Lighting control for location finding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704359-B2
Application number	US-201514867305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Lighting control for location finding is disclosed. According to embodiments, lighting control can include determining, using a group of location detectors, a first location of a computing device of a user, and obtaining, from the computing device, a target location for the user. Lighting control can include determining a path from the first location to the target location, the path determined at least based on a lighting system including a group of light emitting diode (LED) arrays, and indicating, using a first LED array of the group of LED arrays, a first portion of the path to the target location. The first portion of the path can be indicated by determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the first LED array, at least one LED that is visible at the first location, and outputting light from the at least one LED that is visible at the first location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, using a group of location detectors, a first location of a computing device of a user;
obtaining, from the computing device, a target location for the user;
determining a path from the first location to the target location, the path determined at least based on a lighting system including a group of light emitting diode (LED) arrays, each LED array of the group of LED arrays including a plurality of LEDs arranged in a semi-circular formation on a chassis; and
indicating, using a first LED array of the group of LED arrays, a first portion of the path to the target location, the first portion of the path indicated by:
determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the first LED array, at least one LED that is visible at the first location; and
outputting light from the at least one LED of the first LED array that is visible at the first location.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, using the group of location detectors, a second location of the computing device, the second location within a proximity of the first LED array; and
in response to determining that the second location is within the proximity of the first LED array, indicating, using a second LED array of the group of LED arrays, a second portion of the path to the target location, the second portion of the path indicated by:
determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the second LED array, at least one LED of that is visible at the second location; and
outputting light from the at least one LED of the second LED array that is visible at the second location.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
querying the computing device of the user for user information and determining the target location for the user from the queried user information.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, using the group of location detectors, a third location of the computing device, the third location within a proximity of the target location;
determining that the computing device has stayed within the proximity of the target location for a predetermined duration; and
obtaining, in response to determining that the computing device has stayed within the proximity of the target location for the predetermined duration, a new target location for the user.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
determining a second path, the second path from the third location to the new target location, the second path determined at least based on the lighting system including the group of light emitting diode (LED) arrays; and
indicating, using a second LED array of the group of LED arrays, a first portion of the second path, the first portion of the second path indicated by:
determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the second LED array, at least one LED that is visible at the third location; and
outputting light from the at least one LED of the second LED array that is visible at the third location.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Boullery Didier
• Yvon Marc P

Classifications

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H05B45/40

  Details of LED load circuits · CPC title

• G01S5/0289

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• G08B7/066 Primary

  guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip · CPC title

• G01S5/02

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title