Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America

Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporaton of America

Shigehiro Iida

Mitsuaki Oshima

Hideki Aoyama

Koji Nakanishi

Kazunori Yamada

Tsutomu Mukai

Yosuke Matsushita

Ikuo Fuchigami

Hidehiko Shin

Kengo Miyoshi

Shinsuke Ogata

Chikara Yoshida

Takashi Suzuki

Akihiro Ueki

Akira Shiokawa

Toshiyuki Maeda

Koji Aoto

Masaru Yamaoka

Shohji Ohtsubo

Mizuho Sakakibara

Hironori Nakae

Michihiro Matsumoto

Tomoaki Ohira

Toshiaki Ohnishi

Kohei Yamaguchi

Mitsuhiro Aso

Michiko Sasagawa

Masayuki Hiromoto

A visible light communication method transmits a signal by visible light communication. The visible light communication method includes modulating the signal into a predetermined blinking pattern, and transmitting the signal by causing visible light to blink according to the predetermined blinking pattern, from a projector disposed in an indoor space surrounded by a wall toward the wall. The visible light communication method also includes projecting video from the projector toward the wall, wherein the visible light is reflected by the wall to prevent the signal from being received in an outside of the indoor space, and the signal is used to transmit data related to the video projected to a terminal in the indoor space.

Information communication method

A visible light communication method transmits a signal by visible light communication. The visible light communication method includes modulating the signal into a predetermined blinking pattern, and transmitting the signal by causing visible light to blink according to the predetermined blinking pattern, from a projector disposed in an indoor space surrounded by a wall toward the wall. The visible light communication method also includes projecting video from the projector toward the wall, wherein the visible light is reflected by the wall to prevent the signal from being received in an outside of the indoor space, and the signal is used to transmit data related to the video projected to a plurality of terminals in the indoor space.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor included in a terminal device so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time. The method further includes estimating a plurality of center areas each of which is in each of the plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of center areas.

A method includes determining a pattern of a change in luminance, by demodulating an identification information to be transmitted with a ceiling light, and transmitting the identification information, by the ceiling light changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance. Additionally, in the determining, a first luminance change pattern, corresponding to a first body, and a second luminance change pattern, corresponding to a first header used for the first body, are determined. Furthermore, in the transmitting, the first header and the first body are transmitted by the ceiling light changing in luminance according to the first luminance change pattern, the second luminance change pattern, and the first luminance change pattern in the stated order.

The method includes obtaining, using a face camera of a smart phone, identification information from a ceiling light of a facility with visible light communication, and obtaining location information of the ceiling light related to the identification information. The method also includes displaying a location related to the location information of the ceiling light on a map of the facility on a display of the smart phone. The smart phone is set on a cart in a state that the face camera is directed to a ceiling of the facility on which the ceiling light is attached, and the face camera is a CMOS sensor and the CMOS sensor is used only for the visible light communication.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor included in a terminal device so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and obtaining a direction of light of the subject. Additionally, the method includes calculating a distance between the terminal device and the subject, and obtaining a location of the subject. The method further includes calculating a location of the terminal device using the distance and the location of the subject, and sending the location of the terminal device to a server.

An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, obtaining identification information of the subject, and sending the identification information to a server. The method further includes obtaining menu information related to the identification information from the server, the menu information related to a restaurant where the subject is installed, and displaying the menu information on a display of the terminal device.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor of a terminal of a customer so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject, a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines. The method further includes sending the identification information to a server, obtaining a menu listing a product of the store from the server, displaying the menu on a display of the terminal, and sending product information of the product selected by the customer.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor, and obtaining identification information of the subject. The subject has a rectangular shape, is captured with an around view of the subject. Each of the plurality of bright lines appears within the rectangular shape of the subject in the bright line image, and follows a direction between long sides of the rectangular shape of the subject in the bright line image.

An information communication method selectively obtains a location of a terminal device. Determining the location of the terminal device by wireless communication with a wireless access point includes receiving a radio signal including a first identification information to identify a location of the wireless access point, and calculating the location of the terminal device using the identified location of the wireless access point, which is identified by the first identification information. Determining the location of the terminal device by visible light communication with a subject provides higher accuracy and includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor having a plurality to exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject, obtaining a bright line image by capturing the subject, and demodulating data from the bright line image.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject. In the obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines. During asynchronous communication, a minimum width of the stripe pattern corresponds to at least two bright lines in the obtained bright line image.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing the subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, and obtaining identification information of the subject. An exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines, and the subject includes a first area and a second area.

An information communication method obtains information from a subject using a terminal device that includes an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines. The method includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines, and obtaining identification information of the subject. In obtaining of the bright line image, an exposure time of each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps with an exposure time of an adjacent one of the plurality of exposure lines. A pattern of a change in luminance of the subject is the same as a pattern of a change in luminance of another adjacent subject.

A method includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor included in a terminal device so that a bright line corresponding to each of a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of each of the plurality of subjects. The method also includes obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines corresponding to each of the plurality of subjects, and obtaining a plurality of identification information from the plurality of subjects. The method further includes specifying locations of the plurality of subjects, determining directions of arrival of lights from the plurality of subjects, calculating distances between the terminal device and each of the plurality of subjects using each of the directions of the arrival of lights, and calculating a location of the terminal device using the locations of the plurality of the subjects and the distances.

A recoding medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: determining a pattern of a change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and transmitting the signal, by at least one light emitter changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance. The signal has a plurality of blocks, each block of the plurality of blocks includes (i) address information that indicates a position of a data segment in the signal and (ii) the data segment. In the transmitting, the signal is transmitted repeatedly at different times. The address information is used to identify a same location of the block data segment in the signal transmitted at a first time and in the signal transmitted at a second time, which is different from the first time. The signal has a check signal.

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Osaka, Japan

Shigehiro Iida