Optical communication system and optical transmission device

• US 9,742,501 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Original Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Inventors: Hsieh, Hsiang-Chin, Chen, Hung-Yu, Chow, Chi-Wai, Liang, Kevin, Chen, Chung-Yen, Yeh, Chien-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Li
• Application Number:
  US14/962,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 398171
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1121 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1129 Arrangements for outdoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 Details of coding or modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/524 Pulse modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/541 Digital intensity or amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/69 Electrical arrangements in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/80 Optical aspects relating to the use of optical transmission for specific applications, not provided for in groups H04B10/03 - H04B10/70, e.g. optical power feeding or optical transmission through water

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical communication system and an optical transmission device. By changing the ratio between the first segment and the segment or/and the amplitude of the second segment, the digital signal is modulated and transmitted in the form of an optical signal. Then a solar panel, which is used as the receiver for the optical signal, can receive the optical signal and give directly the one or more digital signal without demodulation. Thereby, the costs of using a solar panel as the optical receiver may be reduced and the transmission rate may be enhanced.

Claims

1. An optical communication system, comprising:

an optical transmission device, comprising a modulation unit and a light-source unit, said modulation unit configured for receiving one or more digital signal and outputting one or more modulated signal to said light-source unit, and said light-source unit configured for transmitting one or more optical signal according to said one or more modulated signal; and

an optical receiving device, including a solar panel, said solar panel configured for receiving said one or more optical signal and generating one or more electric signal, and giving said one or more digital signal according to the variation of said one or more electric signal;

wherein said one or more digital signal includes a first segment and a second segment, said modulation unit reduces the amplitude of said second segment when said one or more digital signal is a high-level signal, and said modulation unit increases the amplitude of said second segment when said one or more digital signal is a low-level signal, said optical transmission device further includes a control unit transmitting a control signal to said modulation unit; and

said modulation unit adjusts the ratio or/and amplitude of said first segment and said second segment of said one or more digital signal according to said control signal, said control unit adjusts the ratio or/and amplitude of said first segment and said second segment according to the bandwidth limitation of said solar panel.

2. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein said one or more electric signal is a voltage or a current.

3. The optical communication system of claim 2, wherein said one or more digital signal is a high-level signal when said one or more electric signal is a high voltage or a high current, and said one or more digital signal is a low-level signal when said one or more electric signal is a low voltage or a low current.

4. The optical communication system of claim 2, wherein said one or more digital signal is a low-level signal when said one or more electric signal is a high voltage or a high current, and said one or more digital signal is a high-level signal when said one or more electric signal is a low voltage or a low current.

5. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein said optical receiving device further includes an electric storage unit charged via said one or more electric signal.

6. The optical communication system of claim 5, further comprising an electronic device connected electrically with said optical receiving device.

7. The optical communication system of claim 6, wherein said electronic device receives said one or more digital signal and said electric storage unit supplies the electric power required by said electronic device for operation.

8. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein said light-source unit transmits said one or more optical signal in the form of visible or invisible light.

9. The optical communication system of claim 1, wherein said electric storage unit is a capacitor or a battery.

10. An optical transmission device, comprising:

a modulation unit, configured for receiving one or more digital signal and outputting one or more modulated signal, wherein said one or more digital signal includes a first segment and a second segment, said modulation unit reduces the amplitude of said second segment when said one or more digital signal is a high-level signal, and said modulation unit increases the amplitude of said second segment when said one or more digital signal is a low-level signal;

a control unit, transmitting a control signal to said modulation unit, and said modulation unit adjusting the ratio or/and amplitude of said first segment and said second segment according to said control signal, said control unit adjusts the ratio or/and amplitude of said first segment and said second segment according to the bandwidth limitation of a receiver and said receiver is a solar panel; and

a light-source unit, receiving said one or more modulated signal, and transmitting one or more optical signal according to said one or more modulated signal.

11. The optical transmission device of claim 10, wherein said light-source unit transmits said one or more optical signal in the form of visible or invisible light.