TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY

LiTell is a ready-to-use, easy-to-deploy indoor localization system that entirely relies on unmodified light fixtures and off-the-shelf smartphones to provide location-based services for a variety of indoor venues. LiTell utilizes existing fluorescent or LED lights as the sensing medium to overcome the reliability issues associated with radio- and motion-based localization techniques. Visible light provided by fluorescent and LED lights contains a characteristic frequency that varies from one light to the next. The characteristic frequency is not visible to the human eye, but exists in the following lighting mediums: • Tube fluorescents: Characteristic frequency is generated by the ballast • Compact fluorescents: Characteristic frequency is generated by the internal ballast • LED: Characteristic frequency is generated by the oscillating circuitry within the bulb Given an indoor environment, LiTell first conducts a fingerprinting procedure to map the indoor space using a light sensor to capture the characteristic frequency of each light. At runtime, a users smartphone camera captures an image of the light, determines the characteristic frequency, and looks up the database to fix its location. LiTell can reliably achieve decimeter of location precision, using either smartphone cameras or small light sensors.

AREA/MATURITY/AWARDS

Primary Application Area: Electronics, Sensors, Communications

Technology Development Status: Prototype

Technology Readiness Level: TRL 5

Vetted Programs/Awards: WARF Innovation Award Finalist

SHOWCASE SUMMARY

Organization Type: Academic/Gov Lab

Showcase Booth #: 223

Website: http://www.warf.org

GOVT/EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES

External Funding to Date: WARF Accelerator Program