Self identifying modulated light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762321-B2
Application number	US-201615049869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a self identifying light source including an emitter that produces visible light; and an autonomous modulator in electrical communication with the emitter that automatically and continually modulates the visible light produced by the emitter, wherein the modulated visible light represents an identification code of the light source. In some embodiments, the emitter is a light emitting diode (LED) and further comprises an LED driver that provides a specified voltage and current to each LED in the light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
a display device;
a rolling shutter camera;
a processor coupled to the display device and the rolling shutter camera;
a memory; and
software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to perform functions, including functions to:
operate the rolling shutter camera to receive a modulated visible light signal transmitted by a visible light source;
demodulate the received modulated visible light signal transmitted by the visible light source;
obtain, from the demodulated visible light signal, content data corresponding to a location of the visible light source; and
present content based on the obtained content data on the display device, wherein the content presented includes point of purchase information usable by the mobile device to establish and complete a transaction at or near the location of the visible light source.

2. A mobile device, comprising:
a display device;
a rolling shutter camera;
a processor coupled to the display device and the rolling shutter camera;
a memory; and
software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to perform functions, including functions to:
operate the rolling shutter camera to receive a modulated visible light signal transmitted by a visible light source;
demodulate the received modulated visible light signal transmitted by the visible light source;
obtain, from the demodulated visible light signal, content data corresponding to a location of the visible light source; and
present content based on the obtained content data on the display device, wherein the obtained content data includes visible light source identifiers, and the mobile device further comprises:
location information stored in the memory, the location information including a map of an indoor space, light source identifiers, position information of light sources within the indoor space associated with the light source identifiers, and specific location content; and wherein:
the mobile device, in response to obtaining the content data from the demodulated visible light signal, is further configured by the software running on the processor, to:
retrieve the map of the indoor space from the location information stored in the memory; and
present, on the display device, the map with an indicator related to the received content data, the indicator representing a location of an item at the indoor space.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein running of the software by the processor further configures the mobile device to perform functions, including functions to:
in response to operating the rolling shutter camera, obtain an image having alternating dark and white stripes, wherein the alternating dark and white stripes in the image represent the modulated visible light signal.

4. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the obtained content data includes content related to user preferences, user age, user gender, or user purchasing habits.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the presented content includes dynamic content that changes on a temporal basis.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless interface coupled to the processor, the wireless interface being configured to communicate through a network over a wireless medium.

7. A mobile device, comprising:
a display device;
a rolling shutter camera;
a processor coupled to the display device and the rolling shutter camera;
a memory; and
software in the memory to be run by the processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to perform functions, including functions to:
prior to operating the rolling shutter camera, receive, via a wireless interface, from a location service other than a visible light based positioning system, a location of the mobile device outside an indoor space;
determine based on a distance parameter that the mobile device is entering the indoor space outfitted with a visible light based positioning system;
prior to the mobile device entering the indoor space, retrieve map information of the indoor space; and

operate the rolling shutter camera to receive a modulated visible light signal transmitted by a visible light source;
demodulate the received modulated visible light signal transmitted by the visible light source;
obtain, from the demodulated visible light signal, content data corresponding to a location of the visible light source; and
in response to determining a position of the mobile device as being in a particular section of the indoor space, display promotional content based on the obtained content data on a display device of the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device is further configured by the software running on the processor, to:
based on user preferences related to the location of the visible light source, present on the display device information about an item associated with the indoor space from the obtained content.

9. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device is further configured by the software running on the processor, to:
in response to approaching a product associated with the location of the visible light source, retrieve from the obtained content an informational video related to the product.

10. A method, comprising:
operating, by a processor of a mobile device, a rolling shutter camera of the mobile device to receive a modulated visible light signal transmitted by a visible light source;
demodulating the received modulated visible light signal transmitted by the visible light source;
obtaining, from the demodulated visible light signal, content data corresponding to the visible light source; and
presenting the content data on the display device of the mobile device;
wherein the content data includes point of purchase information usable by the mobile device to establish and complete a transaction at or near the location.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein demodulating the received visible light signal comprises:
identifying dark stripes and white stripes in an image obtained by the rolling shutter camera; and
recovering the content data based on the identified dark stripes and white stripes in the image.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the content data includes content related to user preferences, user age, user gender, or user purchasing habits.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the content data includes dynamic content that changes on a temporal basis.

14. A system, comprising:
a lighting fixture installed at a location, the lighting fixture comprising:
a network interface;
a visible light source;
a controller;
a memory; and
software in the memory to be run by the controller, wherein running of the software by the controller configures the lighting fixture to perform functions, including functions to:
receive content data via the network interface; and
modulate operation of the visible light source to output a modulated visible light signal containing the received content data from the lighting fixture, the received content data corresponding to the location of the light fixture; and

a mobile device comprising:
a display device;
a rolling shutter camera;
a mobile device processor coupled to the display device and the rolling shutter camera;
a memory; and
software in the memory to be run by the mobile device processor, wherein running of the software by the processor configures the mobile device to perform functions,

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Ganick Aaron
• Ryan Daniel

Classifications

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04B10/116 Primary

  Visible light communication · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N5/225

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/2353

  Electricity · mapped topic