Communication system

• US 6,400,482 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Talking Lights LLC
• Inventors: Hovorka, George B., Bentzen, Billie L., Leeb, Steven B., Lupton, Elmer C., Jackson, Deron
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US09/291,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 359/141, 359/142, 359/144, 359/154, 359/145
• US Class Current: 398/140
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A communications network comprised of a source of information to be transmitted in the form of a signal, one or more transmitters which emit light suitable for illumination and including means for modulating the light with the information signal, a medium such as a fluid through which the light passes, and one or more receivers for receiving the light and demodulating the signal to obtain the information. A user for the information may be a device, such as a computer or a compact disk player, or it may be a person, perhaps with some form of sensory or mental impairment. The information may be encrypted, may provide directional guidance, such as to a user moving in a vehicle, and/or may be transmitted simultaneously over multiple channels. Various types of visible light assemblies may be employed, with varying power inputs and outputs.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising:

a source of data in the form of a signal;

a transmitter that emits visible light capable of providing illumination and electronically detectable variations, the variations resulting from data transmission and being imperceptible by a human eye, the transmitter further providing a means for modulating the light and signal, the modulation means being selected from the group consisting of analog FM, discrete pulse code FM with two level coding, and any other FM orthogonal bit coding scheme;

a medium through which the light passes;

a receiver for receiving the light and demodulating the signal to translate the data; and

a user for the data.

2. The network of claim 1 in which the data is repetitive and the source of the data provides the data in a repetitive fashion.

3. The network of claim 1 in which the data is non-repetitive and the source of the data provides the data in a non-repetitive fashion.

4. The network of claim 1 in which the user comprises a user of encrypted data and the data being transmitted comprises a decryption code for said encrypted data.

5. The network of claim 1 in which multiple channels of data are transmitted simultaneously over the network.

6. The network of claim 5 in which the multiple channels of data are used to transmit different languages.

7. The network of claim 1 in which the user is visually impaired.

8. The network of claim 7 in which the data comprises way finding information.

9. The network of claim 1 in which the user is hearing impaired.

10. The network of claim 9 in which the information comprises aural information.

11. The network of claim 9 in which the data is selected from the group consisting of textual, graphical and pictorial information.

12. The network of claim 1 in which the user is moving.

13. The network of claim 1 in which the network is installed in a vehicle and the user is inside or on the vehicle.

14. The network of claim 13 in which the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft, a boat, a submarine, a bus, an automobile, a motorcycle, a tank, a military vehicle other than a tank, a wheelchair and a spacecraft.

15. The network of claim 1 in which the user is the guidance system of a vehicle and the information being transmitted is guidance or directional information.

16. The network of claim 1 in which the transmitter is moving.

17. The network of claim 1 in which the transmitter is installed on a vehicle and transmits information to a user not in or on the vehicle.

18. The network of claim 1 in which the medium comprises liquid.

19. The network of claim 18 in which said liquid comprises water.

20. The network of claim 1 in which the medium comprises vacuum or gas at a pressure below 0.5 atmospheres.

21. The network of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of receivers and a plurality of users.

22. The network of claim 1 wherein the data transmission has been compressed.

23. The network of claim 1 wherein the receiver comprises a means to receive a signal in two or more wavelength regions.

24. The network of claim 1 wherein the receiver comprises a vibratory signaler.

25. The communication network of claim 1 in which the receiver further comprises the capability to receive and process light in some non-visible wavelength range in addition to the visible wavelength range.

26. A communications network comprising:

a plurality of visible light assemblies, each capable of transmitting a signal unique to that light assembly, said signal being encoded in the light provided by the visible light assembly by means of visible light modulation;

electronic circuitry capable of providing the visible light;

a medium means through which visible light passes and is transmitted;

a receiver means for receiving and demodulating the light and for identifying and presenting the encoded signal from one of the light assemblies; and

a computer means for processing the encoded signal and making further decisions based on the signal received

in which the computer means comprises a memory device having data or other information other than data coding schemes stored in various coded locations and the information transmitted over the network comprises information on which coded locations should be selected and which corresponding data or other information other than data coding schemes stored in those coded locations should be extracted from the memory device.

