VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20150098708A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KIDO, Shojirou, SHIOHAMA, Eiji, MATSUKAWA, Yoshihiko, IKEHARA, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/532 Polarisation modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A visible light communication apparatus includes a constant current circuit and a load circuit including light emitting elements connected to output terminals of the constant current circuit. Further, the visible light communication apparatus includes a load variation circuit configured to change load characteristics of the load circuit by electrically connecting to the load circuit, the load variation circuit including a series circuit of a diode and a resistor connected in series to the load circuit and a switching element configured to electrically connect or disconnect the load variation circuit to the load circuit in response to a binary communication signal.

Claims

1. A visible light communication apparatus comprising:

a constant current circuit;

a load circuit including light emitting elements connected to output terminals of the constant current circuit;

a load variation circuit configured to change load characteristics of the load circuit by electrically connecting to the load circuit, the load variation circuit including a series circuit of a diode and a resistor connected in series to the load circuit; and

a switching element configured to electrically connect or disconnect the load variation circuit to the load circuit in response to a binary communication signal.

2. The visible light communication apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the load variation circuit partially changes load characteristics of the load circuit, and

wherein a resistance value of the resistor is greater than a resistance value of an equivalent resistance of the diode.

3. The visible light communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diode includes a rectifier diode.

4. The visible light communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diode includes a light emitting diode.

5. The visible light communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the diode includes a rectifier diode.

6. The visible light communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the diode includes a light emitting diode.