Visible light communication for mobile devices

Abstract

This disclosure relates to mobile devices and imager sensors for visible light communication. A mobile device may include an LED configured as a VLC transmitter and one or more processors configured to encode a VLC signal. The LED may be operated to emit visible light in accordance with the VLC signal. A mobile device may include an imager sensor comprising a plurality of pixels and one or more processors. One or more pixels of the plurality of pixels may be configured as phototodetector(s) to receive visible light encoded with a VLC signal. The processor(s) of the mobile device may be configured to decode the VLC signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device for visible light communication, comprising:
 an LED configured as a VLC transmitter; and   one or more processors coupled to the LED, the one or more processors configured to:
 encode a VLC signal; and 
 operate the LED to emit visible light in accordance with the VLC signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising a serializer for serializing the VLC signal. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the VLC signal is encoded by a VLC encoder, the VLC encoder comprising a Manchester encoder. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 3 , wherein the VLC encoder is implemented by a VLC encoding circuitry configured to encode the VLC signal. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 4 , wherein the VLC encoding circuitry comprises an integrated circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 4 , wherein the VLC encoding circuitry and the LED are integrated into a System-on-a Chip (SoC) system. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 4 , wherein the VLC encoding circuitry and the LED are integrated into a System-in-a-Package (SiP) system. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 3 , wherein the VLC encoder is implemented by the one or more processors executing computer-executable instructions stored in computer-readable medium to encode the VLC signal. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising an overshoot/undershoot circuit coupled to the LED, the overshoot/undershoot circuit configured to accelerate charging and discharging of the LED. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising an imager coupled to the one or more processors, the imager configured as a digital camera to capture an image, wherein the imager is further configured as a photodetector to receive visible light encoded with a second VLC signal. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising a photodetector coupled to the one or more processors, the photodetector configured to receive visible light encoded with a second VLC signal. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 11 , further comprising a micro-lens integrated on top of the photodetector. 
     
     
         13 . A mobile device for visible light communication, comprising:
 an imager sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein a first pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured as a first photodetector to receive visible light encoded with a VLC signal, the first pixel generating an electrical signal based on reception of the visible light encoded with the VLC signal; and   one or more processors coupled to the imager sensor, the one or more processors configured to decode the VLC signal.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile device of  claim 13 , further comprising a preamplifier coupled to the first pixel, the preamplifier configured to amplify the electrical signal generated by the first pixel. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device of  claim 13 , where a second pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured as a second photodetector to receive the visible light encoded with the VLC signal, the second pixel located at a different location from the first pixel. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , further comprising a programming circuit coupled to the plurality of pixels, the programming circuit configured to select the first photodetector or the second photodetector to receive the visible light encoded with the VLC signal. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile device of  claim 13 , further comprising an angel-diversity receiver configured to focus the visible light onto the first pixel. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile device of  claim 13 , wherein VLC signal is decoded by a VLC decoder, the VLC decoder comprising an active feedback based ambient light cancellation circuit comprising a low pass filter, an error amplifier, and an NMOSFET. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile device of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an LED coupled to the one or more processors, the LED configured as a VLC transmitter;   wherein the one or more processors are configured to encode a second VLC signal and operate the LED to emit visible light in accordance with the second VLC signal.   
     
     
         20 . The mobile device of  claim 19 , wherein the second VLC signal is encoded by a VLC encoder, the VLC encoder and the LED integrated into a System-on-a Chip (SoC) system. 
     
     
         21 . The mobile device of  claim 19 , wherein the second VLC signal is encoded by a VLC encoder, the VLC encoder and the LED integrated into a System-in-a-Package (SiP) system. 
     
     
         22 . An imager sensor, comprising:
 a plurality of pixels, wherein a first pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured as a first photodetector to receive visible light encoded with a VLC signal, the first pixel generating an electrical signal based on reception of the visible light encoded with the VLC signal; and   a VLC decoder coupled to at least the first pixel, the VLC decoder configured to decode the VLC signal.   
     
     
         23 . The imager sensor of  claim 22 , further comprising a preamplifier coupled to the first pixel, the preamplifier configured to amplify the electrical signal generated by the first pixel. 
     
     
         24 . The imager sensor of  claim 22 , where a second pixel of the plurality of pixels is configured as a second photodetector to receive the visible light encoded with the VLC signal, the second pixel located at a different location from the first pixel. 
     
     
         25 . The imager sensor of  claim 24 , further comprising a programming circuit coupled to the plurality of pixels, the programming circuit configured to select the first photodetector or the second photodetector to receive the visible light encoded with the VLC signal. 
     
     
         26 . The imager sensor of  claim 22 , further comprising an angel-diversity receiver configured to focus the visible light onto the first pixel. 
     
     
         27 . The imager sensor of  claim 22 , wherein the VLC decoder comprises an active feedback based ambient light cancellation circuit comprising a low pass filter, an error amplifier, and an NMOSFET. 
     
     
         28 . The imager sensor of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 an LED configured as a VLC transmitter to emit visible light in accordance with a second VLC signal; and   a VLC encoder coupled to the LED, the VLC encoder configured to encode the second VLC signal.   
     
     
         29 . The imager sensor of  claim 28 , wherein the VLC encoder and the LED are integrated into a System-on-a Chip (SoC) system. 
     
     
         30 . The imager sensor of  claim 26 , wherein the VLC encoder and the LED are integrated into a System-in-a-Package (SiP) system.