light device comprises;

a light source that irradiates light to the outside;

a positional information transmission part that transmits the positional information to the wireless terminal;

a terminal information reception part that receives the identification information of the wireless terminal and the positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the positional information;

a terminal information transmission part that transmits the identification information and the positional information to the management server; and

a voltage conversion part that converts a voltage of power supplied from an external power source and supplies the power to the positional information transmission part, the terminal information reception part and the terminal information transmission part.

7. The positional information management system as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the management server manages the positional information of the light device and the identification information of the wireless terminal device to be associated with each other to provide information indicating that the position of the wireless terminal corresponds to a position of the light device.