System and method for navigation using visible light communications

• US 7,970,537 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Son, Jae-Seung, Won, Eun-Tae, Ann, Jong-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/013,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32, 701/33, 701/36, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 398/130, 398/135, 398/172, 398/138
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A navigation system and a navigation method inside of a building using Visible Light Communications (VLC) are provided. The navigation system includes a map server, in which map information required to provide a navigation function is stored, for transferring the map information to each lamp, a plurality of lamps, installed in each zone inside of the building and having their respective identifiable and unique IDentifications (IDs), for receiving the map information required to provide the navigation function from the map server, and for generating a visible light signal in response to the received map information by using a VLC module, and a mobile terminal, equipped with a visible light Rx module, for being provided with the map information upon receiving the visible light signal generated from the lamp, and for displaying a map image in response to the provided map information.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for a navigation system using Visible Light Communications (VLC), the mobile terminal comprising:

a VLC module for receiving a visible light signal; and

a controller for performing the VLC with at least one of a plurality of lamps illuminating a zone where the mobile terminal is located through the VLC module provided to the mobile terminal, for comparing an IDentification (ID) and location information of the at least one lamp with map information upon receiving the visible light signal from the at least one lamp and for determining a current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein the map information comprises location information of each lamp, ID information of each lamp, and ID information of each lamp group corresponding to lamps located in a prescribed zone as one group.

2. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of lamps, each lamp having a respective identifiable and unique ID, for performing Power Line Communications (PLC) with a map server, wherein each of the plurality of lamps is equipped with the VLC module, wherein the map server in which map information is stored.

3. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the map information comprises map information on the inside of a building including at least one of a plan view of each floor, location information of each lamp, ID information of each lamp, ID information of each lamp group, and location information of each lamp group.

4. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the VLC module of the mobile terminal comprises a visible light transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) module for transmitting a visible light signal including destination information to the at least one lamp illuminating the zone where the mobile terminal is located and for receiving a visible light signal including optimal path information from the at least one lamp illuminating the zone where the mobile terminal is located.

5. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one lamp which receives the visible light signal including the destination information from the mobile terminal transfers path request information including the destination information to the map server, receives the optimal path information corresponding to a response to the path request information from the map server, and generates the visible light signal including the received optimal path information.

6. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if the map server receives the path request information from the at least one lamp, the map server computes optimal path information equivalent to the path request information, and then transfers the computed optimal path information to the at least one lamp.

7. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the VLC module of the mobile terminal comprises a visible light Rx module, and further wherein the map server transfers the map information to each lamp.

8. The navigation mobile terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one lamp receives the map information from the map server, and generates a visible light signal in response to the received map information.

9. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal receives the map information from the at least one lamp illuminating the zone where the mobile terminal is located, and displays a map image responding to the provided map information.

10. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal computes an optimal path to a destination, and displays a path image including the computed optimal path information.

11. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal displays a current location image including current location information of the mobile terminal.

12. A navigation method of a mobile terminal for a navigation system using Visible Light Communications (VLC), the navigation method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a visible light signal from a lamp illuminating a zone where a mobile terminal is located, comparing, with map information, an IDentification (ID) and location information of the lamp illuminating the zone where the mobile terminal is located, and determining a current location of the mobile terminal;

(b) transmitting, by the mobile terminal, a visible light signal including at least one of input destination information, terminal ID information, and the determined current location information to a lamp while inputting the destination information through the mobile terminal;

(c) receiving a response information including optimal path information and the map information as a visible light signal, by the mobile terminal; and

(d) displaying, by the mobile terminal, a path image including optimal path information,

wherein the map information comprises location information of each lamp, ID information of each lamp, and ID information of each lamp group corresponding to lamps located in a prescribed zone as one group.

13. The navigation method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the path request information comprises at least one of destination information, terminal ID information, lamp ID information, and lamp group ID information.

14. The navigation method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the response information comprises at least one of the computed optimal path information, map information including lamp location information, a terminal ID, a lamp ID, and a lamp group ID.

15. The navigation method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the generated visible light signal is transmitted by a lamp belonging to a relevant lamp group, based on making a determination of a lamp group ID included in the response information.

16. The navigation method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the path image comprises at least one of map information on a layer where the mobile terminal is currently located, current location information of the mobile terminal, and the optimal path information.

17. The navigation method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(e) comparing a current location of the mobile terminal with the optimal path information, and displaying a next movement location thereof on the optimal path information; and

(f) determining if path resetting is necessary if the mobile terminal goes out of an optimal path.

18. The navigation method as claimed in claim 17, wherein, if it is determined in step (f) that the path resetting is necessary, optimal path information is reset by performing steps (a) to (d), and then a navigation operation is performed.

19. The navigation method as claimed in claim 17, wherein, if it is determined in step (f) that the path resetting is not necessary, a path along which the mobile terminal returns from a current location thereof to a location on an existing optimal path is displayed.

20. A navigation method using Visible Light Communications (VLC), the navigation method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, by a mobile terminal, a visible light signal including map information from a lamp illuminating a zone where the mobile terminal is located; and

(b) comparing, with the map information, an IDentification (ID) and location information of the lamp illuminating the zone where the mobile terminal is located upon receiving the visible light signal and determining a current location of the terminal, and displaying a map image including the determined current location information, by the mobile terminal,

wherein the map information comprises location information of each lamp, ID information of each lamp, and ID information of each lamp group corresponding to lamps located in a prescribed zone as one group.

21. The navigation method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a step of (c), when a destination information be input, computing an optimal path from a current location of the mobile terminal to a destination, and displaying a path image including the computed optimal path information, by the mobile terminal.

22. The navigation method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the path image comprises at least one of map information on a layer where the mobile terminal is currently located, current location information of the mobile terminal, and the optimal path information up to the destination.

23. The navigation method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the map information required to provide the navigation function comprises at least one of map information on the inside of the building including a plane view of each floor, a location of each lamp, and an ID of each lamp.

24. The navigation method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

(d) comparing a current location of the mobile terminal with the optimal path information, and displaying a next movement location thereof on the optimal path information; and

(e) determining if path resetting is necessary if the mobile terminal goes out of the optimal path.

25. The navigation method as claimed in claim 24, wherein, if it is determined in step (e) that the path resetting is necessary, optimal path information is computed again by performing step (c) the computing of the optimal path, and then a navigation operation is performed.

26. The navigation method as claimed in claim 24, wherein, if it is determined in step (e) that the path resetting is not necessary, a path along which the mobile terminal returns from a current location thereof to a location on an existing optimal path is displayed.