Information communication device

• US 9,294,188 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshima, Mitsuaki, Nakanishi, Koji, Aoyama, Hideki, Yoshida, Chikara, Iida, Shigehiro, Ogata, Shinsuke, Miyoshi, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Li
• Application Number:
  US14/219,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20150139659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 398/172, 398118-120, 398126-131
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls

Abstract

An information communication method includes: determining whether conflict over use of a light receiving unit will occur between a first program for performing visible light communication and a second program for performing processing different from the visible light communication; notifying a user that the conflict will occur if it is determined that the conflict will occur; permitting one of the first program and the second program to use the light receiving unit in response to an operation by the user; and causing, by the first program, a computer to execute visible light communication according to light detected by the light receiving unit if the first program is permitted to use the light receiving unit.

Claims

1. An information communication method for performing visible light communication, the information communication method comprising:

(a) determining whether conflict over use of a light receiver which detects light will occur between a first program for performing visible light communication using the light receiver and a second program for performing processing different from the visible light communication, using the light receiver;

(b) notifying a user of the light receiver that the conflict will occur if it is determined that the conflict will occur;

(c) permitting one of the first program and the second program to use the light receiver in response to an operation by the user; and

(d) causing, by the first program, a computer to execute visible light communication according to light detected by the light receiver if the first program is permitted to use the light receiver.

2. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein in the notifying, a selection screen for selecting one of the first program and the second program which use the light receiver is further displayed, and

in the performing, if one of the first program and the second program is selected in response to an operation on the selection screen by the user, the selected one of the first program and the second program is permitted to use the light receiver.

3. The information communication method according to claim 2,

wherein in the notifying, the selection screen is displayed which includes information indicating whether the first program runs in background and whether the second program runs in background.

4. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the light receiver includes a first light receiver and a second light receiver,

in the performing, the first light receiver is assigned to one of the first program and the second program in response to the operation by the user, and

in the causing, the first program causes the computer to execute visible light communication according to light detected by the first light receiver if the first light receiver is assigned to the first program.

5. The information communication method according to claim 1,

wherein in the causing, data is obtained by executing the visible light communication,

the information communication method further comprising:

(e) displaying an application selection screen for selecting one of plural application programs for which the obtained data is usable; and

(f) if one of the plural application programs is selected in response to an operation on the application selection screen by the user, causing, by the selected one of the application programs, the computer to execute processing performed using the data.

6. The information communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(g) performing processing of receiving a request to distribute information from a requester;

(h) distributing the requested information as associated information associated with a signal received through the visible light communication performed by the first program; and

(i) performing information processing for charging the requester according to the distribution of the information.

7. An information communication device which performs visible light communication, the information communication device comprising:

a determiner configured to determine whether conflict over use of a light receiver configured to detect light will occur between a first program for performing visible light communication using the light receiver and a second program for performing processing different from the visible light communication, using the light receiver;

a notifier configured to notify a user of the light receiver that the conflict will occur if it is determined that the conflict will occur;

a conflict settler configured to permit one of the first program and the second program to use the light receiver in response to an operation by the user; and

a visible light communicator configured to cause, according to the first program, a computer to execute visible light communication according to light detected by the light receiver if the first program is permitted to use the light receiver.

8. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing communication control program for performing visible light communication, the communication control program causing a computer to execute:

determining whether conflict over use of a light receiver which detects light will occur between a first program for performing visible light communication using the light receiver and a second program for performing processing different from the visible light communication, using the light receiver;

notifying a user of the light receiver that the conflict will occur if it is determined that the conflict will occur; and

permitting one of the first program and the second program to use the light receiver in response to an operation by the user,

wherein the first program causes a computer to execute visible light communication according to light detected by the light receiver if the first program is permitted to use the light receiver.

9. An information communication method for performing visible light communication, the information communication method comprising:

(a) capturing images of plural subjects each of which transmits a signal by changing luminance, with an image sensor which is a light receiver;

(b) displaying a captured image which includes the images of the plural subjects;

(c) determining whether a terminal device which includes the image sensor has been shaken; and

(d) causing, by a program, a computer to receive the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and perform visible light communication according to the received signals,

wherein, in the displaying,

an information notification image generated according to a signal from one of the plural subjects among the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and received, and showing information regarding the subject is superimposed on the captured image in a state where the information notification image is associated with the image of the subject, and

if it is determined that the terminal device has been shaken, another information notification image generated according to a signal from another one of the plural subjects which is in a direction in which the terminal device has been shaken, and showing information regarding the other subject is superimposed on the captured image in a state where the other information notification image is associated with the image of the other subject.

10. An information communication device which performs visible light communication, the information communication device comprising:

an image capture configured to capture images of plural subjects each of which transmits a signal by changing luminance, with an image sensor which is a light receiver;

a display configured to display a captured image which includes the images of the plural subjects;

a determiner configured to determine whether a terminal device which includes the image sensor has been shaken; and

a visible light communicator configured to cause, according to a program, a computer to receive the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and perform visible light communication according to the received signals,

wherein the display,

superimposes an information notification image generated according to a signal from one of the plural subjects among the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and received, and showing information regarding the subject on the captured image in a state where the information notification image is associated with the image of the subject, and

if it is determined that the terminal device has been shaken, superimposes another information notification image generated according to a signal from another one of the plural subjects which is in a direction in which the terminal device has been shaken, and showing information regarding the other subject on the captured image in a state where the other information notification image is associated with the image of the other subject.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a communication control program for performing visible light communication, the communication control program causing a computer to execute:

(a) capturing images of plural subjects each of which transmits a signal by changing luminance, with an image sensor which is a light receiver;

(b) displaying a captured image which includes the images of the plural subjects;

(c) determining whether a terminal device which includes the image sensor has been shaken; and

(d) causing, by a program, a computer to receive the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and perform visible light communication according to the received signals,

wherein in the displaying,

an information notification image generated according to a signal from one of the plural subjects among the signals transmitted by the plural subjects and received, and showing information regarding the subject is superimposed on the captured image in a state where the information notification image is associated with the image of the subject, and

if it is determined that the terminal device has been shaken, another information notification image generated according to a signal from another one of the plural subjects which is in a direction in which the terminal device has been shaken, and showing information regarding the other subject is superimposed on the captured image in a state where the other information notification image is associated with the image of the other subject.