Including Visible Light Modulation Patents (Class 398/172)
  • Patent number: 9374160
    Abstract: A method of registering a wireless device located in premises in a wireless network which is constructed in the premises. The method includes receiving a light signal, which includes network identification information of the wireless network constructed in the premises from at least one illumination device installed in the premises, and registering the wireless device in the wireless network constructed in the premises, by using the network identification information of the wireless network included in the received light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seong-man Park, Young-jun Choi
  • Patent number: 9337928
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for time-based composite modulation of an optical carrier signal are provided. Time-based composite modulation includes determining a plurality of fixed time slots for the optical carrier signal, wherein the plurality of fixed time slots comprise a time-division-multiplexing frame. Determining a modulation format for each fixed time slot of the time-division-multiplexing frame, wherein a transport spectral efficiency of the modulation format determined for a first fixed time slot is different from a transport spectral efficiency of the modulation format determined for a second fixed time slot, and determining a number of binary bits for each fixed time slot of the time-division-multiplexing frame, wherein the number of binary bits for a fixed time slot is based on the modulation format determined for the fixed time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiang Zhou, Peter Magill
  • Patent number: 9285547
    Abstract: A joint for disposing between a rotatable drum and stationary surface equipment. The joint serves as a channel through which optical data from a well access line may be routed through the rotating drum and to the stationary equipment for processing. The optical data may be routed in a manner that allows for multi-fiber transmissions with one fiber dedicated to uphole transmissions and another dedicated to downhole transmissions. This is achieved through embodiments of the joint in spite of the separate optical channels involved sharing the same central axis to allow for data transfer between moving and stationary joint components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Kalim Ullah
  • Patent number: 9288525
    Abstract: A visual light communication (VLC) medium is used to provide communicative coupling between two or more devices. The communicative coupling supports a variety of functions such as, for example, device discovery, content discovery, and seamless transfer of media between the two or more devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc
    Inventors: Douglas R. Castor, Kandarp Shah, Robert G. Gazda, Serhad Doken
  • Patent number: 9281895
    Abstract: An information communication method is provided for transmitting a signal using a change in luminance. The information communication method includes determining a pattern of the change in luminance by modulating a signal to be transmitted, and transmitting the signal by a display, which comprises a light emitter that changes luminance according to the determined pattern. In the determining a pattern, the pattern of the change in luminance is determined by adjusting a first time from one change in luminance to a next change in luminance according to the signal, the one change in luminance and the next change in luminance being a same one of a rise and a fall in luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9276677
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a photo detector-combined illuminance sensor includes a circuit for a Photo Detector (PD) function to detect the illuminance of the ambient environment. The illuminance sensor operates under the control of a controller in a visible light communication terminal. When an optical signal detected by the illuminance sensor is a visible light communication signal, the controller switches to cause the illuminance sensor to operate as the photo detector for the visible light communication in a visible light communication mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Seung Son, Tae-Han Bae, Eun-Tae Won
  • Patent number: 9252878
    Abstract: An information communication method that enables communication between various devices includes: determining a pattern of the change in luminance by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and transmitting the signal by a light emitter changing in luminance according to the determined pattern, wherein the pattern of the change in luminance is a pattern in which one of two different luminance values occurs in each arbitrary position in a predetermined duration, and in the determining, the pattern of the change in luminance is determined so that a luminance change position in the duration is different for each of different signals to be transmitted, the luminance change position being a position at which the luminance rises or a position at which the luminance falls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9246585
    Abstract: A transmitter in a visible light communication system is provided, in which a plurality of light sources emit light in different colors, a data converter converts data to predetermined chromaticity coordinates, a data transmitter emits light having a chromaticity corresponding to the chromaticity coordinates by controlling light intensity of each of the light sources, and a pre-light emitter emits light having chromaticities corresponding to all chromaticity coordinates by controlling the light intensity of each of the light sources, before the light intensity control of the data transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsuya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 9191106
