Light fixture commissioning using encoded light signals

• US 9,749,782 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Achar, Supreeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello, Agustin
• Application Number:
  US14/813,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 398172
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for commissioning light fixtures. One method may include receiving, at a mobile device, an encoded light signal from a light fixture in a plurality of light fixtures. The encoded light signal may be decoded to obtain an identifier associated with the light fixture, and a correspondence between the identifier and a plurality of locations of the plurality of light fixtures may be determined.

Claims

1. A method for mapping light fixtures at a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a first encoded light signal from a first light fixture and a second encoded light signal from a second light fixture;

decoding the first and second encoded light signals to obtain respective identifiers associated with the first and second light fixtures;

time-stamping each of the respective identifiers with a common time-stamp;

acquiring time-stamped sensor measurements, each time-stamped sensor measurement comprising a respective first direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal and a respective second direction-of-arrival of the second encoded light signal;

processing at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using a probability function to determine a sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device, each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations determined with respect to a location of the first light fixture and a location of the second light fixture; and

determining, based at least in part on the respective first and second directions-of-arrival, a correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations comprises:

correlating each time-stamped identifier with each time-stamped location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the first light fixture based at least in part on the direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal received from the first light fixture and based at least in part on the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining locations of the first and second light fixtures based at least in part on the respective directions-of-arrival of the first and second encoded light signals received from the first and second light fixtures and based at least in part on the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using the probability function comprises:

processing the at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using a Bayesian interference model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the time-stamped sensor measurements comprises:

acquiring at least one of camera measurements, inertial measurements, magnetic measurements, radio measurements, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device comprises:

estimating at least one movement of the mobile device; and

determining at least a second of the sequence of time-stamped locations in relation to at least a first of the sequence of time-stamped locations and the at least one estimated movement of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least a first of the sequence of time-stamped locations based at least in part on a location of an external reference.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input identifying a location of the first light fixture associated with the first identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying information corresponding to a number of light fixtures comprising the first and second light fixtures; and

receiving a selection from the information corresponding to the number of light fixtures.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the information comprises:

displaying a map of the number of light fixtures.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first encoded light signal at the mobile device comprises:

receiving the first encoded light signal using a rolling shutter image sensor of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first light fixture or the second light fixture is arranged within an indoor environment.

14. A mobile device for mapping light fixtures, comprising:

means for receiving a first encoded light signal from a first light fixture and a second encoded light signal from a second light fixture;

means for decoding the first and second encoded light signals to obtain respective identifiers associated with the first and second light fixtures;

means for time-stamping each of the respective identifiers with a common time-stamp;

means for acquiring time-stamped sensor measurements, each time-stamped sensor measurement comprising a respective first direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal and a respective second direction-of-arrival of the second encoded light signal;

means for processing at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using a probability function to determine a sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device, each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations determined with respect to a location of the first light fixture and a location of the second light fixture; and

means for determining, based at least in part on the respective first and second directions-of-arrival, a correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

15. A mobile device for mapping light fixtures, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

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

receive a first encoded light signal from a first light fixture and a second encoded light signal from a second light fixture;

decode the first and second encoded light signals to obtain respective identifiers associated with the first and second light fixtures;

time-stamp each of the respective identifiers with a common time-stamp;

acquire time-stamped sensor measurements, each time-stamped sensor measurement comprising a respective first direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal and a respective second direction-of-arrival of the second encoded light signal;

process at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using a probability function to determine a sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device, each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations determined with respect to a location of the first light fixture and a location of the second light fixture; and

determine, based at least in part on the respective first and second directions-of-arrival, a correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine the correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

correlate each time-stamped identifier with each time-stamped location.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine a location of the first light fixture based at least in part on the direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal received from the first light fixture and based at least in part on the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine locations of the first and second light fixtures based at least in part on the respective directions-of-arrival of the first and second encoded light signals received from the first and second light fixtures and based at least in part on the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to acquire the time-stamped sensor measurements comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

acquire at least one of camera measurements, inertial measurements, magnetic measurements, radio measurements, or a combination thereof.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for mapping light fixtures, the code executable by a processor to:

receive a first encoded light signal from a first light fixture and a second encoded light signal from a second light fixture;

decode the first and second encoded light signals to obtain respective identifiers associated with the first and second light fixtures;

time-stamp each of the respective identifiers with a common time-stamp;

acquire time-stamped sensor measurements, each time-stamped sensor measurement comprising a respective first direction-of-arrival of the first encoded light signal and a respective second direction-of-arrival of the second encoded light signal;

process at least some of the time-stamped sensor measurements using a probability function to determine a sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device, each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations determined with respect to a location of the first light fixture and a location of the second light fixture; and

determine, based at least in part on the respective first and second directions-of-arrival, a correspondence between the respective identifiers having the common time-stamp and each time-stamped location of the sequence of time-stamped locations of the mobile device.