JP2009177372A - Visible light communication apparatus, visible light communication method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that information transmission cannot be effectively performed in the conventional visible light communication apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: This visible light communication apparatus is provided with: an object information acceptance part 101 which accepts object information as the information to be an object for visible light communication; an illumination part 102 capable of controlling light; a transmission control part 103 which controls the illumination part 102 to transmit the object information accepted by the object information acceptance part 101 with visible light; an operation instruction acceptance part 104 which accepts an operation instruction for operating the illumination part 102; and an illumination control part 105 which controls the illumination part 102 according to the operation instruction to operate the illumination part 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a visible light communication device and the like that communicate with visible light using illumination.

Conventionally, an LED light source for illumination, a power line for supplying power to the LED light source, information modulation means for modulating and multiplexing a plurality of pieces of information on the power line and superimposing them on a power waveform, and on the power line Broadcasting system having filter means for selectively separating one or more from a plurality of modulated information and controlling the light quantity or blinking of the LED light source, and transmitting information by changing or blinking the light quantity of the LED light source (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-147063 (first page, FIG. 1 etc.)

  However, since the conventional visible light communication device was used as mere illumination except for transmitting information by visible light communication, it cannot show information other than information transmitted by visible light communication, There was a problem that information transmission could not be performed effectively.

  The visible light communication device of the present invention controls the target information receiving unit by controlling the target information receiving unit that receives target information that is information to be subjected to visible light communication, the dimmable lighting unit, and the lighting unit. The transmission control unit that transmits the target information received by visible light, the operation instruction reception unit that receives an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit, the illumination unit is controlled according to the operation instruction, It is a visible light communication apparatus provided with the illumination control part which operates an illumination part.

  With this configuration, information can be transmitted using visible light, and visual information transmission using illumination can be performed simultaneously, so that information transmission can be performed effectively.

  In the visible light communication device of the present invention, in the visible light communication device, the illumination unit includes one or more light sources and a driving unit that drives the light sources, and the illumination control unit includes the operation instruction. The visible light communication device that controls the driving means according to the above and causes the illumination unit to perform an operation of changing the illumination direction.

  With this configuration, information can be transmitted by visible light, and visual information can be transmitted by changing the illumination position, so that information can be transmitted effectively.

  In the visible light communication device of the present invention, in the visible light communication device, the illumination unit includes a plurality of light sources, and the illumination control unit turns on the plurality of light sources according to the operation instruction. It is a visible light communication device that controls and operates the illumination unit so that a lighting pattern by a combination of the plurality of light sources is changed.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to transmit information by visible light, to perform visual information transmission by a lighting lighting pattern, and to effectively perform information transmission.

  The visible light communication device of the present invention further includes a situation information receiving unit that receives situation information that is information related to a situation of an area where the illumination unit is arranged in the visible light communication device, and the transmission control unit and At least one of the illumination control units controls the illumination unit according to the situation information received by the situation information reception unit, and responds to transmission of the target information by visible light and the operation instruction of the illumination unit It is a visible light communication device that performs at least one of operations.

  With this configuration, it is possible to effectively transmit information according to the situation, for example, it is possible to transmit information only when necessary.

  According to the visible light communication apparatus and the like according to the present invention, information transmission can be performed effectively.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a visible light communication device and the like will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, since the component which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in embodiment performs the same operation | movement, description may be abbreviate | omitted again.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a visible light communication system according to the present embodiment.

  The visible light communication system 1 includes a visible light communication device 10 and an information processing device 20. In addition, although the case where there is one visible light communication device 10 has been described here, a plurality of visible light communication devices 10 may be provided.

  The visible light communication device 10 includes a target information reception unit 101, an illumination unit 102, a transmission control unit 103, an operation instruction reception unit 104, an illumination control unit 105, and a situation information reception unit 106.

  The illumination unit 102 includes one or more light sources 1021 and driving means 1022. Note that, here, a case where there is one light source 1021 is described as an example, but a plurality of light sources 1021 may be provided.

  The information processing apparatus 20 includes a first reception unit 201, a first transmission unit 202, a second reception unit 203, and a second transmission unit 204.

  The visible light communication device 10 and the information processing device 20 are communicably connected via a network, a communication line, or the like. Here, a case where the visible light communication device 10 and the information processing device 20 are connected to be communicable via PLC (power line communication) via the power communication line 1000 will be described as an example. Specifically, the first transmission unit 202 and the second transmission unit 204 are connected to the target information reception unit 101 and the operation instruction reception unit 104 via the power communication line 1000, respectively.