    Abstract: A communications system comprising at least one light source, a side-emitting fiber light rope into which light emitted from the light source is coupled, and means for sending at least one data carrying optical signal along the light rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
    Inventors: Malcolm Harry Dunn, Donald Walker, David James Mark Stothard
  • Patent number: 9143230
    Abstract: Various exemplary methods and apparatus are directed to using Visible Light Communication (VLC) in a downlink, e.g., a supplemental downlink, in combination with a wireless radio downlink/uplink pair. A gateway is coupled, via a wireline link, to a VLC access point. In some embodiments, the gateway includes a wireless radio base station. A user equipment device detects a visible light signal from the VLC access point, and transmits a radio signal to a communications device, e.g., a gateway including a base station or a macro base station, indicating that the UE device is in a VLC coverage area. The gateway configures the VLC access point to serve as a supplemental wireless cell which supports downlink communications. The gateway sends traffic signals to the VLC access point, via the wireline, which are converted by the VLC access point into VLC signals which are transmitted. The UE device receives VLC downlink traffic signals and transmits a corresponding acknowledgment signal via an uplink radio channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lorenzo Casaccia, Junyi Li, Thomas Joseph Richardson, Aleksandar Jovicic
  • Patent number: 9118415
    Abstract: A method of increasing modulation of a visible light signal. The method can include receiving a signal that corresponds to the visible light signal, where the visible light signal has a magnitude. The method can also include adjusting, by a controller and based on the signal, a dimmer level of a dimmer by an amount, where the amount is proportional to the magnitude of the visible light signal, and where the dimmer level adjusts an output of a driver circuit. The visible light signal and the output of the driver circuit can be combined into a power signal and sent to one or more light sources. The one or more light sources can use the power signal to generate a light output that includes a visible light communication signal that is received by a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Bohler, Li Li, Vaske Mikani
  • Patent number: 9094120
    Abstract: An information communication method that enables communication between various devices includes: determining a plurality of patterns of a change in luminance, by modulating a respective plurality of signals to be transmitted; and transmitting, by each of a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to any one of the determined plurality of patterns of the change in luminance, a signal corresponding to the pattern, wherein in the transmitting, each of the plurality of light emitters changes in luminance at a different frequency so that light of one of two types of light different in luminance is output per a time unit predetermined for the light emitter and that the time unit predetermined for the light emitter is different from a time unit predetermined for an other one of the plurality of light emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATON OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9088363
    Abstract: An information communication device which transmits a signal using a change in luminance includes a determiner that determines a pattern of the change in luminance by modulating a signal to be transmitted and a transmitter that transmits the signal by causing a display to change luminance according to the determined pattern. When the display is adjacent to an other display and each of the display and the other display transmit a signal by changing luminance, the transmitter is configured to cause the display to change luminance in an area of the display other than a non-transmission area that is near the other display, without causing the display to change luminance in the non-transmission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9088360
    Abstract: An information communication method that enables communication between various devices includes: determining a pattern of a change in luminance, by modulating a first signal to be transmitted; transmitting the first signal, by all of a plurality of light emitting elements included in a light emitter changing in luminance in a same manner according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance; and transmitting a second signal to be transmitted, by each of the plurality of light emitting elements emitting light with one of two different luminance values so that a light and dark sequence of luminance appears in a space where the light emitter is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9042738
    Abstract: The invention relates to embedding data symbols of a data signal into a luminance output of an illumination device. The device includes a controller configured for receiving a first base pattern and a second base pattern within a frame period, and generating a shifted second pattern by phase shifting the second base pattern within the frame period with respect to the first base pattern in response to the data signal such that the data symbols are embedded in the luminance output of the device. The device also includes a first light source configured to generate a first luminance output in response to the first base pattern and a second light source configured to generate a second luminance output in response to the shifted second pattern. The first and second luminance outputs have different output spectra and the luminance output of the illumination device comprises both the first and second luminance outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Tim Corneel Wilhelmus Schenk, Matthias Wendt, Harald Josef Günther Radermacher, Johan Wilhelmus Hermanus Kuppen
  • Patent number: 9037001
