# US 10,122,455 B1 · VLC/DLC Sectorized communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,455 B1 - Document ID: US10122455B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/965,521 - Filed: 2018-04-27 - Published: 2018-11-01 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-01 - Assignees: Gooee Limited - Applicants: Gooee Limited - Inventors: Simon Coombes; Shmuel Silverman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122455B1 ## CPC - H04B 10/116: Visible light communication - H05B 47/1995: {Auto-commissioning} - H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/026: {using orientation information, e.g. compass} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Sectorized Visual Light Communication (VLC)/Dark Light Communication (DLC) systems and sensors are generally disclosed. The exemplary VLC/DLC systems may include a transmitter for transmitting a light signal including information about the transmitting light source, and a receiver with a number of surface facets facing in different directions at different angles, and configured to determine a distance and a direction of a transmitting light source from the VLC/DLC receiver. Associated exemplary methods for automatic identification and grouping of light sources are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sectorized Visual Light Communication (VLC)/Dark Light Communication (DLC) sensor, comprising: a plurality of surface facets, wherein each of the plurality of surface facets is oriented in a specific direction and angle with respect to the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor and other surface facets of the plurality of surface facets, wherein each of the plurality of surface facets includes a distribution of pixels within a photosensitive area of the surface facet, and wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to determine a direction and a distance of one or more transmitting light sources based on receiving light transmitted from the one or more transmitting light sources at the distribution of pixels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 1, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to distinguish the direction and the distance of the one or more transmitting light sources based on the distribution of pixels that receive the light transmitted from each of the one or more transmitting light sources and an intensity of the light that is received by the distribution of pixels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 2, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to receive information regarding the one or more transmitting light sources based on the transmitted light from the one or more transmitting light sources using a light transmission modulation technique. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 3, wherein the information regarding the one or more transmitting light sources includes at least one of an identity, a location, a color content, a dimming level, and the intensity of the light from the one or more transmitting light sources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 4, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to determine the distance and the direction of the one or more transmitting light sources based on the information regarding the one or more transmitting light sources. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 4, wherein the information regarding the one or more transmitting light sources includes information regarding light sources that have been previously identified. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 6, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to transmit the information regarding the one or more transmitting light sources to a server for generating a layout of neighboring light sources based on the transmitted information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 1, wherein a first of the plurality of surface facets is configured to communicate with a second of the surface facets of the plurality of surface facets regarding the transmitted light received at the distribution of pixels and an intensity of the transmitted light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sectorized VLC/DLC sensor of claim 1, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is one of dodecahedron, icosahedron, triangularly-based pyramid, cube, and square-based shaped. ### Claim 10 A system for automatic luminaire location identification and group assignment, comprising: a gateway for transmitting information to a server; and a sectorized Visual Light Communication (VLC)/Dark Light Communication (DLC) sensor, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor includes a plurality of surface facets, wherein each facet of the plurality of surface facets is oriented in a specific direction and angle with respect to the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor and other surface facets of the plurality of surface facets, wherein each surface facet of the plurality of surface facets includes a distribution of pixels within a photosensitive area, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to transmit information associated with light that is received at the distribution of pixels from a transmitting light source to the gateway, the transmitted information associated with the distribution of pixels that receive the light and an intensity of the light that is received by the distribution of pixels, wherein the gateway is configured to transmit the information to the server to determine a location of the transmitting light source based on the transmitted information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is configured to distinguish a direction and a distance of the transmitting light source from the sectorized VLC/DLC light sensor based on the distribution of pixels that receive the transmitted light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the distance and the direction of the transmitting light source is determined based on the transmitted information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitted information further comprises at least one of an identity, location, color content, and dimming level of the transmitting light source. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitted information further includes information regarding light sources that have been previously identified. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the server is configured to generate a layout of neighboring light sources based on the transmitted information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein a first of the plurality of surface facets is configured to communicate the transmitted information with a second surface facets of the plurality of surface facets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor is one of dodecahedron, icosahedron, triangularly-based pyramid, cube, and square-based shaped. ### Claim 18 A method of automatic luminaire location identification, comprising: receiving light transmitted from one or more transmitting light sources at a sectorized Visual Light Communication (VLC)/Dark Light Communication (DLC) sensor, wherein the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor includes a plurality of surface facets, each of the plurality of surface facets is oriented in a specific direction and angle with respect to the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor and other facets of the plurality of surface facets, and each facet of the plurality of surface facets includes a distribution of pixels within a photosensitive area of the facet; transmitting information regarding light received at the distribution of pixels from the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor to a gateway; and transmitting, via the gateway, the information regarding light received at the distribution of pixels to a server wherein the server is configured to determine a location of the one or more transmitting light sources based on the transmitted information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the information regarding light transmitted from the transmitting light source comprises at least one of an identity, a location, a color content, a dimming level, and a light intensity of the transmitting light source based on a light transmission modulation technique. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: generating a map of the locations of the one or more transmitting light sources to enable communication between the sectorized VLC/DLC sensor and the one or more transmitting light sources.