MODULATION DEVICE AND LIGHTING DEVICE

• US 20160352424A1
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KIDO, Shojirou, MATSUKAWA, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,825,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/808 Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system

Abstract

A modulation device includes: a modulation ID signal generator that generates a first ID signal including first identification information; a reception terminal capable of receiving a second ID signal including second identification information; a transmission terminal capable of transmitting the first ID signal and the second ID signal out of the modulation device; a detector that detects a received state in which the second ID signal is received by the reception terminal and an unreceived state in which the second ID signal is not received by the reception terminal; and a switch circuit that outputs the first ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state.

Claims

1. A modulation device that modulates current to be supplied to a lamp of a lighting device capable of visible light communication, the modulation device comprising:

a modulation ID (identification) signal generator that generates a first ID signal, including first identification information, for modulating the current;

a reception terminal for receiving, from outside the modulation device, a second ID signal, including second identification information, for modulating the current;

a transmission terminal for transmitting the first ID signal and the second ID signal out of the modulation device;

a detector that detects a received state in which the second. ID signal is received by the reception terminal and an unreceived state in which the second ID signal is not received by the reception terminal; and

a witch circuit that outputs the first ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state.

2. The modulation device according to claim 1, further comprising a modulator circuit that, in accordance with one of the first ID signal and the second ID signal input via the switch circuit, modulates the current to be supplied to the lamp,

wherein the switch circuit outputs the first ID signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state.

3. The modulation device according to claim 2, further comprising an interruption circuit that, in accordance with a detection result of the detector, interrupts a signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit,

wherein when the detector detects the unreceived state, the interruption circuit passes the first ID signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit, and when the detector detects the received state, the interruption circuit interrupts the second ID signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit.

4. The modulation device according to claim 1, further comprising a photocoupler that transmits, to the detector, the second ID signal received by the reception terminal.

5. The modulation device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the reception terminal and the transmission terminal is connected to an optical fiber connected to another modulation device.

6. The modulation device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the reception terminal and the transmission terminal is connected to a wireless communication device for communicating with another modulation device.

7. A lighting device, comprising:

the modulation device according to claim 1; and

the lamp.

8. A modulation device that modulates current to be supplied to a lamp of a lighting device capable of visible light communication, the modulation device comprising:

a modulation ID (identification) signal generator that generates a first ID signal, including first identification information, for modulating the current;

a reception terminal for receiving, from outside the modulation device, a second ID signal, including second identification information, for modulating the current;

a transmission terminal for transmitting the first ID signal and the second ID signal out of the modulation device;

a detector that detects a received state in which the second ID signal is received by the reception terminal and an unreceived state in which the second ID signal is not received by the reception terminal;

a switch circuit that outputs the first ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state; and

a modulator circuit that, in accordance with one of the first ID signal and the second ID signal input via the switch circuit, modulates the current to be supplied to the lamp,

wherein the switch circuit outputs the first ID signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state.

9. A modulation device that modulates current to be supplied to a lamp of a lighting device capable of visible light communication, the modulation device comprising:

a modulation ID (identification) signal generator that generates a first ID signal, including first identification information, for modulating the current;

a reception terminal for receiving, from outside the modulation device, a second ID signal, including second identification information, for modulating the current;

a transmission terminal for transmitting the first ID signal and the second ID signal out of the modulation device;

a detector that detects a received state in which the second. ID signal is received by the reception terminal and an unreceived state in which the second ID signal is not received by the reception terminal;

a switch circuit that outputs the first ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second ID signal to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state;

a modulator circuit that, in accordance with one of the first ID signal and the second ID signal input via the switch circuit, modulates the current to be supplied to the lamp; and

an interruption circuit that, in accordance with a detection result of the detector, interrupts a signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit,

wherein the switch circuit outputs the first ID signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the unreceived state and outputs the second signal to the modulator circuit and to the transmission terminal when the detector detects the received state, and

when the detector detects the unreceived state, the interruption circuit passes the first ID signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit, and when the detector detects the received state, the interruption circuit interrupts the second ID signal output from the switch circuit to the modulator circuit.