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to the detection of low-rate visible light communication (VLC) signals and the recovery of information communicated by the VLC signals are described. Various methods and apparatus are well suited for embodiments in which a device, e.g., a smartphone, including a camera which uses a rolling shutter. The rolling shutter facilitates the collection of different time snapshots of a received low rate time varying VLC signal with different pixel rows in the image sensor of a frame corresponding to different time snapshots. In some embodiments, demodulation is used to recover and identify a single tone being communicated in a frame from among a plurality of possible alternative tones that may be communicated, each different tone corresponding to a different set of information bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Aleksandar Jovicic, Thomas Joseph Richardson, Ivan Klimek
  • Patent number: 9031416
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting mobility of a mobile terminal in a Visible Light Communication (VLC) system. The method includes activating only necessary light sources for VLC considering the mobility of the mobile terminal, instead of using total light sources for VLC. Consequently, power consumption can be significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jae-Seung Son, Do-Young Kim, Eun-Tae Won, Tae-Han Bae, Young-Kwon Cho, Sun-Gi Gu
  • Patent number: 9025966
    Abstract: A method for driving a lamp (2) comprises the steps of: generating a lamp current (ICONST) having a constant magnitude; defining a commutation period having a duration TCOMM; defining a time base of original commutation moments, having fixed mutual intervals of 0.5*TCOMM; receiving data to be embedded in the light output; commutating the lamp current at commutation moments; wherein individual commutations are time-modulated in order to encode said received data. Preferably, a commutation moment is: either equal to an original commutation moment if there are no data to embed; or advanced over a modulation distance (?) with respect to the corresponding original commutation moment in order to encode data having a first value (“0”); or delayed over said modulation distance (?) with respect to the corresponding original commutation moment in order to encode data having a second value (“1”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijkle Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Tim C. W. Schenk, Sel B. Colak, Johannes P. Wernars, Johan P. M. G. Linnartz, Lorenzo Feri, Paulus H. A. Damink, Hendricus T. G. M. Penning de Vries
  • Patent number: 9020359
    Abstract: A mobile terminal capable of localization, a localization server, and a method for localizing the mobile terminal using the localization server are disclosed. The disclosed localization server includes a control unit configured to control transmissions of visible-light signals from a multiple number of visible-light transmitting devices; and a position computing unit configured to compute a position of a mobile terminal based on time information regarding when the visible-light signals transmitted respectively from the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices were received at the mobile terminal, where the control unit controls the transmissions such that each of the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices sequentially transmits the visible-light signal for a particular first time period with no overlapping of transmission times of the visible-light signals transmitted respectively from the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Foundation of Soongsil University-Industry Cooperation
    Inventors: Myung-Sik Yoo, Jun-Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 9020338
    Abstract: A method for optically transmitting data between a transmitter and a receiver is disclosed, in which a color coding method based on a plurality of elemental colors is provided for the coding and transmission of the data, which color coding method involves a respective elemental color being sent by a respective transmitter-end optical radiation source and being received at the receiver end by a respective optical radiation receiver. The method provides for a control loop to be formed between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the transmitter sends calibration messages to the receiver, and wherein a piece of compensation information is ascertained by comparing at least one channel property of at least one received calibration message with a corresponding channel property of at least one previously sent calibration message, and wherein the transmitter takes the compensation information as a basis for adjusting at least one transmission parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Joachim Walewski
  • Patent number: 9014564
    Abstract: A light array includes lights that transmit modulated light to indicate their unique light identifiers (IDs) and lights that transmit unmodulated light. A light receiver records images of the light array and recovers the light IDs from the modulated light. The light receiver uses the IDs to retrieve a light map representative of the light array. The receiver aligns the retrieved light map with the recorded images of the light array, and accesses real-world positions of all of the light in the light array, as deployed, based on the aligned light map. The light receiver determines a 3-dimensional position of the light receiver relative to the light array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Roberts, Jing Zhu, Mathys C. Walma
  • Patent number: 9014553
    Abstract: A satellite test signal reflection apparatus for testing transmitters sending out optical signals, the apparatus includes a plate that is at least partially permeable to optical signals. The plate has a base with a first surface with a residual reflective coating and a second surface. The residual reflective coating is configured to split an optical beam, which penetrates the plate in a first direction from the first surface to the second surface, into a reflective optical beam and a transmitted optical beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Weichert
