Apparatus, system, method, and program for visible light communication

• US 8,019,229 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Ryuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye; Ken N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jacob; Oommen
• Application Number:
  US11/616,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 398/172, 398/140, 398106-108, 340/815.65
• US Class Current: 398/172
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A visible light communication apparatus enables an operator to visually recognize a communication state during visual light communication. The apparatus includes a light emitting section which emits visible light and which includes a modulator, a visible light emitter, a light emitting element and an emission control section which includes a controller and which controls an emission state of the visible light from the light emitting section. The apparatus controls the emission state according to the communication state. It is hence possible for the operator to visually perceive the communication state during the visible light communication.

Claims

1. A transmitter-side visible communication apparatus for communicating with a receiver-side visible light communication apparatus using visible light, comprising:

light emitting means for emitting the visible light toward a number of receiver-side visible light communication apparatuses;

light receiving means for receiving the visible light which a number of receiver-side visible light communication apparatuses emitted; and

emission control means for controlling an emission state of the light emitting means by

a) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a first color including ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus as a search processing request, when the search processing request for recognizing the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which carries out the communication is emitted;

b) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a second color including ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which emits communication establishment request and ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus, when the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which communicates the information communication is specified, based on information from the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus that the search processing request responded and the communication establishment request is emitted toward the specified receiver-side visible light communication apparatus; and

c) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a third color including transmission data, when the transmission data is emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which responded to the communication establishment request based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

2. A transmitter-side visible communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when a response for all the transmission data emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus has been recognized, based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means, the emission control means controls the light emitting means to stop the emission of the visible light of the third color.

3. A transmitter-side visible communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

emission zone control means for controlling an emission zone of the visible light which the light emitting means emits when the number of receiver-side visible light communication apparatuses have been recognized, based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means;

wherein

the emission zone control means controls the emission zone of the visible light of the first color emitted by the light emitting means so that one receiver-side visible light communication apparatus receives the visible light of the first color.

4. A transmitter-side visible communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light receiving means includes a number of light-sensitive elements provided for the visible light of each color carrying out light receiving zone correspondence.

5. A number of receiver-side visible light communication apparatuses for communicating with a transmitter-side visible communication apparatus using visible light, comprising:

light emitting means for emitting the visible light toward the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus;

light receiving means for receiving the visible light which the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus emitted; and

emission control means for controlling an emission state of the light emitting means by

a) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a first color including ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, when a search processing request emitted from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus in order to recognize the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus for communicating an information communication is responded to;

b) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a second color including ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus and ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, when the communication establishment request from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus is responded to based on information included in the visible light which the light receiving means received; and

c) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a third color including response information, when responding for transmission data from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

6. A receiver-side visible light communication apparatus according to claim 5, the emission control means further comprising:

fourth control means for controlling so that the light emitting means emits the visible light of a fourth color including information of resending a request when the resending request of the transmission data is carried out based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

7. A receiver-side visible light communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the emission control means controls the light emitting means to emit the visible light at a random interval.

8. A receiver-side visible light communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

emission synchronous means for synchronizing an emission state of the light emitting means with the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus according to a state of a communication process established by the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus.

9. A receiver-side visible light communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the light receiving means includes a number of light-sensitive elements provided for the visible light of each color for carrying out light receiving zone correspondence.

10. A visible light communication system for conducting an information communication using visible light, comprising:

a receiver-side visible light communication apparatus for conducting the information communication using visible light;

and a transmitter-side visible communication apparatus including light emitting means which emits visible light toward a number of receiver-side visible light communication apparatuses, light receiving means which receives visible light from receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, and

an emission control means which controls an emission state of the light emitting means by

a) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a first color including ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus as a search processing request, when the search processing request for recognizing the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which carries out the communication is emitted;

b) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a second color including ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which emits communication establishment request and ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus, when the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which communicates the information communication is specified, based on information from the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus that the search processing request responded and the communication establishment request is emitted toward the specified receiver-side visible light communication apparatus; and

c) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a third color including transmission data, when the transmission data is emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which responded to the communication establishment request based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

11. A visible light communication system according to claim 10, wherein

when a response for all the transmission data emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus has been recognized based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means, the emission control means controls the light emitting means to stop the emission of the visible light of the third color.

12. A visible light communication system for communication using visible light, comprising:

a transmitter-side visible communication apparatus for conducting the information communication using visible light; and

a receiver-side visible light communication apparatus including a light emitting means which emits the visible light to transmitter-side visible communication apparatus, a light receiving means which receives the visible light which the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus emitted, and

emission control means which controls emission state of the visible light emitted by the light emitting means by

a) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a first color including ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, when a search processing request emitted from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus in order to recognize the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus for communicating an information communication is responded to;

b) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a second color including ID of the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus and ID of the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, when the communication establishment request from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus is responded to based on information included in the visible light which the light receiving means received; and

c) controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a third color including response information, when responding for transmission data from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

13. A visible light communication system according to claim 12, wherein

when the resending request is carried out for the transmission data from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means, the emission control means controls so that the light emitting means emits the visible light of a fourth color including information of a resending request.

14. A visible light communication method in transmitter-side visible communication apparatus including emission control means which controls an emission state of the light emitting means, a light emitting means which emits visible light toward the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus and light receiving means which receives visible light from receiver-side visible light communication apparatus, for conducting the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus communication using visible light, comprising:

a first control process step for controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a first color including ID of the transmitter side visible communication apparatus as a search processing request, when the search processing request for recognizing the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which carries out the communication is emitted;

a second control process step for controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a second color including ID of the receiver side visible light communication apparatus which emits communication establishment request and ID of the transmitter side visible communication apparatus, when the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which communicates the information communication is specified based on information from the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus that the search processing request responded and the communication establishment request is emitted toward the specified receiver-side visible light communication apparatus; and

a third control process step for controlling the light emitting means to emit the visible light of a third color including transmission data, when the transmission data is emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus which responded to the communication establishment request based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

15. A visible light communication method according to claim 14, further including:

a fourth control process step for controlling the light emitting means to stop the emission of the visible light of the third color when a response for all the transmission data emitted to the receiver-side visible light communication apparatus has been recognized based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

16. A visible light communication method in a receiver-side visible light communication apparatus includes an emission control means which controls an emission state of the light emitting means, light emitting means which emits visible light toward transmitter-side visible communication apparatus, and light receiving means which receives visible light which transmitter-side visible communication apparatus emitted, for conducting the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus using visible light, comprising:

a first-control process step for controlling so that the light emitting means emits visible light of a first color including ID of the receiver side visible light communication apparatus, when a search processing request from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus is responded to based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means;

a second control process step for controlling so that the light emitting means emits the visible light of a second color including ID of the transmitter side visible communication apparatus and ID of the receiver side visible light communication apparatus, when a communication establishment request from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus is responded to based on information included in visible light received by the light receiving means; and

and a third control process step for controlling so that the light emitting means emits the visible light of a third color including response information, when transmission data emitted from the transmitter-side visible communication apparatus based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means.

17. A visible light communication method according to claim 16, wherein

when the resending request of the transmission data is carried out based on information included in the visible light received by the light receiving means, a control process step controls so that the light emitting means emits the visible light of a fourth color including information of a resending request.