Communication with non-flickering illumination

• US 7,016,115 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• 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: Avestruz, Al-Thaddeus, Leeb, Steven B., Lupton, Elmer C., Hinman, Roderick T., Jackson, Deron K., Livshin, Gary, Hovorka, George B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet Thi
• Application Number:
  US10/946,166
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 359/589, 359/298, 359/307, 340/289.02
• US Class Current: 359/589
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A system for and method of generating electromagnetic radiation in which the radiation has both a first and second utility. The electromagnetic radiation is modulated to produce electronically detectable variations to achieve the second utility, the variations not affecting the first utility. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation is visible light. In this embodiment, the first utility is illumination and the second utility is the transmission of data. In another embodiment, the invention provides a lamp for generating visible light capable of providing illumination and transmitting data to a receiver. Any variations in the visible light resulting from the data transmission are imperceptible by a human eye regardless of the nature of the data being transmitted. In yet another embodiment, a power line carrier modem or wireless network may be used with the present invention to transmit information to the source.

Claims

1. A process for simultaneously providing illumination that is free to the eye of flicker and other distracting optical phenomena and for providing communication comprising the steps of:

providing a source of data comprising elements selected from a group consisting of analog data, digital data, control codes and start codes;

providing a design of an illumination means in which the illumination means can be modulated;

analyzing the nature of the data from the source of data and the design of the illumination means;

based on the analysis, selecting an encoding means for the data such that it is transmitted by modulating the illumination means without creating flicker or other distracting optical phenomena which are visible to the eye;

providing an illumination means based on said design of an illumination means;

providing a medium means through which the illumination passes;

providing a receiver means for receiving and processing the modulated illumination from the illumination means and extracting the encoded data;

providing a user means for using the data processed by the receiver means; and

transmitting data from the source of data to the illumination means, wherein the encoding means encodes the data, and the illumination means then transmits the encoded data by modulating the illumination means without creating flicker or other distracting optical phenomena visible to the eye, to the receiver means which receives and processes the modulated illumination, extracts the encoded data and supplies it to the user means.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the data comprises analog data.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of control codes and start codes.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the illumination means is 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.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of digital data, control codes and start codes.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the data comprises digital data.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means is selected from a group consisting of a power line modem and a wireless network.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means comprises a power line modem.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means comprises a wireless network.

10. A process for simultaneously providing illumination which is free to the eye of flicker and other distracting optical phenomena and for providing communication comprising:

providing a source of data comprising elements selected from a group consisting of analog data, digital data, control codes and start codes;

providing an illumination means;

analyzing the nature of the data from the source of data and the nature of the illumination means;

based on the analysis, selecting an encoding means for the data such that it is transmitted by modulating the illumination means without creating flicker or other distracting optical phenomena which are visible to the eye;

providing a medium means through which the illumination passes;

providing a receiver means for receiving and processing the modulated illumination from the illumination means and extracting the encoded data;

providing a user means for using the data processed by the receiver means; and

transmitting data from the source of data to the illumination means, wherein the encoding means encodes the data, and the illumination means then transmits the encoded data by modulating the illumination means without creating flicker or other distracting optical phenomena visible to the eye, to the receiver means which receives and processes the modulated illumination, extracts the encoded data and supplies it to the user means.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the data comprises analog data.

12. The process of claim 10, wherein the data is selected from control codes and start codes.

13. The process of claim 10, wherein the illumination means is 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.

14. The process of claim 10, wherein the data is selected digital data, control codes and start codes.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the data comprises digital data.

16. The process of claim 10, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means is selected from a group consisting of a power line modem and a wireless network.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means comprises a power line modem.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein the mechanism for transmitting the data from the source of data to the illumination means comprises a wireless network.