Integration of computing device and lighting system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lighting system comprising:
- a light sensor configured to detect a visible light signal emitted by a display screen of a portable computing device, wherein a light fixture is associated with the light sensor; and
a control unit configured to set an output light level of the light fixture and to receive information from the display screen of the portable computing device via the light sensor, wherein the information is embedded in the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device by varying a frequency, intensity and/or color of the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, and/or by varying a refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, wherein the information is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding.
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Abstract
A system may communicate between a display device and a lighting system using light generated by the display device and a light sensor in the lighting system. A computing device and a building control system may communication over a wireless link. The building control system may determine that the computing device is co-located with a fixture in the building control system based on whether communication over the wireless link between the computing device and the building control system is detected.
119 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A lighting system comprising:
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a light sensor configured to detect a visible light signal emitted by a display screen of a portable computing device, wherein a light fixture is associated with the light sensor; and a control unit configured to set an output light level of the light fixture and to receive information from the display screen of the portable computing device via the light sensor, wherein the information is embedded in the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device by varying a frequency, intensity and/or color of the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, and/or by varying a refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, wherein the information is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions executable with a processor in a portable computing device that includes a display screen that emits light, the computer-readable medium comprising:
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instructions executable to communicate with a building control system over a visible light link from the display screen of the portable computing device to a light sensor in the building control system, wherein a determination that the portable computing device is in communication with the building control system over the visible light link between the display screen of the portable computing device and the light sensor indicates that the portable computing device is co-located with the light sensor; and instructions executable to transmit a target output level of an output of the building control system from the display screen of the portable computing device to the building control system based on the determination that the portable computing device and the sensor are co-located, wherein the output of the building control system is in an area in which the portable computing device is located, and wherein the output of the building control system is generated or controlled by a fixture in the building control system, wherein the instructions are configured to transmit the target output level of the output of the building control system from the display screen of the portable computing device to the building control system by varying a frequency, intensity and/or color of a visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the target output level, and/or by varying a refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the target output level, wherein the target level is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A building control system comprising:
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a sensor configured to detect a visible light signal emitted by a display screen of a portable computing device; and a processor configured to determine that the sensor and the portable computing device are co-located based on a detection of the visible light signal by the sensor, the processor being further configured to receive an identity of the portable computing device from the computing device via the sensor in response to the sensor and the portable computing device being co-located, wherein the processor is configured to receive the identity of the portable computing device by detecting, via the sensor, variation in a frequency, intensity and/or color of the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the identity of the portable computing device, and/or variation of a refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the identity of the portable computing device, wherein the identity of the portable computing device is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for communicating with a building control system, the method comprising:
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determining with a processor in the building control system that a portable computing device that includes a display screen that emits light is co-located with a fixture in the building control system based on whether communication over a visible light link between the display screen of the portable computing device and the building control system is detected; and receiving a target output level from the display screen of the portable computing device at the processor based on the portable computing device being co-located with the fixture, the target output level being for an output of the building control system in an area in which the fixture is located, wherein the target output level is received from the display screen of the portable computing device by receiving a varying frequency, intensity and/or color of a visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the target output level, and/or by receiving a varying refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the target output level, wherein the target level is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A portable computing device comprising:
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a portable device display screen; a portable device processor that is configured to display visible images on the portable device display screen; the portable device processor being further configured to embed information in the visible images that are displayed on the portable device display screen such that the information is received by a light sensor that is associated with a lighting system and is used by the lighting system to control the lighting system in response to the information, by varying a frequency, intensity and/or color of the visible light signal emitted by the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, and/or by varying a refresh rate of the display screen of the portable computing device based on the information, wherein the information is embedded in the visible light signal directly, by modulation and/or by coding. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification