System and method for communication with a mobile device via a positioning system including RF communication devices and modulated beacon light sources

• US 9,882,639 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Daniel, Green, Kelby Edward, Malandrakis, Emanuel Paul, Klitenik, Konstantin
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, DALZID E
• Application Number:
  US15/298,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 398118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0426 Collocated with electrical equipment other than beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A light source emits a modulated light, and a radio-frequency transceiver disposed therewith emits a radio-frequency signal. A mobile device may receive either or both signals and determine its position based thereon. The light and radio-frequency sources may be disposed in node in a network of said sources, and the nodes may communicate via the radio-frequency transceivers.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver;

a hardware user interface;

a camera configured to receive a visual light communication; and

a processor configured to;

receive a radio frequency identifier of a lighting device via the radio frequency transceiver;

receive via the camera a modulated light identifier of a lighting device in the vicinity of the mobile device;

combine the radio frequency identifier and the modulated light identifier to form a combined lighting device identifier; and

receive position information related to the mobile device based on the combined identifier.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send an indication of the combined lighting device identifier to a host processor; and

receive from the host processor an indication of the position information related to the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

process the combined identifier with a hash function; and

send an output of the hash function to a host processor as the indication of the combined identifier.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

process the combined identifier with a hash function; and

send an output of the hash function with the indication of the combined identifier to a host processor.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the received radio frequency identifier is a first radio frequency identifier, and the processor is further configured to:

receive a second radio frequency identifier from another lighting device via the radio frequency transceiver;

determine that the modulated light identifier received by the camera corresponds to the first radio frequency identifier; and

in response to the determination, determine a position of the mobile device as being in the vicinity to the lighting device from which the first radio frequency identifier was received.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving an identifier of a lighting device via a radio frequency transceiver of a mobile device;

receiving at a camera of the mobile device an optical identifier of a lighting device;

combining the lighting device identifier and the optical identifier to form a combined identifier of the light device in a vicinity of the mobile device;

sending the combined identifier to a host processor; and

receiving position information based on the combined identifier sent to the host processor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

processing the combined identifier with a hash function; and

sending an output of the hash function to the host processor as the combined identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

processing the combined identifier with a hash function; and

sending an output of the hash function with the combined identifier to the host processor.

9. A system, comprising:

a first lighting device comprising;

a first radio frequency transceiver;

a first light source configured to output a modulated light signal unique to the first lighting device, the first lighting device configured to;

transmit a first radio frequency identifier identifying the first lighting device, via the first radio frequency transceiver in a first radio frequency detection area, and

emit a first modulated light signal from the first light source, in a first modulated light detection region;

a second lighting device comprising;

a second radio frequency transceiver;

a second light source configured to output a second modulated light signal unique to the second lighting device, the second lighting device configured to;

transmit a second radio frequency identifier identifying the second lighting device, via the radio frequency transceiver in a second radio frequency detection area, and

emit a second modulated light signal from the second light source in a second modulated light detection region, wherein;

the first radio frequency detection area and the second radio frequency detection area overlap one another; and

the first modulated light detection region and the second light detection region are non-overlapping; and

a mobile device, comprising;

a processor,

a radio frequency transceiver; and

a camera,

the mobile device configured to;

receive the first radio frequency identifier via the mobile radio frequency transceiver, identifying the first lighting device;

receive the second radio frequency identifier via the mobile device radio frequency transceiver identifying the second lighting device identifier;

receive via the camera either the first or the second modulated light signal; and

in response to receiving a first modulated light signal by the camera, the first radio frequency identifier, and the second radio frequency identifier, determine that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first lighting device further comprises a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is configured to emit a signal including the first lighting device radio frequency identifier in a first area proximate to the first lighting device; and

the second lighting device further comprises a second antenna, wherein the second antenna is configured to emit a signal including the second lighting device radio frequency identifier in a second area proximate to the second lighting device, wherein the first area and second area overlap.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

prior to determining that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device, combine the first modulated light signal with the first radio frequency identifier to form a combined identifier; and

use the combined identifier in the determination that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device.