Visible light communication apparatus and visible light communication method

• US 7,912,377 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koga, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Curs; Nathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/591,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 398/17, 398/172
• US Class Current: 398/172
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A PLC modem performs communication via transmission lines made of a pair of cables as an example of a wired transmission line. Data displaying an operation state of the PLC modem is transmitted to a light emitting part via a modulator, and is converted into a high-speed flash signal for output.

Claims

1. A visible light communication apparatus for performing communication using visible light, the visible light communication apparatus comprising:

a communication unit that performs communication with another communication apparatus;

a state detector that detects a transmission rate of a signal transmitted over a transmission line between the visible light communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus;

a controller that generates a first signal and a second signal based on the transmission rate detected by the state detector, the first signal indicating the transmission rate is decreased more than a given amount relative to an average transmission rate over a predetermined period, and the second signal including detailed information regarding the transmission rate;

a modulator that modulates the first signal at a first frequency and modulates the second signal at a second frequency, the first frequency being lower than the second frequency; and

a light emitting part that outputs the modulated first and second signals as visible light having first and second flashing patterns that are different from each other, the second flashing pattern providing said detailed information.

2. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting part outputs the modulated first and second signals in synchronism.

3. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting part begins to output the modulated second signal after beginning of outputting of the modulated first signal.

4. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modulator modulates the first signal at the first frequency so that the flashing pattern of the light emitting part is at a perceivable level by the human naked eye.

5. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modulator modulate the second signal at the second frequency so that the flashing pattern of the light emitting part outputs is not at a perceivable level by the human naked eye.

6. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, the second frequency is on the order of kHz-MHz.

7. The visible light communication apparatus according to claim 1, the communication unit performs power line communication with the another communication apparatus.

8. A visible light communication method for performing communication by a visible light communication apparatus, the method comprising:

(a) performing communication with another communication apparatus;

(b) determining a transmission rate of a signal transmitted over a transmission line between the visible light communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus;

(c) generating a first signal and a second signal based on the transmission rate detected by step (b), the first signal indicating the transmission rate is decreased more than a given amount relative to an average transmission rate over a predetermined period, and the second signal including detailed information regarding the transmission rate;

(d) modulating the first signal at a first frequency and the second signal at a second frequency, the first frequency being lower than the second frequency; and

(e) outputting the modulated first and second signals as visible light having first and second flashing patterns that are different from each other, the second flashing pattern providing said detailed information.