Broadcast signal retransmission system and method using illuminating visible-light communication

• US 20070157258A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jong, Jung, Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a broadcast signal retransmission system and method using illuminating visible-light communication. The broadcast signal retransmission system comprises one or more light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures, one or more smart communicators, and a home server. The home server receives and demodulates a multi-channel broadcast signal and, in reply to a signal request message from a smart communicator, transmits a demodulated broadcast channel signal through a power line to an LED lighting fixture indicated by the signal request message. The LED lighting fixture converts the broadcast channel signal into a light signal. The smart communicator receives the light signal from the LED lighting fixture and decodes the light signal into a broadcast signal. As a result, the user can selectively receive a broadcast signal of a desired channel using a smart communicator via a nearby LED lighting fixture.

Claims

1. A broadcast signal retransmission system using illuminating light communication, comprising:

one or more visible-light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures, each of which converts a broadcast channel signal received through a power line into a light signal and outputs the converted light signal as illumination light;

one or more smart communicators, each of which performs a request message transmit operation for a desired channel, and decodes the illumination light from a corresponding LED lighting fixture into a reply broadcast signal and outputs the reply broadcast signal; and

a home server for receiving a multi-channel broadcast signal, and for, upon reception of a channel signal request message containing a desired channel index and location reference from a particular smart communicator, setting a signal switching path on the basis of the location reference and transmitting a broadcast channel signal of the requested channel through a power line connected with the signal switching path to an LED lighting fixture installed at the site indicated by the location reference.

2. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 1, wherein the smart communicator comprises:

a communication module for connecting to the home server to perform a signal request message transmit operation;

a light-receiving section for receiving illumination light from a corresponding LED lighting fixture;

a broadcast signal decoder for decoding the received illumination light into a reply broadcast signal; and

a user interface for outputting the decoded reply broadcast signal.

3. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes at least one of a display section for displaying a video part of the decoded reply broadcast signal and an audio processor for outputting an audio part of the decoded reply broadcast signal.

4. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 2, wherein the smart communicator further comprises a key interface for inputting a channel signal request containing a location reference.

5. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 2, wherein the smart communicator further comprises a memory section for storing a reply broadcast signal transmitted from the home server and channel information of the reply broadcast signal.

6. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 1, wherein the home server comprises:

a communication module for signal request message reception from the smart communicators;

a radio frequency (RF) coupler for outputting the received multi-channel broadcast signal to one or more output lines;

one or more RF tuners, each of which tunes to a multi-channel broadcast signal from the RF coupler to detect a broadcast channel signal of an available channel according to an input command;

one or more demodulators for demodulating the broadcast channel signals from the related RF tuners;

a switching section for setting, according to the channel signal request message containing a desired channel index and location reference, a signal switching path to route a selected one of the broadcast channel signals demodulated by the demodulators; and

a power line modem for superimposing the selected broadcast channel signal routed along the signal switching path on a power wave carried on a power line to transmit the broadcast channel signal through the power line.

7. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 6, wherein the home server further comprises:

a channel information detector for detecting channel information from the demodulated broadcast channel signals; and

a path controller for controlling a switching path setting operation of the switching section using the detected channel information.

8. A broadcast signal retransmission method using illuminating visible-light communication, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a multi-channel broadcast signal, and demodulating the received multi-channel broadcast signal into broadcast channel signals by available channels;

b) receiving a channel signal request message containing a desired channel index and location reference from a smart communicator;

c) setting, according to the received channel signal request message, a signal switching path to route a selected one of the broadcast channel signals; and

d) superimposing the selected broadcast channel signal of the requested channel on a power wave carried on a power line connected to the signal switching path, and transmitting the broadcast channel signal through the power line to an LED lighting fixture installed at the site indicated by the location reference.

9. The broadcast signal retransmission method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

e) converting, on reception of the broadcast channel signal by the LED lighting fixture, the broadcast channel signal into illumination light and outputting the converted illumination light; and

f) receiving, by the smart communicator, the outputted illumination light, decoding the received illumination light into a reply broadcast signal, and outputting the decoded reply broadcast signal.

10. The broadcast signal retransmission method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

g) detecting channel information from the demodulated broadcast channel signals, wherein the signal switching path is set through identifying the requested channel and detecting the broadcast channel signal of the requested channel, using the detected channel information.

11. The broadcast signal retransmission method of claim 8, wherein the step of receiving a multi-channel broadcast signal includes the steps of:

receiving the multi-channel broadcast signal and outputting the received the multi-channel broadcast signal to one or more output lines;

tuning to the multi-channel broadcast signal to detect the broadcast channel signals of the available channels; and

demodulating the detected broadcast channel signals.

12. A broadcast communication signal retransmission system, comprising:

a server comprising;

means for receiving a multi-channel broadcast signal, and demodulating the received multi-channel broadcast signal into broadcast channel signals by available channels;

means for receiving a channel signal request message containing a desired channel index and location reference from a smart communicator;

means for setting, according to the received channel signal request message, a signal switching path to route a selected one of the broadcast channel signals;

means for superimposing the selected broadcast channel signal of the requested channel on a power wave carried on a power line connected to the signal switching path, and

means for transmitting the broadcast channel signal through the power line to the site indicated by the location reference;

at least one visible-light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixture for converting a broadcast channel signal received through a power line into a light signal and outputs the converted light signal as illumination light; and

at least one communicator for performing a request message transmit operation for a desired channel, and decodes the illumination light from a corresponding LED lighting fixture into a reply broadcast signal and outputs the reply broadcast signal.

13. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 12, the server further comprising:

means for detecting channel information from the demodulated broadcast channel signals, wherein the signal switching path is set through identifying the requested channel and detecting the broadcast channel signal of the requested channel, using the detected channel information.

14. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 12, wherein the server further comprising:

means for tuning to the multi-channel broadcast signal to detect the broadcast channel signals of the available channels; and

means for demodulating the detected broadcast channel signals.

15. The broadcast signal retransmission system of claim 12, wherein the server further comprising:

storage means for storing the signal switching paths.