  • Patent number: 9008519
    Abstract: A method of registering a wireless device located in premises in a wireless network which is constructed in the premises. The method includes receiving a light signal, which includes network identification information of the wireless network constructed in the premises from at least one illumination device installed in the premises, and registering the wireless device in the wireless network constructed in the premises, by using the network identification information of the wireless network included in the received light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-man Park, Young-jun Choi
  • Patent number: 8977134
    Abstract: There is disclosed a visible light communication technology capable of intuitively recognizing a transmission speed, an alignment status, a communication status, or a transmission rate. A visible light communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light source selecting unit selecting at least one light source of a plurality of light sources generating lights having different wavelengths by considering intuitive information distinguished depending on a wavelength in a visible light band; and a visible light communication unit performing visible light communication by at least one selected light source to allow the intuitive information to be recognized by a color corresponding to at least one selected light source. Accordingly, a user using the visible light communication can intuitively know an optimal communication status or transmission speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Il-Soon Jang, Dae-Ho Kim, Sang-Kyu Lim, Tae-Gyu Kang
  • Patent number: 8971716
    Abstract: Provided is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device for visible ray communication, including: a substrate; a plurality of OLED pixels that are formed on the substrate and generate a red (R), green (G), or blue (B) visible ray; and a plurality of light receiving units that are formed on the substrate to sense a visible ray signal and convert the visible ray signal to an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Idro Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yanggi Kang
  • Patent number: 8965218
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a photo detector-combined illuminance sensor includes a circuit for a Photo Detector (PD) function to detect the illuminance of the ambient environment. The illuminance sensor operates under the control of a controller in a visible light communication terminal. When an optical signal detected by the illuminance sensor is a visible light communication signal, the controller switches to cause the illuminance sensor to operate as the photo detector for the visible light communication in a visible light communication mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Seung Son, Tae-Han Bae, Eun-Tae Won
  • Patent number: 8948602
    Abstract: An information system comprises a card and a card reader. The card and the card reader can be coupled by an optical communication module and an optical power transfer module. Operations of the card can be powered by the power transferred from the card reader through the optical power transfer module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Inventor: Yang Pan
  • Patent number: 8948599
    Abstract: A network architecture for integrating a 4G wireless mesh network (WMN) with a 3-G network in order to effectively support multimedia communication is described. In one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless mesh network system comprises a plurality of routers each having a wireless optical interface; at least one base station having Internet backhaul and connecting to a wireless optical device; a computer media storing instructions for assigning at least one of the plurality of routers to act as an Internet gateway via said base station; wherein said assigned router and said base station communicating via a link between wireless optical interface of said assigned router and the wireless optical device connected to said base station, and said link is line-of-sight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Inventors: Dharma P. Agrawal, Nishan S. Weragama, Hailong Li
  • Patent number: 8948601
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for indoor wireless optical communication. The system may include a central unit and a plurality of user units. A bi-directional optical communication link may be established over a collimated invisible light beam to enable transmission of wireless communications between a remote communication device and a user unit. The central and user units include an optical transmitter. At least one of the user unit and the central unit comprises a visible light source configured to produce a collimated visible light beam to enable alignment of the user unit and the central unit upon establishment of the bi-directional optical communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: RIT Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Shar, David Kin, Boris Glushko, Erez Ben-Eshay
  • Patent number: 8942572
    Abstract: A lighting system includes light fixtures not in communications with and not synchronized with one another, and one or more light sensors. Each light fixture separately emits data encoded visible light including light fixture information encoded therein in a manner that avoids visually perceptible flicker and enables light fixture information emitted by one light fixture to be distinguished from light fixture information emitted by other light fixtures. The light fixture information is encoded into data encoded visible light such that a difference between different levels of the data encoded visible light is indicative of an illumination capability of the light fixture and such that visually perceptible flicker is avoided. Each light sensor separately receives portions of data encoded light visible light emitted by multiple light fixtures and separately determines the identity of and the maximum and present illumination contributions for each light fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Inventor: Bret Rothenberg