  The power communication line 1000 is a power line that supplies power that can be used for power line communication. The power supplied to the power line may be AC or DC. That is, the power line is widely understood. Power line communication is a communication technique for sending a signal using a power line (electrical wiring) such as a power transmission line in a building or outdoors. In power line communication, video and audio signal data is converted into signals of various frequencies such as high-frequency signals and transmitted and received on the power line, that is, superimposed on the voltage, and bidirectional communication is performed. Is possible. Since the configuration of the power communication line 1000 is known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The visible light communication device 10 is a device that transmits data by using a light source 1021 of illumination to blink visible light at a high speed that is not perceivable by human eyes. Note that the details of the visible light communication technique are known techniques, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  The target information receiving unit 101 receives target information that is information that is a target of visible light communication. The target information may be any information as long as it is information to be transmitted from the visible light communication device 10 by visible light communication, and the data type, protocol, data structure, etc. are not limited. For example, the target information may be character data or image data. Further, the target information may be data transmitted using a standard protocol or the like adopted in the PLC. The reception here refers to reception of target information via a communication line or network, reading from a recording medium, reception of input using a numeric keypad, keyboard, mouse, or the like. Here, as an example, a case will be described in which the target information receiving unit 101 receives target information, which is information that is a target of visible light communication, from the information processing apparatus 20 by power line communication. The target information receiving unit 101 may store the target information once received in a recording medium such as a memory, and read and receive the information as necessary. The target information received by the target information receiving unit 101 may be modulated data or non-modulated data. The target information receiving unit 101 can be realized by an interface such as an input interface or a communication interface, an interface and control software for controlling the interface, a device for reading data from a recording medium, a device driver thereof, and the like.

  The illumination unit 102 includes one or more light sources 1021. Each light source 1021 can individually change light control, for example, color rendering control such as brightness and color of light. The illumination unit 102 transmits the target information received by the target information receiving unit 101 by visible light when the light source 1021 blinks in accordance with the control of the transmission control unit 103 described later. The illumination unit 102 operates according to an operation instruction received by an operation instruction receiving unit 104 described later. The operation of the lighting unit 102 described here is a visually recognizable operation other than visible light communication, for example, an operation for realizing a function as illumination, or for visually transmitting information by illumination. Is the operation. As a specific example of the operation of the illumination unit 102, the direction of illumination is changed, for example, moved, the color of light is changed, a light lighting pattern, for example, an array pattern of light sources 1021 to be lit, according to an operation instruction. It is to change. The illumination unit 102 may include a configuration necessary for performing an operation according to the operation instruction, such as a mechanism. Here, as a specific example, a case where the illumination unit 102 includes a driving unit 1022 for performing an operation according to an operation instruction will be described.

  The light source 1021 includes a light emitter (not shown) such as an LED, an incandescent lamp, or a fluorescent lamp. As the light source 1021 for illumination for performing visible light communication, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) capable of blinking at high speed is preferably used. The luminous intensity of each light source 1021 is adjusted, for example, by adjusting a voltage supplied to the light source 1021 by a transmission control unit 103 described later. Further, for example, the transmission control unit 103 described later supplies a signal corresponding to the target information, for example, a signal obtained by modulating the target information, to the light source 1021 by superimposing the signal on the voltage supplied to the light source 1021. The target information can be transmitted from the illumination unit 102 by visible light communication by blinking 1021 according to the target information. In the case where the color of the illumination light can be adjusted, for example, one illumination unit 102 includes light sources 1021 with a plurality of colors, and the light intensity of these light sources 1021 is set to the transmission control unit 103. It may be controlled by such as.

  The driving unit 1022 operates the illumination unit 102 by driving the light source 1021 in accordance with an operation instruction received by an operation instruction receiving unit 104 described later. For example, the driving unit 1022 changes the direction of illumination by moving the direction of the light source 1021 of the illumination unit 102. For example, by reciprocating the light source 1021 on a straight line over time, the light source 1021 can be operated to indicate a certain direction. Note that a mechanism for driving the light source 1021 and the like in a desired direction in accordance with an operation instruction is a known technique, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

