Light device and positional information management system

• US 9,397,709 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kusakari, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US13/908,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 340/539.1, 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/272 Details of end parts, i.e. the parts that connect the light source to a fitting; Arrangement of components within end parts F21K9/278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A light device includes a light emitting module in which a plurality of light sources are provided; caps that are provided at two ends of the light emitting module and are to be mounted in a lighting fixture; and a positional information transmission part that is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap and transmits predetermined positional information.

Claims

1. A light device comprising:

a light emitting module in which a plurality of light sources are provided;

caps that are provided at two ends of the light emitting module and are to be mounted in a lighting fixture;

a positional information transmission part that is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap and transmits predetermined positional information; and

a wireless communication part that receives identification information of a wireless terminal and the predetermined positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the predetermined positional information.

2. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positional information transmission part transmits the predetermined positional information using a communication system by which it is possible to carry out indoor positioning.

3. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined positional information includes at least one of latitude and longitude coordinates of the light device, information of a floor of a building on which the light device is placed, and information of the building in which the light device is placed.

4. The light device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a positional information transmission module that includes a transmission control part that controls transmission of the predetermined positional information carried out by the positional information transmission part, wherein

the positional information transmission part is provided on the positional information transmission module.

5. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the positional information transmission part is colored the same color as an emission color of the light sources.

6. The light device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication part is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap, and transmits the identification information and the predetermined positional information to a management server that manages a position of the wireless terminal.

7. A positional information management system comprising:

a light device that has predetermined positional information;

a wireless terminal that receives the predetermined positional information from the light device and transmits the predetermined positional information and identification information to the light device; and

a management server that receives the predetermined positional information and the identification information from the light device and manages a position of the wireless terminal, wherein

the light device includes

a light emitting module in which a plurality of light sources are provided;

caps that are provided at two ends of the light emitting module and are to be mounted in a lighting fixture;

and

a positional information transmission part that is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap and transmits the predetermined positional information.

8. The positional information management system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the management server manages the predetermined positional information of the light device and the identification information of the wireless terminal to be associated with each other to provide information indicating that the position of the wireless terminal corresponds to a position of the light device.

9. A light device comprising:

a light emitting module in which a plurality of light sources are provided;

caps that are provided at two ends of the light emitting module and are to be mounted in a lighting fixture;

a positional information transmission part that is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap and transmits predetermined positional information;

a transmission module that includes the positional information transmission part, wherein the positional information transmission part is provided at an end surface on a substrate provided integrally with a part of the cover of the light device, and the positional information transmission part is placed in such a position as not to obstruct light irradiated by the plurality of light sources; and

a wireless communication module that includes a wireless communication part, wherein the transmission module and the wireless communication module are provided on a side of the substrate opposite to a side of the substrate on which the plurality of light sources are provided.