Visible light communication method, identification signal, and receiver

• US 10,225,015 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• 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, Iida, Shigehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello, Agustin
• Application Number:
  US15/652,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20170317749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 398172
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A visible light communication method is provided that includes obtaining a first information, by a receiver, through visible light communication with a light source. The method also includes sending the first information and a second information, by the receiver, to a first server, the second information related to a membership information of a specified organization which is stored in the receiver. The method further includes obtaining, by the receiver, information from the first server using the first information and the second information.

Claims

1. A visible light communication method, comprising:

obtaining a first information, by a receiver, through visible light communication with a light source;

sending the first information and a second information, by the receiver, to a first server, the second information including membership information of a specified organization that is stored in the receiver; and

obtaining, by the receiver, information from the first server using the first information and the second information,

wherein the visible light communication includes

setting an exposure time of an image sensor of the receiver so that, in an image obtained by capturing the light source by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the light source,

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the light source that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and

obtaining the first information of the light source, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.

2. The visible light communication method according to claim 1,

wherein the information is specified by the first information and the second information.

3. The visible light communication method according to claim 2,

wherein the second information is further related to a gender information of a user of the receiver, and the gender information is stored in the receiver.

4. The visible light communication method according to claim 3,

wherein the second information is further related to an age information of the user, and the age information is stored in the receiver.

5. The visible light communication method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending the membership information to a second server; and

obtaining the second information from the second server, wherein the second information is specified by the membership information.

6. The visible light communication method according to claim 5,

wherein the first server and the second server are same.

7. A visible light communication apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having thereon a program, the program causes the processor to execute operations including

obtaining a first information, by a receiver, through visible light communication with a light source;

sending the first information and a second information, by the receiver, to a first server, the second information including membership information of a specified organization that is stored in the receiver; and

obtaining, by the receiver, information from the first server using the first information and the second information,

wherein the visible light communication includes

setting an exposure time of an image sensor of the receiver so that, in an image obtained by capturing the light source by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the light source,

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the light source that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and

obtaining the first information of the light source, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.

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

obtaining a first information, by a receiver, through the visible light communication with a light source;

sending the first information and a second information, by the receiver, to a first server, the second information including membership information of a specified organization that is stored in the receiver; and

obtaining, by the receiver, information from the first server using the first information and the second information,

wherein the visible light communication includes

setting an exposure time of an image sensor of the receiver so that, in an image obtained by capturing the light source by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the light source,

obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the light source that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and

obtaining the first information of the light source, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.