  The transmission control unit 103 controls the illumination unit 102 to transmit the target information received by the target information receiving unit 101 with visible light. For example, the transmission control unit 103 superimposes a signal corresponding to target information, for example, a signal obtained by modulating the target information, on the voltage of power supplied from a power source (not shown), and supplies the signal to the light source 1021. As a result, the light source 1021 blinks in accordance with the target information, and the target information is transmitted from the illumination unit 102 with visible light. When the target information received by the target information receiving unit 101 is not a modulated signal, the transmission control unit 103 may modulate the target information in order to superimpose the target information on the voltage. There is no limitation on the trigger or timing at which the transmission control unit 103 transmits the target information with visible light. For example, visible light communication may be performed with the target information receiving unit 101 receiving the target information as a trigger, or when the situation information receiving unit 106 (to be described later) receives the status information. Depending on the status information, visible light communication may be performed. Further, the transmission control unit 103 may control the illumination unit 102 according to the situation information received by the situation information receiving unit 106 to be described later so as to perform transmission using visible light. For example, when the situation information is information indicating that a person has entered, the target information corresponding to the situation information indicating that a person has entered has been read from the memory or the like stored in the target information receiving unit 101, You may make it make the illumination part 102 transmit by visible light communication. The situation information will be described later. The transmission control unit 103 can be realized by hardware (a dedicated circuit). However, at least a part of the transmission control unit 103 may be realized by an MPU, a memory, or the like. In this case, the processing procedure of the transmission control unit 103 is usually realized by software, and the software may be recorded on a recording medium such as a ROM.

  The operation instruction receiving unit 104 receives an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit 102. The operation instruction may be any information as long as it is information instructing to operate the illumination unit 102. The operation instruction is, as a specific example, information for instructing the illumination control unit 105 to operate the illumination unit 102, for example, an instruction that can be interpreted, executed, or the like by the illumination control unit 105 described later. The reception here is reception of an operation instruction via a communication line or network, reading from a recording medium or the like, input reception using a numeric keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. Here, as an example, a case will be described in which the operation instruction receiving unit 104 receives an operation instruction from the information processing apparatus 20 through power line communication. Note that the operation instruction receiving unit 104 may store the operation instruction once received in a recording medium such as a memory, and read and receive it appropriately when necessary. The operation instruction receiving unit 104 can be realized by an interface such as an input interface and a communication interface, an interface and control software for controlling the interface, a device for reading data from a recording medium, a device driver thereof, and the like.

  The illumination control unit 105 controls the illumination unit 102 according to the operation instruction received by the operation instruction reception unit 104 to operate the illumination unit 102. For example, the illumination control unit 105 superimposes a control signal corresponding to an operation instruction on the voltage of power supplied from a power supply (not shown), and transmits the signal to the driving unit 1022 of the illumination unit 102 to drive the illumination control unit 105. The lighting unit 102 is operated by causing the means 1022 to perform an operation according to the control signal. In order to transmit the control information and the target information to the illumination unit 102, both the control information and the target information described above are transmitted with being superimposed on the voltage of the power supplied from the power source. This is preferable because no wiring or network connection is required. For example, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 outputs a control signal according to the operation instruction to the driving unit 1022 of the illumination unit 102, thereby performing an operation according to the control signal, for example, changing the illumination direction, etc. to the driving unit 1022. You may let them. Further, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation instruction to the driving unit 1022 of the illumination unit 102, for example, so that the driving unit 1022 performs light control and color rendering control of the illumination unit 102. It may be. Specifically, the illumination control unit 105 changes the lighting pattern of one or more light sources 1021 by individually or collectively controlling the power supply from the power source to each light source 1021 using the control signal. You may do it. In addition, the transmission control unit 103 may be provided with a circuit for controlling the luminous intensity of the illumination unit 102 and the like, and the luminous intensity as the illumination of the light source 1021 may be adjusted by controlling the voltage. Further, the illumination control unit 105 may perform a combination of a plurality of controls such as control of the illumination direction and dimming control. The trigger, timing, or the like that causes the illumination control unit 105 to operate the illumination unit 102 does not matter. For example, the operation of the illumination unit 102 may be controlled with the illumination control unit 105 receiving an operation instruction as a trigger, or the situation information reception unit 106 (described later) with the situation information received as a trigger. Or you may make it control operation | movement of the illumination part 102 according to the received status information. For example, when the situation information is information indicating that a person has entered, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 is caused to read out an operation instruction corresponding to the situation information indicating that a person has entered from the memory, etc. 102 may be caused to perform an operation in accordance with the read operation instruction. The situation information will be described later. The illumination control unit 105 can be realized by hardware (a dedicated circuit). However, at least a part of the illumination control unit 105 may be realized by an MPU, a memory, or the like. In this case, the processing procedure of the illumination control unit 105 is usually realized by software, and the software may be recorded on a recording medium such as a ROM.

  The status information receiving unit 106 receives status information that is information regarding the status of the area where the illumination unit 102 is arranged. The status information includes, for example, information indicating whether or not a person is present in an area that can be illuminated by the illumination unit 102, a state where the area where the illumination unit 102 is disposed needs evacuation, etc. It is the information which shows whether it is a predetermined state. The situation information receiving unit 106 may receive the situation information in any way. For example, the situation information receiving unit 106 may receive input of situation information that is a signal detected by a human sensor (not shown) arranged in an area that can be illuminated by the lighting unit 102 or the like. In addition, the situation information receiving unit 106 may receive information indicating that a predetermined disaster has occurred that is transmitted from a fire alarm or disaster prevention center (not shown) via a network such as a power communication line. Here, reception includes reception via a communication line or network, reading from a recording medium, reception of input from a sensor, reception of input using a numeric keypad, keyboard, mouse, or the like. The status information reception unit 106 can be realized by an interface such as an input interface or a communication interface, an interface and control software for controlling the interface, a device for reading data from a recording medium, a device driver thereof, and the like.

