Visible light communication with flickering prevention

摘要

LEDs that transmit or receive data in a VLC may create a flickering effect which is observed when the human eye is able to perceive the fluctuations of the light intensity in a LED. To prevent flickering, the LEDs may emit light based on a pattern of data and energy intervals. During the data intervals, a LED transmitting a message sends one or more data symbols to receiving LEDs. The receiving LEDs, however, are reversed bias and do not emit light. During the energy intervals, any LED in the VLC system may emit light. Each LED uses the energy interval to compensate for the light transmitted (or not transmitted) during the data interval. The combination of data and energy levels results in an observer seeing light with a constant intensity rather than changing intensity.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
selecting at least one first intensity level of a light source for transmitting a single data symbol to a receiver during a data interval; selecting at least one second, different intensity level of the light source based upon the first intensity level to achieve a perceived average intensity level; and emitting the first intensity level from the light source during the data interval and emitting the second intensity level from the light source during an energy interval to achieve the perceived average intensity level, wherein a receiver is configured to ignore the second intensity level emitted during the energy interval, wherein respective time periods of both the data and energy intervals are set to mitigate an ability of a human eye to detect a change from the first intensity level emitted in the data interval to the second intensity level emitted in the energy interval.