  • Patent number: 8942571
    Abstract: In a light communication system, a data embedding unit arranged between a transmitter-side communication data processing unit and a light emitting device driver embeds a communication processed data at a spatial domain of an original image according to a modulation scheme, and gets multiple RGB values for a communication data embedded image. A receiving apparatus detects a transmitter-side communication data embedded image, generates a receiver-side communication data embedded image, compensate a deformation of the receiver-side communication data embedded image, outputs a warped communication data embedded image, and extracts a communication processed data from the warped communication data embedded image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chia-Pin Chen, Chang-Lung Hsiao, Ren-Jr Chen, Pei-Wei Hsu
  • Patent number: 8942570
    Abstract: The invention relates to a detection system for determining data embedded into the light output of a light source in a form of a repeating sequence of N symbols. The detection system includes a camera and a processing unit. The camera is configured to acquire a series of images of the scene via specific open/closure patterns of the shutter. The processing unit is configured to process the acquired series of images to determine the repeating sequence of N symbols. By carefully triggering when a shutter of the camera is open to capture the different symbols of the encoded light within each frame time of a camera, a conventional camera with a relatively long frame time may be employed. Therefore, the techniques presented herein are suitable for detecting the invisible “high frequency” coded light while using less expensive cameras as those used in the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Phillips N.V.
    Inventors: Tim Corneel Wilhelmus Schenk, Frederik Jan De Bruijn, Ruud Vlutters, Lorenzo Feri
  • Patent number: 8938172
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a visible light communication method and apparatus. The visible light communication method includes determining whether a current location is the start of a symbol of a transmission signal, setting a sample index, a signal accumulated value for an accumulation region of a front half portion of the symbol, and a signal accumulated value for an accumulation region of a rear half portion of the symbol, determining whether the sample index belongs to an accumulation region of the front or rear half portion of the symbol, and accumulating samples of the transmission signal in accordance with the location to which the sample index belongs, determining whether a current location corresponds to the end of the symbol, and outputting a Variable Pulse Position Modulation (VPPM) communication signal corresponding to the transmission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jin-Doo Jeong, Tae-Gyu Kang, Sang-Kyu Lim, Il-Soon Jang, Dae-Ho Kim, You-Jin Kim, Seong-Hee Park, In-Su Kim, Hyun-Jong Kim
  • Patent number: 8934784
    Abstract: The present invention discloses methods and devices for transmitting/obtaining information by visible light signal. The method for transmitting information by visible light signal from a light source comprising: modulating, on the basis of the information to be transmitted, a driving signal of the light source to obtain a modulated driving signal for driving the light source to emit visible light signal having its level changed between a peak level and a bottom level with varied frequencies at different time points; and emitting the visible light signal having its level changed between a peak level and a bottom level with varied frequencies at different time points on the basis of the modulated driving signal, so as to transmit information corresponding to the varied numbers of bright or dark stripes shown in one or more images obtained from the visible light signal at one or more time points, which numbers are corresponding to the varied frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Zhuhai Hengqin Great Aim Visible Light Communication Technology Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng Guo, Hong Hu
  • Publication number: 20140369696
    Abstract: Data transmission method and apparatus utilizing color coding is disclosed. A one-to-one correspondence between a set of eight unique 3-bit data units and a set of eight unique color representations is established for color coding a sequence of 3-bit data units. Transmission of the sequence of 3-bit data units is then facilitated using a sequence of color representations, wherein each one of the sequence of 3-bit data units has a one-to-one correspondence with one of the sequence of color representations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Roger A. Fratti
  • Patent number: 8903252
    Abstract: There is disclosed a visible light communication technology capable of intuitively recognizing a transmission speed, an alignment status, a communication status, or a transmission rate. A visible light communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light source selecting unit selecting at least one light source of a plurality of light sources generating lights having different wavelengths by considering intuitive information distinguished depending on a wavelength in a visible light band; and a visible light communication unit performing visible light communication by at least one selected light source to allow the intuitive information to be recognized by a color corresponding to at least one selected light source. Accordingly, a user using the visible light communication can intuitively know an optimal communication status or transmission speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: II-Soon Jang, Dae-Ho Kim, Sang-Kyu Lim, Tae-Gyu Kang