  The information processing device 20 transmits the above-described handling information and operation instruction to the visible light communication device 10 via a network such as a PLC, and specifies the visible light communication and operation of the visible light communication device 10. Device.

  The first receiving unit 201 receives the target information described above. The target information input means may be anything such as a numeric keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, or a menu screen. Further, here, reception of target information via a communication line, a network, or the like, or reading of target information from a recording medium or the like is also considered as reception. The first reception unit 201 can be realized by a device driver of input means such as a numeric keypad or a keyboard, menu screen control software, or the like.

  The first transmission unit 202 transmits the target information received by the first reception unit 201 to the visible light communication device 10. The 1st transmission part 202 transmits object information to the visible light communication apparatus 10 via PLC etc., for example. The first transmission unit 202 is usually realized by a wireless or wired communication unit, but may be realized by a broadcasting unit. In addition, since the structure for transmitting information by PLC etc. is a well-known technique, description is abbreviate | omitted here. The same applies to other configurations.

  The second reception unit 203 receives the operation instruction described above. The operation instruction input means may be anything such as a numeric keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, or a menu screen. Here, reception of an operation instruction via a communication line or a network or reading of an operation instruction from a recording medium or the like is also considered as reception. The second reception unit 203 can be realized by a device driver of input means such as a numeric keypad or a keyboard, control software for a menu screen, and the like.

  The second transmission unit 204 transmits the operation instruction received by the second reception unit 203 to the visible light communication device 10. The 2nd transmission part 204 transmits object information to the visible light communication apparatus 10 via PLC etc., for example. The second transmission unit 204 is usually realized by a wireless or wired communication unit, but may be realized by a broadcasting unit.

  Next, the operation of the visible light communication device 10 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case where the transmission control unit 103 and the illumination control unit 105 start controlling the illumination unit 102 by using the situation information reception unit 106 as a trigger will be described as an example. In addition, here, in order to simplify the description, the target information and the operation instruction information transmitted from the information processing apparatus 20 are received in advance by the target information reception unit 101 and the operation instruction reception unit 104 of the visible light communication apparatus 10, respectively. A case where the data is stored in a memory (not shown) will be described.

  (Step S201) The status information receiving unit 106 determines whether status information has been received. If accepted, the process proceeds to step S202. If not accepted, the process returns to step S201.

  (Step S202) The target information receiving unit 101 receives target information. Here, target information stored in advance in a memory or the like is read.

  (Step S203) The operation instruction receiving unit 104 receives an operation instruction. Here, an operation instruction stored in advance in a memory or the like is read.

  (Step S204) The transmission control unit 103 controls the illumination unit 102 to transmit the target information received in step S202 with visible light. When the target information is not modulated, the transmission control unit 103 may modulate the target information and then transmit it with visible light.

  (Step S205) The illumination control unit 104 controls the illumination unit 102 according to the operation instruction received in step S203 to operate the illumination unit 102. For example, the driving unit 1022 is driven, the light source 1021 is moved, and the direction of illumination is moved.

  (Step S206) The illumination control unit 104 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving the situation information. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S207. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S204. This determination process may be performed by the transmission control unit 103.

  (Step S207) The transmission control unit 103 ends the transmission of the target information by visible light.

  (Step S208) The illumination control unit 104 ends the illumination operation. Then, the process returns to step S201.

  Here, in step S206, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has passed in order to determine the end of visible light communication or the like. The end of visible light communication or the like may be determined based on whether an operation instruction for instructing the end of the operation is received.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 2, the process is terminated by powering off or a process termination interrupt.

  In addition, about operation | movement of the information processing apparatus 20, only the information which the 1st reception part 201 or the 2nd reception part 203 received is transmitted to the visible light communication apparatus 10, and the technique itself which transmits information is well-known technique. Therefore, the description is omitted here.

  Hereinafter, a specific operation of the visible light communication device 10 in the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the visible light communication system in the present embodiment. Here, a case where a portable light receiving terminal 30 is used as a device for receiving and displaying data transmitted by visible light communication from the visible light communication device 10 will be described. Since such a light receiving terminal 30 is a known technique, description thereof is omitted. Note that the light receiving terminal 30 may be a portable information terminal or a mobile phone provided with a light receiving unit.

  Here, for example, it is assumed that the visible light communication device 10 is installed on a ceiling of a passage or a lobby of an art museum. Further, it is assumed that a human sensor 1001 for detecting the presence of a person is installed in the vicinity of the position where the visible light communication device 10 is installed. It is assumed that the human sensor 1001 is connected to the status information receiving unit 106 of the visible light communication device 10. In addition, the visible light communication device 10 and the information processing device 20 are connected by a power communication line 1000 and are supplied with power from the power communication line 1000 and can be PLCd by the power communication line 1000. And Here, it is assumed that the light receiving terminal 30 is rented to a visitor of the museum. The driving unit 1022 of the illumination unit 102 is assumed to hold the light source 1021 so as to be movable.

  First, an operator or administrator of an art museum operates a menu screen or the like of the information processing apparatus 20 using a mouse, a keyboard, or the like in advance to a person who enters an area where the visible light communication apparatus 10 is installed. On the other hand, target information to be transmitted by visible light communication and information specifying the operation of the illumination unit 102 when a person enters this area are input. Here, it is assumed that text information “Next is an Edo period painting room” is input as target information. In addition, as an operation instruction, an instruction to perform a so-called swing operation in which the illumination by the illumination unit 102 of the visible light communication device 10 moves in a predetermined direction, here, the direction of an Edo period painting room, a command is used here. Suppose you enter it.

  The first reception unit 201 receives the input target information, and the received target information is transmitted from the first transmission unit 202 to the visible light communication device 10 via the power communication line 1000.

  The second reception unit 203 receives the input operation instruction, and the received operation instruction is transmitted from the second transmission unit 204 to the visible light communication device 10 via the power communication line 1000.

  The target information receiving unit 101 of the visible light communication device 10 receives target information transmitted from the information processing device 20 via the power communication line 1000. And it memorize | stores in the memory etc. which are not shown in figure.

  Further, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 of the visible light communication device 10 receives an operation instruction transmitted from the information processing device 20 via the power communication line 1000. And it memorize | stores in the memory etc. which are not shown in figure.

  Next, if a visitor of the museum holding the light receiving terminal 30 enters a region where the human sensor 1001 can detect, the human sensor 1001 detects a human, and the human detects the visible light communication device 10. The situation information indicating that the area has been installed is output to the situation information receiving unit 106. This status information may simply be information indicating that the human sensor 1001 has detected a person.

  When the status information receiving unit 106 receives the status information, the target information receiving unit 101 reads the target information stored in the memory or the like. Further, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 reads the operation instruction stored in the memory or the like.

  The transmission control unit 103 modulates the target information read by the target information receiving unit 101, and supplies the modulated target information to the illumination unit 102 by superimposing it on a voltage supplied from a power source (not shown). Thereby, the target information is transmitted by visible light by blinking according to the target information modulated by the light source 1021 of the illumination unit 102.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving terminal 30 of the visitor receives the target information transmitted by the visible light from the illumination unit 102 by the light receiving unit 31. Then, the received target information is demodulated, and the obtained target information is displayed on the screen 32 of the light receiving terminal 30. Here, the above-described text information “Next is an Edo period painting room” is displayed on the screen of the light receiving terminal 30. Thereby, the user can know what kind of exhibition room the next exhibition room is.

  In addition, the illumination control unit 105 outputs a control signal for instructing the operation to the driving unit 1022 of the illumination unit 102 in accordance with the operation instruction read by the operation instruction receiving unit 104. Here, the read operation instruction is an instruction to swing the illumination toward the direction of the Edo period painting room. A control signal for swinging is output. In response to this control signal, as shown in FIG. 5, the driving means 1022 moves the light source 1021 so as to reciprocate toward the direction of the Edo period painting room, so that the illumination 1025 by the illumination unit 102 is As shown in FIG. 6, it moves along a straight line in the direction of the Edo period painting room. As a result, the visitor can visually recognize that the exhibition room displayed on the light receiving terminal 30 is in the direction in which the illumination moves due to the movement of the illumination. Actually, visible light communication and illumination operations are performed simultaneously. At this time, the illumination control unit 105 may output a control signal to the illumination unit 102 to simultaneously perform dimming control in addition to controlling the movement of the illumination unit 102 in the illumination direction. . Here, in particular, the illumination brightness when the illumination unit 102 is swinging in the direction of the Edo period painting room, which is a predetermined direction, and the illumination unit 102 are in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. It is preferable to change the brightness when returning from the direction of the exhibition room. For example, when swinging in the direction of an exhibition room for paintings in the Edo period, the lighting is turned on and the lighting is turned off when returning, so that the lighting will guide the user in which direction The user can determine whether or not

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, visual information transmission using illumination can be performed simultaneously by transmitting information using visible light and operating the illumination unit 102 according to an operation instruction. Information can be transmitted effectively.

  In particular, the target information transmitted by visible light and the sign indicated by the operation of the illumination unit 102 performed by the operation instruction are combined with information and a sign that are complementary to each other in transmitting one event. Thus, more effective information transmission becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, the target information or operation instruction stored in the memory or the like by the target information receiving unit 101 or the operation instruction receiving unit 104 is overwritten by the target information or operation instruction transmitted from the information processing device 20. It may be possible to update. The same applies to other embodiments.

  Further, when the target information receiving unit 101 or the operation instruction receiving unit 104 receives the target information or the operation instruction from the information processing apparatus 20, the visible information communication or the illumination unit 102 is operated according to the target information or the operation instruction. You may make it let it. By doing so, information necessary for evacuation or the like in an emergency or the like can be notified to the user by the visible light communication and the operation of the illumination unit 102. The same applies to other embodiments.

  In the present embodiment, when the target information and the operation instruction are stored in advance in the recording medium of the visible light communication device 10 at the time of factory shipment, the target information and the operation instruction are stored in a memory card or the like. When the information is provided by a removable recording medium or the like, the target information receiving unit 101 or the operation instruction receiving unit 104 only needs to read the target information or the operation instruction from the recording medium or the like. May be. The same applies to other embodiments.

(Embodiment 2)
The visible light communication device according to the second embodiment uses the illumination unit including a plurality of light sources in the visible light communication device of the first embodiment, and the lighting control unit displays the lighting patterns of the plurality of light sources. It is to be controlled by.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the visible light communication apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the visible light communication device 10a, the illumination unit of the visible light communication device according to the first embodiment is replaced with an illumination unit 102a including a plurality of light sources 1021. Note that the configurations of the target information receiving unit 101, the transmission control unit 103, the operation instruction receiving unit 104, the illumination control unit 105, and the situation information receiving unit 106 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. Although the information processing apparatus 20 is omitted here, the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided as necessary.

  The illumination unit 102a includes a plurality of light sources 1021 arranged so that characters, symbols, pictures, and the like can be displayed by lighting. In addition, being able to display by lighting may be that the shape of the lighting part of the illumination unit 102a is a shape such as a character or a symbol, or the shape of the light illuminated by the illumination unit 102a is the character or symbol The shape may be a symbol or the like, or both. For example, the points of each light source 1021 can be individually controlled. The plurality of light sources 1021 are densely arranged regularly or irregularly so that, for example, characters, symbols, signs, and the like can be displayed. Further, it may be considered that the plurality of light sources 1021 are arranged to be an electric bulletin board. The other configuration of the illuminating unit 102a is the same as that of the illuminating unit of the first embodiment except that the driving unit is not provided, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  In the visible light communication device 10a, the illumination control unit 105 controls the lighting of the plurality of light sources 1021 of the illumination unit 102a according to the operation instruction received by the operation instruction receiving unit 104, and the plurality of light sources 1021. The lighting unit 102a is operated so that the lighting pattern according to the combination changes. For example, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 may change the lighting pattern of the plurality of light sources 1021 of the illumination unit 102a by individually controlling on / off of the power supply from the power source to each light source 1021. With this lighting pattern, for example, characters, symbols, signs, and the like can be expressed by illumination. This lighting pattern may be a pattern that changes over time. For example, a moving arrow or light band may be expressed by a lighting pattern. The operation instruction is, for example, lighting pattern information that is information indicating a lighting pattern. The lighting pattern information is, for example, information specifying the light source 1021 to be turned on by the illumination unit 102a. Alternatively, lighting pattern information may be stored in a memory or the like, and one of the lighting pattern information may be read according to an operation instruction. In addition, lighting pattern information indicating the position of the light source 1021 to be lit according to a predetermined character or symbol is stored in a memory or the like, and the predetermined character or symbol is given as an operation instruction. Alternatively, the lighting pattern information may be read out from a memory or the like according to the symbol or the symbol, and the light source 1021 is turned on according to the lighting pattern information to control the lighting pattern. Note that other parts of the illumination control unit 105 are the same as those in the above embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Regarding the operation of the visible light communication device 10a of the present embodiment, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the illumination unit 102 is caused to perform the operation of turning on the light source 1021 with the lighting pattern in the process of step S205. Since other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, a specific example will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the visible light communication device 10a.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for illustrating the configuration of the illumination unit 102a, and is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of the light sources 1021. Note that the character string written on the light source 1021 indicates a light source ID that is information for identifying each light source 1021.

