Position localization using visible light communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256906-B2
Application number	US-201715840690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

Visible-light communication (VLC) is an optical wireless communication technique that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) or other optical sources to transmit information to a user equipment (UE) device. An optically-based location determination approach, such as using VLC infrastructure, can meet a desire for location-based services where use of VLC can provide a solution to an indoor localization or navigation problem. A fingerprinting approach can include use of an optical received signal strength (RSS) or other information (e.g., an image of a scene) to generate a spatial fingerprint map of an area. A later-received RSS on the UE device and the prior-generated fingerprint map representative of RSS can be received, and a fingerprint map and RSS observations can be provided as inputs to a Bayesian filter, such as an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) or a Particle Filter, to provide an estimated position for the UE device.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. A system, comprising:
an optical transmitter circuit, the optical transmitter configured to modulate light provided by an optical emitter to provide an optical communication signal;
a receiver circuit configured to receive information indicative of a measured characteristic of the light emitted from the optical emitter, the measured characteristic obtained from a user equipment (UE) device separate from the optical transmitter;
a location determination circuit comprising a memory circuit and a processor circuit, the memory circuit including information indicative of a fingerprint map of a region containing the UE device, the memory circuit comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the location determination circuit to estimate, using a Bayesian estimator, a spatial location of the UE device within the region using the fingerprint map and the measured characteristic obtained from the user device;
wherein the measured characteristic is provided as an input to the Bayesian estimator without requiring conversion of the input into a spatial representation of the measured characteristic; and
wherein the fingerprint map includes a mapping of values representing optical intensity to spatial locations within the region.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measured characteristic comprises an optical signal strength measured using a photodetector or an optical imaging sensor included as a portion of the UE device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint map comprises a representation of a power distribution of optical energy received from the optical emitter at a plurality of spatial locations within the region.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the power distribution of optical energy at the plurality of spatial locations is aided by at least one device separate from the transmitter circuit, the receiver circuit, and the location determination circuit.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fingerprint map comprises a representation of a power distribution of optical energy received from the optical emitter determined at least in part using information obtained using a non-optical wireless communication technique.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when performed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to determine the power distribution including mapping a location with the region of an optical sensor to a value of optical power received by the sensor using non-optical wireless trilateration.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the power distribution of optical energy at the plurality of spatial locations is obtained using an optical imaging sensor located near or included as a portion of an assembly comprising the optical transmitter.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the power distribution of optical energy at the plurality of spatial locations is obtained using an array of optical imaging sensors, the array comprising respective optical imaging sensors located near or included as a portion of respective optical transmitters.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical transmitter comprises an assembly including two or more light-emitting diode (LED) devices.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Bayesian estimator comprises an extended Kalman filter (EKF).

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the memory circuit comprises instructions that cause the location determination circuit to implement the EKF at least in part by linearizing the measured characteristic using a finite-difference technique.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Bayesian estimator comprises a particle filter (PF).

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when performed by the processor circuit, cause the location determination circuit to at least one of transmit information representing the estimated spatial location of the UE device or present the estimated spatial location of the UE device on a display.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when performed by the processor circuit, determine an estimate of a first or higher order derivative of a time-series representing estimated spatial locations of the UE device.

15. An automated method for estimating a spatial location of a user equipment (UE) device, comprising:
receiving a fingerprint map of a region containing the UE device;
receiving information indicative of a measured characteristic of light emitted from an optical emitter comprising a portion of an optical transmitter, the optical transmitter to modulate light provided by the optical emitter;
estimating, using a Bayesian estimator, a spatial location of the UE device within the region using the fingerprint map and the measured characteristic obtained from the user device;
wherein the measured characteristic is provided as an input to the Bayesian estimator without requiring conversion of the input into a spatial representation of the measured characteristic; and
wherein the fingerprint map includes a mapping of optical intensity values to spatial locations within the region.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the measured characteristic comprises an optical signal strength measured using a photodetector or an optical imaging sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fingerprint map comprises a representation of a power distribution of optical energy received from the optical emitter at a plurality of spatial locations within the region.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fingerprint map comprises a representation of a power distribution of optical energy received from the optical emitter determined at least in part using information obtained using a non-optical wireless communication technique.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the power distribution includes mapping a location with the region of an optical sensor to a value of optical power received by the sensor using non-optical wireless trilateration.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the Bayesian estimator comprises an extended Kalman filter (EKF).

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the Bayesian estimator comprises a particle filter (PF).

22. The method of claim 15 , comprising at least one of transmitting information representing the estimated spatial location of the UE device or presenting the estimated spatial location of the UE device on a display.

23. The method of claim 15 , comprising determining an estimate of a first or higher order derivative of a time-series representing estimated spatial locations of the UE device.

24. A system for optical communication including facilities for automated determination of a location of a user equipment (UE) device in a region served by the system, the system comprising:
an optical transmitter means to modulate light to provide an optical communication signal;
a means for receiving information indicative of a measured characteristic of the light emitted from the optical transmitter means, the measured characteristic obtained from the UE device;
a location determination means to estimate, using an automated implementation of a Bayesian estimator, a spatial location of the UE device within the region using a fingerprint map of the region and the measured characteristic obtained from the user device;
wherein the measured characteristic is provided as an input to the Bayesian estimator without requiring conversion of the input into a spatial representation of the measured characteristic;

Assignees

• Univ Virginia Patent Foundation

Inventors

• Brandt-Pearce Maite
• Vatansever Zafer

Classifications

• H04B10/1149

  Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information · CPC title

• H04B10/66

  Non-coherent receivers, e.g. using direct detection · CPC title

• H04B10/116 Primary

  Visible light communication · CPC title

• G01S5/16

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• H04B10/502

  LED transmitters · CPC title