  • Patent number: 8902076
    Abstract: An LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver, the optical transceiver including a light support and a processor. The light support has a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, the light emitting diodes receiving power from a power source. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector, the processor capable of illuminating the light emitting diodes to simultaneously create at least one first light signal, and at least one second light signal, the first light signal being observable to the unaided eyes of an individual and the second light signal not being observable to the unaided eyes of the individual. The second light signal includes at least one data packet. The at least one data packet comprises global positioning system (GPS) location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Pederson, Paul R. Brown, Timothy J. Vogt, James LeClaire, James Zimmerman, Brent Mikkelsen
  • Patent number: 8897647
    Abstract: A communication link can be established by way of a radio interface between a first mobile communication facility and a second mobile or permanently stationary communication facility. In at least one embodiment, an item of identification information is made available by one of the communication facilities as an optical signal for receipt at the cited sensor; the communication facility, to which the sensor receiving the optical signal belongs, accepts the identification information and transfers the accepted identification information as a request to set up a communication link via the radio interface with the communication facility, which makes or has made the optical signal available. The requested communication facility implements a comparison between the accepted identification information and its own identification information and permits the setup of the communication link as a function of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Friese, Georg Von Wichert
  • Patent number: 8886045
    Abstract: An LED light and communication system is in communication with a broadband over power line communications system. The LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Pederson, Paul R. Brown, Timothy J. Vogt, James LeClaire, James Zimmerman, Brent Mikkelsen
  • Patent number: 8886053
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the dual-use of radiation, for example, but not limited to, visible or infrared light, for both a conventional application, e.g., illumination, combined with the additional or “dual-use” application of transmitting information without wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Elmer Lupton, Mes Peterson, John Rodriguez, Gary Livshin, Al-Thaddeus Avestruz, Roderick Hinman, Steven B. Leeb
  • Patent number: 8886054
    Abstract: An information transmission system is constituted by: an information sending device including a light emitting section that emits light in a plurality of colors, a modulating section that modulates information to be transmitted into signals composed of changes in color, and a light emission control section that controls the light emitting section to emit light while changing color temporally based on the signals generated by the modulating section; and a receiving device including a camera that captures an image having color, and a control and communication section that detects a temporal color change of the light emitting section emitting light by light emission control by the information transmitting device, from images consecutively captured by the camera, decodes the detected color change into information, and outputs the generated information to a display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Iizuka, Keiichi Kaneko, Masaaki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8879924
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a Visual Light Communication (VLC) method and apparatus using a DMX-512 network. The VLC apparatus includes a DMX signal generation unit and a DMX signal transmission unit. The DMX signal generation unit generates VLC data packets each including a DMX header, fragmentation information, and a data fragment. The DMX signal transmission unit transmits the VLC data packets to an LED lighting apparatus coupled over a DMX-512 network in order to perform VLC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: In-Su Kim, Tae-Gyu Kang, Sang-Kyu Lim, Dae-Ho Kim, You-Jin Kim, Seong-Hee Park, Il-Soon Jang, Hyun-Seok Kim, Hyun-Jong Kim, Jin-Doo Jeong
  • Patent number: 8873965
    Abstract: LEDs that transmit or receive data in a VLC may create a flickering effect which is observed when the human eye is able to perceive the fluctuations of the light intensity in a LED. To prevent flickering, the LEDs may emit light based on a pattern of data and energy intervals. During the data intervals, a LED transmitting a message sends one or more data symbols to receiving LEDs. The receiving LEDs, however, are reversed bias and do not emit light. During the energy intervals, any LED in the VLC system may emit light. Each LED uses the energy interval to compensate for the light transmitted (or not transmitted) during the data interval. The combination of data and energy levels results in an observer seeing light with a constant intensity rather than changing intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Domenico Giustiniano, Stefan Mangold, Nils Ole Tippenhauer
  • Patent number: 8861976
