Optical transmission apparatus employing an illumination light

• US 20020167701A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirata, Shoji
• Application Number:
  US10/107,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/121
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

An illumination light source such as LED illumination light is modulated by information supplied from a personal computer. The illumination light is thereby modulated and transmits the information. Then the illumination light is received by a light receiving device, and is demodulated to drive an apparatus such as a printer connected to the light receiving device to print the information.

Claims

1. An optical transmission apparatus for transmitting and receiving information by employing light through a free space comprising:

an illumination light source;

a power source means for supplying power to said illumination light source;

a modulation means for modulating wave forms of said power supplied from said power source means to said illumination light source in response to said information;

a signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting a modulated illumination light obtained from said illumination light source;

a signal receiving means for receiving said modulated illumination light from said illumination light source; and

a signal receiving apparatus having a demodulating means to demodulate said information out of said modulated illumination light received by said signal receiving means.

2. The optical transmission apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein

said illumination light source comprises of a plurality of monochromatic color light sources each having different peak spectrum in frequency.

3. The optical transmission apparatus as cited in claim 2, wherein

said illumination light source comprises of three monochromatic color light sources corresponding to three primary colors.

4. The optical transmission apparatus as cited in claim 3, wherein

said three monochromatic color light sources are applied modulation process by said modulation means each depending on respective independent information;

said receiving means receives said modulated illumination light by separating to respective monochromatic color light; and

said demodulating means demodulates said respective independent information out of said respective monochromatic color light received and separated by said signal receiving means.

5. The optical transmission apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein

said illumination light source is a light emitting diode device.

6. The optical transmission apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein

said signal receiving means is a photo diode device.

7. A transmission device for an optical transmission apparatus for transmitting information by employing light through a free space comprising:

an illumination light source;

a power source means for supplying power to said illumination light source;

a modulation means for modulating wave forms of said power supplied from said power source means to said an illumination light source in response to said information; and

a signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting a modulated illumination light obtained from said illumination light source.