Content delivery based on a light positioning system

• US 8,957,951 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bytelight, Inc. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Daniel, Ganick, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US14/464,327
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/60 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Systems an methods are provided that disclose providing a positioning service for devices based on light received from one or more light sources. This light based positioning service uses light information transmitted by each light source to determine the position of the device. The positioning information can include three dimension position information in a building that can then be used to deliver services and information to a mobile device. The content delivered to a mobile device can include multimedia, text, audio, and/or pictorial information. The positioning information along with other location or positioning information can be used in providing augmented reality or location aware services. The light sources can be independent beacons that broadcast information in visible light at a rate that is undetectable by the human eye. Content can be retrieved from a server over a communications connection.

Claims

1. A method of determining location utilizing information encoded in modulated light emitted by a plurality of light sources, the method comprising:

acquiring, with an image sensor, an image at least partially illuminated by light emitted by the plurality of light sources, wherein (i) each light source emits a light output modulated in accordance with a different time-varying signal so as to vary over time, and (ii) different portions of the image are acquired at different times over a time interval, whereby the acquired image comprises a plurality of patterns of distortions, each pattern of distortions (a) resulting from interaction between the time interval of acquisition and the time-varying light output of a light source and (b) being associated with a different one of the light sources;

decoding each pattern of distortions to recover an identifier identifying the light source with which the pattern of distortions is associated; and

determining a location of the image sensor based at least in part on (i) the identifiers of the light sources and (ii) relative positions, within the image, of light outputs emitted by the plurality of light sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is disposed within a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device comprises a camera, the camera comprising the image sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a CCD image sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a rolling shutter for exposing different portions of the image sensor at different times.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each pattern of distortions comprises alternating dark and light stripes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein decoding each pattern of distortions comprises measuring stripe width within the acquired image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein widths of stripes in each pattern of distortion are inversely related to a frequency of the modulated light output emitted by the light source associated with the pattern of distortion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the light sources are asynchronous.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each light source is driven by a pulse-width modulated signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a remote server, location-based content based on the location of the image sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein (i) the image sensor is disposed within a mobile device, and (ii) determining the location of the image sensor comprises querying a database (a) stored on the mobile device and (b) relating location information to light source identification information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the image sensor comprises querying a database (ii) stored on a remote server and (ii) relating location information to light source identification information.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein each light source comprises one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the LEDs emit substantially white light.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises at least three light sources.

18. A system for determining location utilizing information encoded in modulated light emitted by a plurality of light sources, each light source emitting a light output modulated in accordance with a different time-varying signal so as to vary over time, the device comprising:

an image sensor configured to acquire an image at least partially illuminated by light emitted by the plurality of light sources, different portions of the image being acquired at different times over a time interval, whereby the acquired image comprises a plurality of patterns of distortions, each pattern of distortions (a) resulting from interaction between the time interval of acquisition and the time-varying light output of a light source and (b) being associated with a different one of the light sources;

a processor for decoding each pattern of distortions to recover an identifier identifying the light source with which the pattern of distortions is associated; and

a location-determination module for determining a location of the image sensor based at least in part on (i) the identifiers of the light sources and (ii) relative positions, within the image, of light outputs emitted by the plurality of light sources.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein (i) the image sensor and processor are disposed within a mobile device, (ii) the location-determination module is operated by a remote server, and (iii) the mobile device comprises a communications module for (a) transmitting decoded information to the remote server and (b) receiving at least one of location information or information-based content from the remote server.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein (i) the image sensor and processor are disposed within a mobile device, and (ii) the location-determination module is operated by the processor within the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising a database relating decoded information to location information for the plurality of light sources.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein (i) the image sensor and processor are disposed within a mobile device, (ii) the location-determination module is operated by a remote server, and (iii) the database is located at a remote server.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein (i) the image sensor and processor are disposed within a mobile device, (ii) the mobile device comprises a memory, and (iii) at least a portion of the database is disposed within the memory of the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the image sensor comprises a CCD image sensor.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the image sensor comprises a rolling shutter for exposing different portions of the image sensor at different times.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein each pattern of distortions comprises alternating dark and light stripes.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to decode each pattern of distortions by measuring stripe width within the acquired image.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein widths of stripes in each pattern of distortion are inversely related to a frequency of the modulated light output emitted by the light source associated with the pattern of distortion.