    Abstract: A Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) data transmit-receive protocol that can be used with an arbitrary light array, including one or more lights, that transmits light to a light receiver having an image sensor, including a large number of light sensing pixels. The protocol supports two primary protocol or coding modes in which the light array may transmit: spatial coding and space-time coding. The protocol is constructed upon the use of efficient start-frame-delimiters (SFDs) and data-delimiters (DDs). The lights may be implemented to transmit the SFDs, the data delimiters, and data bits as modulated light. The light may be modulated in accordance with a modulation technique referred to as frequency shift on-off keying (FSOOK).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Roberts, Jing Zhu, Mathys C. Walma
  • Patent number: 8849127
    Abstract: Using a general-purpose cost-advantageous blue-light-excited-type white light emitting diode (LED), destruction of devices is prevented and visible light data communication is performed at a sufficient transmission rate. The blue-light-excited-type white LED is driven based on a driving current signal generated based on transmission data. While a visible light signal is outputted to a receiver, a multi-tone driving current signal is generated by a rising pulse and a falling pulse to a rising edge and a falling edge of the transmission data, respectively. Each of pulse widths of the rising pulse and the falling pulse is the same as a unit interval of the transmission data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Yamada, Kousuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8842996
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for transmitting data by using visible light. The transmission apparatus includes: a Serial-to-Parallel (S/P) converter for performing a Serial-to-Parallel conversion on transmission data, and generating multiple parallel data; a modulation means for modulating the multiple parallel data generated by the S/P converter, and generating multiple modulation signals; an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) means for performing an IFFT on the multiple modulation signals so that the multiple modulation signals are orthogonal to one another, and generating an IFFT signal; and a light-emitting means for causing a light source to emit light based on the IFFT signal generated by the IFFT means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Atsuya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8836931
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a detection system for acquiring the SPR angle, including a modulatable SPR sensor to be detected; an incident light source apparatus; a photoelectric detector; a narrowband filter system; a modulated signal source for generating an alternating current signal that is used to modulate said modulatable SPR sensor; and a data processing system for recording the corresponding relationship between the incident angle and the intensity of the filtered reflected light and further obtaining the resonance angle of said modulatable SPR sensor. The present disclosure also provides a corresponding detection method for acquiring the SPR angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignees: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, Beihang University
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Jinsong Zhu, Zheng Zheng, Jiangfeng Fan
  • Patent number: 8831438
    Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting visible light communication data is provided, the apparatus including a common modulation unit generating a modulated signal for transmitting a first visible light communication data, a plurality of individual modulation units generating modulated signals for transmitting a plurality of second visible light communication data, and a plurality of light emitting units receiving the modulated signals from the plurality of individual modulation units, respectively, and outputting visible light signals, wherein an output of the common modulation unit is the input as an output control signal of the individual modulation units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Bum Park, Yun-Je Oh, Dae-Kwang Jung
  • Patent number: 8818202
    Abstract: A wavelength sensing lighting system may include a light source, a sensor and a controller. One or more light sources and sensors may be included in an array. The light source may emit an illuminating light and the sensor may sense an environmental light. The illuminating light may include data light. The lighting system may include a plurality of nodes connected in a network. The nodes may communicate by emitting and receiving the data light, which may be analyzed by the controller. The light source and the sensor may be provided by a light emitting semiconductor device that is capable of emitting illuminating light and receiving environmental light. A conversion material may convert the wavelength of a source light into a converted light. The conversion material may increase the wavelength range of light emittable and detectable by the lighting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Environmental Light Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Fredric S. Maxik, David E. Bartine, Pedro Medelius, Eric Bretschneider
  • Patent number: 8811825
    Abstract: A method is provide for optically transferring data between a transmitter and a receiver employs a color coding method based on a plurality of elementary colors for encoding and transferring the data. Each elementary color is transmitted by one optical radiation source each on the transmitter side, and is received on the receiver side by one optical radiation receiver each. A control loop is formed between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein calibration messages are sent by the transmitter to the receiver, and wherein compensation information is determined by means of comparing at least one channel property of at least one received calibration message to a corresponding channel property of at least one previously transmitted calibration message, and wherein an adjustment of at least one transmitting parameter is made in the transmitter on the basis of the compensation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Joachim Walewski