  First, here, it is assumed that target information and operation instructions are stored in advance in a memory or the like accessible by the target information reception unit 101 and the operation instruction reception unit 104. There is no limitation on the means for accumulation. It is assumed that the target information accumulated here is text information “Next is a painting room in the Edo period” as in the above specific example. Further, it is assumed that the accumulated operation instruction is an instruction to display an arrow indicating the direction of a painting room in a predetermined direction, here an Edo period by controlling the lighting of a plurality of light sources 1021, and is a command here. .

  Next, it is assumed that a visitor of the museum holding the light receiving terminal 30 enters an area where the human sensor 1001 can detect.

  As in the specific example of the above embodiment, when the situation information receiving unit 106 receives the situation information output from the human sensor 1001, the target information receiving unit 101 reads the target information stored in the memory or the like. Further, the operation instruction receiving unit 104 reads the operation instruction stored in the memory or the like.

  Here, information that assigns which light source 1021 among the light sources 1021 to light for displaying characters, symbols, and the like using a plurality of light sources 1021 in advance on a recording medium (not shown), for example, lighting Stores pattern information. For example, the lighting pattern information is information obtained by combining identification information of each light source 1021 and information designating whether or not each light source 1021 is turned on. The lighting pattern information may be considered as information obtained by mapping the position of the light source 1021 to be turned on. Such lighting pattern information is prepared in advance in correspondence with symbols and characters that can be designated as operation instructions.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of lighting pattern information. The lighting pattern information is a pair of “light source ID” that is identification information of the light source 1021 and information “lighting designation” that is information that specifies whether or not the light source 1021 corresponding to this “light source ID” is to be turned on. It is configured. If the “lighting designation” is “ON”, it indicates that it is lit, and if it is “OFF”, it indicates that it is not lit.

  The illumination control unit 105 reads lighting pattern information for displaying the arrow using the light source 1021 from a memory (not shown) or the like according to the operation instruction received by the situation information receiving unit 106, here, the instruction to display the arrow. And according to this lighting pattern information, each lighting of the some light source 1021 of the illumination part 102a is controlled. Here, the illumination control unit 105 turns on the light source 1021 for the light source 1021 specified as the light source to be turned on by the lighting pattern information. For example, the light source 1021 whose “light source designation” is “ON” and whose “light source ID” is “L04” is turned on. Further, the other light sources 1021 are not turned on. For example, the light source 1021 whose “light source designation” is “OFF” and whose “light source ID” is “L03” is not turned on. For example, the illumination control unit 105 controls lighting of each light source 1021 by controlling a switch (not shown) provided in a wiring that supplies power to each light source 1021. However, the illumination control unit 105 may control the lighting of each light source 1021 as long as the lighting of each light source 1021 can be controlled as a result.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the illumination unit 102a is turned on. As shown in the figure, an arrow is displayed on the illumination unit 102a itself when the light source 1021 is turned on. An arrow is also displayed on the floor illuminated by the illumination unit 102a.

  Similarly to the above specific example, the transmission control unit 103 superimposes the target information on the voltage supplied to each light source 1021 and turns on the light source that is lit among the light sources 1021 constituting the illumination unit 102a. From 1021, target information is transmitted by visible light. Then, the transmitted information is displayed on the light receiving terminal 30 or the like.

  In this specific example, the case where a stationary arrow is displayed on the illumination unit 102a has been described. However, the illumination unit 102a is animated by changing the light source 1021 to be turned on by changing the lighting pattern information over time. May be displayed.

  In this specific example, lighting pattern information corresponding to an operation instruction is stored in advance. However, the transmission control unit 103 performs coordinate conversion on text data and image data received as an operation instruction. The lighting pattern information may be configured by mapping to the position where the light source 1021 is arranged, and the lighting unit 102a may be controlled using the lighting pattern information.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, while transmitting information by visible light, by operating the illumination unit 102a in accordance with an operation instruction, visual information transmission using illumination can be performed simultaneously. Information can be transmitted effectively.

  In particular, the target information transmitted by visible light and the sign indicated by the operation of the illumination unit 102 performed by the operation instruction are a combination of information and a sign that are complementary in transmitting one event. Thus, more effective information transmission becomes possible.

  In addition, the illumination unit 102a can display more detailed information according to variations, thereby enabling more effective information transmission. For example, the display by the illumination unit 102a can be used to alert the user that the visible light communication is being performed and to allow the user to view the information terminal.

  In the present embodiment, the transmission control unit 103 and the illumination control unit 105 may be realized by a single control unit. Further, for example, the output of the transmission control unit 103 may be input to the illumination control unit 105, and the voltage on which the target information is superimposed by the transmission control unit 103 may be supplied only to the light source 1021 to be lit.

