APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING MOBILILITY OF A MOBILE TERMINAL THAT PERFORMS VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATION

• US 20130279917A1
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SON, Jae-Seung, Kim, Do-Young, Won, Eun-Tae, Bae, Tae-Han, Cho, Young-Kwon, Gu, Sun-Gi
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

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.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for performing Visible Light Communication (VLC), the mobile terminal comprising:

a receiver for receiving data from one cell of a plurality of cells managed by a VLC device using a visible light signal;

a transmitter for transmitting data as the visible light signal; and

a controller for, upon receiving the data from the one cell, transmitting a response signal indicating success in receiving the data, and upon failing to receive the data from the one cell, determining whether the data is received from an other cell and transmitting a response signal with respect to the received data from the other cell when the data is received from the other cell.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits a NACK signal indicating a failure to receive data.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cells includes a predetermined number light sources for VLC.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the other cell is adjacent to the one cell.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller performs a link negotiation operation and connects the link with the VLC device when a beacon signal is received from the VLC device.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the response signal is an Acknowledgement (ACK) signal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the response signal is not transmitted to the VLC device, the one cell is changed to the other cell by the VLC device.

8. A method for performing Visible Light Communication (VLC), the method comprising:

receiving data from one cell of a plurality of cells managed by a VLC device using a visible light signal;

transmitting a response signal indicating a success in receiving the data when the data from the one cell is received;

determining whether the data is received from an other cell when the data is note received from the one cell; and

transmitting a response signal respect to the received data from the other cell when the data is received from the other cell.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a NACK signal indicating a failure to receive data when the data is not received by the one cell.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of cells includes a predetermined number light sources for VLC.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the other cell is adjacent to the one cell.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a beacon signal from the VLC device; and

performing a link negotiation operation and connecting the link with the VLC device when a beacon signal is received from the VLC device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the response signal is an Acknowledgement (ACK) signal.