Information communication method using change in luminance

• US 9,341,014 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• 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, Fuchigami, Ikuo, Shin, Hidehiko, Mukai, Tsutomu, Matsushita, Yosuke, Iida, Shigehiro, Yamada, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): CURS, NATHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/142,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140286644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/435 by interruption of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/541 Digital intensity or amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An information communication method that enables communication between various devices is an information communication method of transmitting a signal using a change in luminance, and includes: determining a pattern of the change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and transmitting the signal, by a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance, wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged on a surface so that a non-luminance change area does not extend across the surface between the plurality of light emitters along at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the surface, the non-luminance change area being an area in the surface outside the plurality of light emitters and not changing in luminance.

Claims

1. An information communication method of transmitting a signal using a change in luminance, the information communication method comprising:

determining a pattern of the change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and

transmitting the signal, by a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged on a surface so that a non-luminance change area is provided between each of the plurality of light emitters, and does not extend linearly across the entire surface along at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the surface, the non-luminance change area being an area in the surface between adjacent light emitters of the plurality of light emitters and not changing in luminance.

2. An information communication device that transmits a signal using a change in luminance, the information communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining a pattern of the change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and

transmitting the signal, by a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged on a surface so that a non-luminance change area is provided between each of the plurality of light emitters, and does not extend linearly across the entire surface along at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the surface, the non-luminance change area being an area in the surface between adjacent light emitters of the plurality of light emitters and not changing in luminance.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for transmitting a signal using a change in luminance, the program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform a process comprising:

determining a pattern of the change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and

transmitting the signal, by a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged on a surface so that a non-luminance change area is provided between each of the plurality of light emitters, and does not extend linearly across the entire surface along at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the surface, the non-luminance change area being an area in the surface between adjacent light emitters of the plurality of light emitters and not changing in luminance.