Line-of-sight signaling and positioning for mobile devices

We are developing an optical line-of-sight signaling technology that enables mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to identify, locate, and receive information from other devices and infrastructure within their vicinity. Using this technology we can determine where particular devices are with respect to each other in a room - the angles between the devices - and we can use our mobile devices to read light-emitting codes similar to Quick Response (QR) codes in the environment. Our technology uses a robust encoding method and can tolerate shaking due to unsteady hands holding the mobile devices. Experimental results using hand-held cameras show our technology can accurately and robustly locate and decode signals from small LED emitters even at indoor distances of at least 5 meters.