SPATIAL LIGHT COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20130336662A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VLC Co., Ltd. (VLC HOLDINGS CO., LTD.)
• Original Assignee: Outstanding Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Hiroyuki, Murayama, Fumitaka, Narusawa, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

The spatial light communication device is constituted with a spatial light transmitter which is installed in a fixed manner in a plurality of places, stores preset ID information of its own and has a light emitting portion for emitting spatial light on which the ID information is superimposed, and a spatial light receiver which is connected to a handheld terminal, has a light receiving portion for receiving spatial light emitted from the light emitting portion of the spatial light transmitter and also has a light receiving circuit for amplifying and outputting a light receiving signal of the light receiving portion. The spatial light receiver is provided with a connector portion which is connected to a microphone input terminal of the handheld terminal as a terminal for outputting a light receiving output signal of the light receiving circuit to the handheld terminal.

Claims

1. A spatial light communication device comprising:

a spatial light transmitter which has a light emitting portion for emitting spatial light on which an information signal stored in advance or an information signal input externally is superimposed; and

a spatial light receiver which is connected to a handheld terminal, has a light receiving portion for receiving spatial light emitted from the light emitting portion of the spatial light transmitter and also has a light receiving circuit for amplifying and outputting a light receiving signal of the light receiving portion;

wherein

the spatial light transmitter is provided with the light emitting portion which emits spatial light from a light emitting element, a light emission driving circuit which drives the light emitting element so as to emit light and a transmission signal reproducing portion which modulates a carrier wave by the information signal stored in advance or the information signal input externally to reproduce a transmission signal, thereby outputting the signal to the light emission driving circuit, and

the spatial light receiver is provided with a connector portion which is connected to a microphone input terminal of the handheld terminal as a terminal for outputting a light receiving output signal of the light receiving circuit to the handheld terminal.

2. The spatial light communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the spatial light transmitter is provided with an ID information storage portion which stores ID information of its own, and the transmission signal reproducing portion modulates a carrier wave by using an information signal containing the ID information, reproducing a transmission signal and outputting the signal to the light emission driving circuit, thereby emitting spatial light on which the information signal containing the ID information is superimposed.

3. The spatial light communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the handheld terminal samples an analog signal input through the connector portion of the spatial light receiver at a predetermined cycle, converting the analog signal to a digital signal and demodulating the digital signal to obtain information.

4. The spatial light communication device according to claim 1, wherein

as a light emitting element of the light emitting portion of the spatial light transmitter, used is an element which irradiates visible light, and as a light receiving element of a photodetector of the spatial light receiver, used is a photo diode for visible light.

5. The spatial light communication device according to claim 4, wherein

an LED is used as the light emitting element of the light emitting portion of the spatial light transmitter.

6. The spatial light communication device according to claim 4, wherein

an organic EL element is used as the light emitting element of the light emitting portion of the spatial light transmitter.

7. The spatial light communication device according to claim 1, wherein

a screw fitting which can be attached to an electric-bulb socket is installed at a power source input portion of the spatial light transmitter.

8. The spatial light communication device according to claim 2, wherein

the handheld terminal is provided with a storage portion which stores content information supplied to a user and control information including information for running a software program activated by the handheld terminal, where the content information of the storage portion or the control information on the software program is changed, the content information or the control information on the software program is collected via a transfer cable, an external memory, etc., and the content information or the control information on the software program is stored at the storage portion so as to correspond to the ID information.

9. The spatial light communication device according to claim 2, wherein

the handheld terminal is provided with a storage portion for storing content information to be supplied to a user and control information including information for running a software program activated by the handheld terminal, where the content information of the storage portion or the control information on the software program is changed, access is made to a content server on a network to collect the content information or the control information on the software program, thereby storing the content information or the control information on the software program at the storage portion so as to correspond to the ID information.

10. The spatial light communication device according to claim 1, wherein

a power source line for inputting direct-current electricity supplied from a microphone input terminal of the handheld terminal is installed at the light receiving portion and the light receiving circuit of the spatial light receiver.

11. The spatial light communication device according to claim 10, wherein

a capacitor is connected between the power source line installed at the light receiving portion and the light receiving circuit of the spatial light receiver and the ground.