METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION USING A RETRO-REFLECTOR

• US 20100054755A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Dong-Seek, WON, Eun-Tae, BAE, Tae-Han, SON, Jae-Seung, KWON, Hyuk-Choon
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2587 using a single light source for multiple stations

Abstract

An optical communication apparatus includes an optical signal transmitting unit to output an optical signal; an optical signal receiving unit to receive an optical signal; a retro-reflector to retro-reflect the received optical signal in a direction opposite to an incident angle of the received optical signal; and a control unit to direct the retro-reflector to receive the optical signal and to retro-reflect a response signal, which includes the received optical signal and data to be transmitted, in response to the received optical signal.

Claims

1. An optical communication apparatus, comprising:

an optical signal transmitting unit to output an optical signal;

an optical signal receiving unit to receive an optical signal;

a retro-reflector to retro-reflect the received optical signal in a direction opposite to an incident angle of the received optical signal; and

a control unit to direct the retro-reflector to receive the optical signal and to retro-reflect a response signal in response to the received optical signal.

2. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the response signal includes the received optical signal and data to be transmitted.

3. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a lamp and reception sensitivity measurer, which indicates a reception sensitivity of the optical signal received by the optical signal receiving unit.

4. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit for user input;

a data storage unit to store data to be transmitted and received; and

a display unit to display information to be output.

5. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retro-reflector has a mechanical modulation function and an electro-optic modulation function.

6. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retro-reflector is comprised in the optical signal receiving unit.

7. The optical communication apparatus of claim 6, wherein the retro-reflector has a structure surrounding the optical signal receiving unit in a ring shape.

8. The optical communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the retro-reflector has a structure surrounded by the optical signal receiving unit in a ring shape.

9. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retro-reflector allows permeation of the optical signal and reflects the optical signal.

10. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical signal transmitting unit comprises Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

11. The optical communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical communication apparatus is portable mobile apparatus.

12. A method of optical communication using a retro-reflector, comprising the steps of:

receiving an optical signal by an optical signal receiving unit; and

retro-reflecting, by the retro-reflector, a response signal, which includes the received optical signal and data to be transmitted, in response to the received optical signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the retro-reflector has a mechanical modulation function and an electro-optic modulation function.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the retro-reflector is comprised in the optical signal receiving unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the retro-reflector has a structure surrounding the optical signal receiving unit in a ring shape.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the retro-reflector has a structure surrounded by the optical signal receiving unit in a ring shape.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the retro-reflector allows permeation of the optical signal and reflects the optical signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of retro-reflecting, by the retro-reflector, a response signal, which includes the received optical signal and data to be transmitted, in response to the received optical signal, comprises:

transmitting data to be transmitted through an optical signal transmitting unit as a response to the received optical signal; and

when a signal indicating reception of a signal having a reception sensitivity below a preset level has been received, retro-reflecting, by the retro-reflector, the response signal, which includes the received optical signal and the data to be transmitted, in response to the received optical signal.