Determining an orientation of a mobile device

• US 9,317,747 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Shrestha, Snehesh, Appaiah, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, SOO JIN
• Application Number:
  US14/271,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for determining an orientation of a mobile device. One method includes capturing, at the mobile device, an image of at least one illuminated object defining an illuminated reference axis; determining a first angle between the illuminated reference axis and a device reference axis of the mobile device; determining a second angle between the illuminated reference axis and a common reference axis; estimating a third angle between the device reference axis and the common reference axis; and determining an orientation of the mobile device based at least in part on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

Claims

1. A method for determining an orientation of a mobile device, comprising:

capturing, at the mobile device, an image of at least one illuminated object defining an illuminated reference axis;

determining a first angle between the illuminated reference axis and a device reference axis of the mobile device;

determining a second angle between the illuminated reference axis and a common reference axis;

estimating a third angle between the device reference axis and the common reference axis; and

determining the orientation of the mobile device based at least in part on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the at least one illuminated object comprises:

capturing an image of at least part of at least one overhead light fixture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the illuminated reference axis comprises:

an edge of one of the at least one overhead light fixture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a visible light communication (VLC) signal comprising an identifier of an illuminated object in the image;

wherein determining the second angle comprises obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the identifier of the illuminated object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from the image of the at least one illuminated object, a visual identifier of an illuminated object in the image;

wherein determining the second angle comprises obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the visual identifier of the illuminated object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a venue in which the mobile device is located;

wherein determining the second angle comprises obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the venue in which the mobile device is located.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an edge of one of the at least one illuminated object, the edge including the illuminated reference axis; and

determining a relative length of the edge;

wherein determining the second angle comprises determining the second angle based at least in part on the relative length of the edge.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second angle comprises:

obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein obtaining the second angle from the electronically stored information comprises:

accessing the electronically stored information over a network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the common reference axis corresponds to a compass heading, the method further comprising:

acquiring a compass reading of the mobile device;

wherein estimating the third angle comprises estimating the third angle based at least in part on the compass reading.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the compass heading is magnetic north.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the mobile device comprises:

determining, from at least the first angle and the second angle, a set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device; and

selecting the orientation of the mobile device, from the set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device, based at least in part on the third angle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminated reference axis comprises:

an illuminated edge of a polygonal light fixture.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminated reference axis comprises:

a line segment defined by a light rope.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminated reference axis comprises:

a line segment defined by at least two illuminated points.

16. An apparatus for determining an orientation of a mobile device, comprising:

means for capturing, at the mobile device, an image of at least one illuminated object defining an illuminated reference axis;

means for determining a first angle between the illuminated reference axis and a device reference axis of the mobile device;

means for determining a second angle between the illuminated reference axis and a common reference axis;

means for estimating a third angle between the device reference axis and the common reference axis; and

means for determining the orientation of the mobile device based at least in part on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for capturing the image of the at least one illuminated object comprises:

means for capturing an image of at least part of at least one overhead light fixture.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the illuminated reference axis comprises:

an edge of one of the at least one overhead light fixture.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving a visible light communication (VLC) signal comprising an identifier of an illuminated object in the image;

wherein the means for determining the second angle comprises means for obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the identifier of the illuminated object.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining, from the image of the at least one illuminated object, a visual identifier of an illuminated object in the image;

wherein the means for determining the second angle comprises means for obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the visual identifier of the illuminated object.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining a venue in which the mobile device is located;

wherein the means for determining the second angle comprises means for obtaining the second angle from electronically stored information based at least in part on the venue in which the mobile device is located.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for identifying an edge of one of the at least one illuminated object, the edge including the illuminated reference axis; and

means for determining a relative length of the edge;

wherein the means for determining the second angle comprises means for determining the second angle based at least in part on the relative length of the edge.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the common reference axis corresponds to a compass heading, the apparatus further comprising:

means for acquiring a compass reading of the mobile device;

wherein the means for estimating the third angle comprises means for estimating the third angle based at least in part on the compass reading.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining the orientation of the mobile device comprises:

means for determining, from at least the first angle and the second angle, a set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device; and

means for selecting the orientation of the mobile device, from the set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device, based at least in part on the third angle.

25. An apparatus for determining an orientation of a mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

capture, at a mobile device, an image of at least one illuminated object defining an illuminated reference axis;

determine a first angle between the illuminated reference axis and a device reference axis of the mobile device;

determine a second angle between the illuminated reference axis and a common reference axis;

estimate a third angle between the device reference axis and the common reference axis; and

determine the orientation of the mobile device based at least in part on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

identify an edge of one of the at least one illuminated object, the edge including the illuminated reference axis; and

determine a relative length of the edge;

wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine the second angle comprise instructions executable by the processor to determine the second angle based at least in part on the relative length of the edge.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the common reference axis corresponds to a compass heading, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

acquire a compass reading of the mobile device;

wherein the instructions executable by the processor to estimate the third angle comprise instructions executable by the processor to estimate the third angle based at least in part on the compass reading.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine the orientation of the mobile device comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

determine, from at least the first angle and the second angle, a set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device; and

select the orientation of the mobile device, from the set of at least two possible orientations of the mobile device, based at least in part on the third angle.

29. A computer program product for determining an orientation of a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the mobile device to:

capture, at a mobile device, an image of at least one illuminated object defining an illuminated reference axis;

determine a first angle between the illuminated reference axis and a device reference axis of the mobile device;

determine a second angle between the illuminated reference axis and a common reference axis;

estimate a third angle between the device reference axis and the common reference axis; and

determine the orientation of the mobile device based at least in part on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the common reference axis corresponds to a compass heading, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the mobile device to:

acquire a compass reading of the mobile device;

wherein the instructions executable by the processor to estimate the third angle comprise instructions executable by the processor to estimate the third angle based at least in part on the compass reading.