US Patent 9418115 Location-based mobile services and applications

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for performing a location-based search from a mobile device in a given location including an imaging sensor configured to capture a signal broadcast from a light source and a processor in communication with the imaging sensor configured to receive the signal from the imaging sensor, demodulate the signal to determine an identifier associated with the light source, receive a search query from a mobile device user requesting information relevant to the location of the mobile device, transmit the identifier and the search query to a search service, and in response to the transmission comprising the identifier and the search query, receive the information relevant to the location of the mobile device.