27. The communication network of claim 26 in which any variations in the visible light transmitted as a result of the modulation are imperceptible by a human eye.

33. The communications network of claim 26 in which the user is mentally disabled.

34. The communication network of claim 26 further comprising a clock or other timekeeping device which can provide time information to the computer concerning the date or time of day during which a message is received.

35. The communications network of claim 34 further comprising the computer capability to store information on the sequence of light assemblies viewed by the receiver together with the time at which each light assembly is viewed.

36. The communications network of claim 26 further comprising the computer capability to store information on the sequence of light assemblies viewed by the receiver.

37. The communications network of claim 26 further comprising the capability of storing a list of which light assemblies are authorized or not authorized for the user.

38. The communications network of claim 37 further comprising the capability of deciding that a user is receiving a signal from an unauthorized light assembly and presenting information to the user based on that decision.

39. The communications network of claim 37 further comprising the capability of receiving a reprogramming signal contained in modulated light and changing the stored memory of authorized and unauthorized locations.

41. The communications network of claim 26 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises one or more lamps selected from the group consisting of fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, light emitting diodes, lasers, cathode ray tubes, particle beam emitters, liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent panels, klystrons, masers, incandescent lamps and gas discharge lamps.

42. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises one or more incandescent lamps.

43. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises one or more gas discharge lamps.

44. The communications network of claim 43 in which at least one of the gas discharge lamps comprises a fluorescent lamp.

45. The communications network of claim 43 in which at least one of the gas discharge lamps comprises a high intensity discharge lamp.

46. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a light emitting diode.

47. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a laser.

48. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a cathode ray tube.

49. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a particle beam emitter.

50. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a liquid crystal display.

51. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises an electroluminescent panel.

52. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a klystron.

53. The communications network of claim 41 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies comprises a maser.

54. The communications network of claim 26 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power output of at least 0.85 milliwatt.

55. The communications network of claim 54 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power output of at least 0.5 milliwatts.

56. The communications network of claim 55 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power output of at least 1 watt.

57. The communication network of claim 26 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power input of at least 13 watts.

58. The communication network of claim 57 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power input of at least 30 watts.

59. The communications network of claim 58 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power input of at least 35 watts.

60. The communication network of claim 59 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power input of at least 40 watts.

61. The communication network of claim 59 in which at least one of the visible light assemblies has a power input of at least 800 watts.

62. The communications network of claim 26 in which additional information is transmitted over the network and the information delivered to the unit comprises some information from the memory storage device and some information transmitted over the network.

63. The communication network of claim 26 in which the receiver further comprises the capability to receive and process light in some non-visible wavelength range in addition to the visible wavelength range.

64. The network of claim 26 wherein the receiver comprises a means to receive a signal in two or more wavelength regions.

28. The communications network of 26 in which the electronic methodology for transmitting said encoded signal comprises frequency modulation.

29. The communication network of 26 in which the computer user means then presents an audio message.

30. The communication network of 29 in which the audio message is presented to a human user.

31. The communications network of 30 in which the audio message is presented in a voice of personal significance to the human user.

32. The communication network of 31 in which the voice of personal significance to the user is selected from the voices of the group consisting of the user himself or herself, the user'"'"'s parents, siblings, children, spouse, business partners, close friends, former spouse(s), school classmates, friends and acquaintances, coworkers, current or former neighbors, physicians, nurses and other caregivers.

40. The communications network of 26 in which additional information is transmitted over the network and the information delivered to the user comprises some information from the memory storage device and some information transmitted over the network.

65. A communications network comprising:

a source of data in the form of a signal;

a transmitter that emits light and includes a means for modulating the light to effect data transmission, any variations in the light as a result of the modulation being imperceptible by a human eye;

a medium through which the light passes;

a receiver for receiving the light and demodulating the signal to obtain information; and

a user for the informations a memory device having data or other information other than data coding schemes stored in various coded locations and the information transmitted over the network comprises information on which coded locations should be selected an which corresponding data or other information other than data coding schemes stored in those coded locations should be extracted from the memory device.

66. The communications network of claim 65 in which additional information is transmitted over the network and the information delivered to the user comprises some information from the memory storage device and some information transmitted over the network.