System and method for communication with a mobile device via a positioning system including RF communication devices and modulated beacon light sources

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver;

a hardware user interface;

a camera configured to receive a visual light communication; and

a processor configured to:

receive a radio frequency identifier of a lighting device via the radio frequency transceiver;

receive via the camera a modulated light identifier of a lighting device in the vicinity of the mobile device;

combine the radio frequency identifier and the modulated light identifier to form a combined lighting device identifier; and

receive position information related to the mobile device based on the combined identifier.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

send an indication of the combined lighting device identifier to a host processor; and

receive from the host processor an indication of the position information related to the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

process the combined identifier with a hash function; and

send an output of the hash function to a host processor as the indication of the combined identifier.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

process the combined identifier with a hash function; and

send an output of the hash function with the indication of the combined identifier to a host processor.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the received radio frequency identifier is a first radio frequency identifier, and the processor is further configured to:

receive a second radio frequency identifier from another lighting device via the radio frequency transceiver;

determine that the modulated light identifier received by the camera corresponds to the first radio frequency identifier; and

in response to the determination, determine a position of the mobile device as being in the vicinity to the lighting device from which the first radio frequency identifier was received.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving an identifier of a lighting device via a radio frequency transceiver of a mobile device;

receiving at a camera of the mobile device an optical identifier of a lighting device;

combining the lighting device identifier and the optical identifier to form a combined identifier of the light device in a vicinity of the mobile device;

sending the combined identifier to a host processor; and

receiving position information based on the combined identifier sent to the host processor.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

processing the combined identifier with a hash function; and

sending an output of the hash function to the host processor as the combined identifier.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

processing the combined identifier with a hash function; and

sending an output of the hash function with the combined identifier to the host processor.

9. A system, comprising:

a first lighting device comprising:

a first radio frequency transceiver;

a first light source configured to output a modulated light signal unique to the first lighting device, the first lighting device configured to:

transmit a first radio frequency identifier identifying the first lighting device, via the first radio frequency transceiver in a first radio frequency detection area, and

emit a first modulated light signal from the first light source, in a first modulated light detection region;

a second lighting device comprising:

a second radio frequency transceiver;

a second light source configured to output a second modulated light signal unique to the second lighting device, the second lighting device configured to:

transmit a second radio frequency identifier identifying the second lighting device, via the radio frequency transceiver in a second radio frequency detection area, and

emit a second modulated light signal from the second light source in a second modulated light detection region, wherein:

the first radio frequency detection area and the second radio frequency detection area overlap one another; and

the first modulated light detection region and the second light detection region are non-overlapping; and

a mobile device, comprising:

a processor,

a radio frequency transceiver; and

a camera,

the mobile device configured to:

receive the first radio frequency identifier via the mobile radio frequency transceiver, identifying the first lighting device;

receive the second radio frequency identifier via the mobile device radio frequency transceiver identifying the second lighting device identifier;

receive via the camera either the first or the second modulated light signal; and

in response to receiving a first modulated light signal by the camera, the first radio frequency identifier, and the second radio frequency identifier, determine that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the first lighting device further comprises a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is configured to emit a signal including the first lighting device radio frequency identifier in a first area proximate to the first lighting device; and

the second lighting device further comprises a second antenna, wherein the second antenna is configured to emit a signal including the second lighting device radio frequency identifier in a second area proximate to the second lighting device, wherein the first area and second area overlap.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

prior to determining that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device, combine the first modulated light signal with the first radio frequency identifier to form a combined identifier; and

use the combined identifier in the determination that the mobile device is in a position closer to the first lighting device than to the second lighting device.