GRAPH-BASED NAVIGATION USING LIGHTING EFFECTS

• US 20160223341A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: ENGELEN, DIRK VALENTINUS REN, VAN DE SLUIS, BARTEL MARINUS, NEWTON, PHILIP STEVEN, ALIAKSEYEU, DZMITRY VIKTOROVICH
• Application Number:
  US15/021,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Methods, lighting control systems, mobile computing devices and computer-readable media are described herein for graph-based navigation through an environment(100). In various embodiments, a graph (220) including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges may be provided, e.g., by a lighting control system(130), to mobile computing devices (350) such as smart phones and tablets carried through the environment. Each node may correspond to a location of a lighting effect produced by a particular light source within the environment. Each edge may correspond to a path between two nodes. Data indicative of a path travelled through the graph by one or more mobile computing devices between a first node corresponding to a first location and a second node corresponding to a second location may be used to update the graph. Mobile computing devices may utilize the graph to calculate optimal paths (220) and/or guide users through the environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, by a lighting control system to a mobile computing device, a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node corresponding to a location of a lighting effect produced by a particular light source within an environment;

wherein the lighting control system is configured to control the lighting effect, and each edge representing a path between two nodes;

receiving, by the lighting control system, data indicative of a path travelled through the graph by the mobile computing device between a first node corresponding to a first location and a second node corresponding to a second location, and

removing an edge from the graph responsive to a determination that the edge is no longer being traversed by mobile computing devices.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graph is a first graph, and the method further comprises generating, by the lighting control system, a second graph based on the first graph and the received data indicative of the path, wherein the second graph comprises a second plurality of edges that is different than the plurality of edges of the first graph.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the generating comprises:

calculating, by the lighting control system, an optimal path through the first graph from the first node to a the second node; and

determining, by the lighting control system, a difference between the calculated optimal path and the path travelled through the first graph by the mobile computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the mobile computing device is a first mobile computing device, and the method further comprises providing, by the lighting control system to a second mobile computing device, the second graph.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the lighting control system to the mobile computing device, a preferred path through the first graph.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining, by the lighting control system, a list of one or more preferred products;

identifying, by the lighting control system, one or more locations of lighting effects within the environment at which the one or more preferred products are located; and

generating, by the lighting control system, the preferred path through the first graph based on the identified one or more locations.

7. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by a lighting control system, cause the lighting control system to perform the method of claim 1.

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14. A lighting control system, comprising:

a first graph provision module to provide, to a plurality of mobile computing devices that travel through an environment, a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node corresponding to a location of a lighting effect produced by a particular light source within the environment, wherein the lighting control system is configured to control the lighting effect, and each edge representing a path between two nodes;

a feedback module to obtain feedback indicative of paths travelled through the graph by the plurality of mobile computing devices; and

a graph generation module to generate a second graph based at least in part on the feedback obtained by the feedback module, and to remove an edge from the first graph responsive to a determination that the edge is no longer being traversed by mobile computing devices.

15. The lighting control system of claim 14, wherein the graph generation module is further configured to calculate an optimal path through the first graph from a first node corresponding to a first location in the environment to a second node corresponding to a second location in the environment, and to determine a difference between the calculated optimal path and a path travelled by one or more mobile computing devices from the first location to the second location.

17. The lighting control system of claim 14, further comprising a preferred path module to provide, to one or more mobile computing devices, a preferred path through the first graph.

18. The lighting control system of claim 17, wherein the preferred path module is configured to:

obtain a list of one or more preferred products;

identify one or more locations of lighting effects within the environment at which the one or more preferred products are located; and

generate the preferred path based on the identified one or more locations.

16. (canceled)

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