  Further, in the above specific example, lighting and non-lighting of the light source 1021 are controlled to display characters and symbols on the illumination unit 102a. However, the light source 1021 is like an incandescent lamp or a fluorescent lamp. In the case of a light source capable of adjusting the brightness, characters, symbols, and the like may be displayed by changing the brightness level of each light source 1021.

  In each of the above embodiments, each process (each function) may be realized by centralized processing by a single device (system), or by distributed processing by a plurality of devices. May be.

  Furthermore, the processing in the present embodiment may be realized by software. Then, this software may be distributed by software download or the like. Further, this software may be recorded and distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. This also applies to other embodiments in this specification.

  Note that the software that implements the information processing apparatus in each of the embodiments is the following program. That is, this program controls the target information received by the target information receiving unit by controlling the target information receiving unit that receives target information that is information to be subjected to visible light communication and the dimmable lighting unit. A transmission control unit that transmits visible light, an operation instruction reception unit that receives an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit, and controls the illumination unit according to the operation instruction to operate the illumination unit It is a program for making it function as an illumination control part.

  In the above program, in the transmission step for transmitting information, the reception step for receiving information, etc., processing performed by hardware, for example, processing performed by a modem or an interface card in the transmission step (only performed by hardware). Not included) is not included.

  Further, the computer that executes the program may be singular or plural. That is, centralized processing may be performed, or distributed processing may be performed.

  In the above embodiment, it is needless to say that two or more communication means existing in one apparatus may be physically realized by one medium.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible, and it goes without saying that these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the visible light communication device according to the present invention is suitable as a device that communicates with visible light using illumination, and in particular, visible light communication capable of transmitting information other than information transmitted by visible light communication. It is useful as a device.

1 is a block diagram of a visible light communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Flowchart for explaining the operation of the visible light communication apparatus in the embodiment Schematic diagram of visible light communication system in the embodiment The figure which shows the example of a display of the light-receiving terminal in the embodiment The figure which shows operation | movement of the visible light communication apparatus in the embodiment The figure which shows operation | movement of the visible light communication apparatus in the embodiment The block diagram of the visible light communication apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention Schematic diagram of visible light communication apparatus in the embodiment The figure which shows the structure of the illumination part of the visible light communication apparatus in the embodiment The figure which shows an example of the lighting pattern information in the embodiment The schematic diagram which shows the lighting state of the illumination part in the embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10a Visible light communication apparatus 20 Information processing apparatus 30 Light receiving terminal 31 Light receiving part 32 Screen 101 Object information reception part 102, 102a Illumination part 103 Transmission control part 104 Operation instruction reception part 105 Illumination control part 106 Situation information reception part 201 1st Reception unit 202 First transmission unit 203 Second reception unit 204 Second transmission unit 1000 Power communication line 1001 Human sensor 1021 Light source 1021, 1022 Driving means

Claims (6)

A target information receiving unit that receives target information that is information that is a target of visible light communication;
A dimmable lighting section;
A transmission control unit that controls the illumination unit to transmit the target information received by the target information receiving unit with visible light;
An operation instruction receiving unit that receives an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit;
The visible light communication apparatus provided with the illumination control part which controls the said illumination part according to the said operation instruction | indication, and operates the said illumination part. The illumination unit is
One or more light sources;
Driving means for driving the light source;
The visible light communication device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination control unit controls the driving unit according to the operation instruction to cause the illumination unit to perform an operation of changing an illumination direction. The illumination section includes a plurality of light sources,
2. The visible light communication according to claim 1, wherein the illumination control unit controls the lighting of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the operation instruction to operate the illumination unit so that a lighting pattern according to a combination of the plurality of light sources is changed. apparatus. A situation information receiving unit that receives situation information that is information related to the situation of the area in which the illumination unit is disposed;
At least one of the transmission control unit and the illumination control unit controls the illumination unit according to the situation information received by the situation information reception unit, and transmits the target information by visible light and the illumination unit The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of operations according to an operation instruction is performed. A target information receiving step for receiving target information that is information to be subjected to visible light communication;
A transmission control step of controlling a dimmable lighting unit and transmitting the target information received in the target information reception step by visible light;
An operation instruction receiving step for receiving an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit;
A visible light communication method comprising: an illumination control step of operating the illumination unit by controlling the illumination unit according to the operation instruction. Computer
A target information receiving unit that receives target information that is information that is a target of visible light communication;
A transmission control unit that controls a dimmable lighting unit and transmits the target information received by the target information receiving unit by visible light;
An operation instruction receiving unit that receives an operation instruction for operating the illumination unit;
A program for controlling the illumination unit in accordance with the operation instruction to cause the illumination unit to function as an illumination control unit.

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