A visible light communication method, communication device, transmitting device and communication system

Abstract

The application discloses a visible light communication method, a communication device, a transmitting device and a communication system. The method comprises the following steps: encoding original information by using a first encoding mode to obtain corresponding target information; determining the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame according to the refresh rate of an image sensor; framing the target information according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two target data frames; encoding the bit stream in the target data frame by using a second encoding mode to obtain the light control data of the corresponding frame, so that the light control data is used to control the light module to perform on-off control by the light driving module. The application solves the technical problems of the existing technology, such as the flicker visible to the human eye, the reduction of the signal-to-noise ratio and the increase of the bit error rate, effectively improves the information receiving accuracy between the transmitting end and the receiving end, and further improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiving end, reduces the bit error rate and avoids the flicker problem that can be perceived by the human eye.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a visible light communication method, communication device, transmitting device, and communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Visible light communication is a wireless communication method that combines lighting and communication. It uses visible light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit light signals with rapid changes in brightness that are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, in order to transmit information. This wireless communication method does not require electromagnetic spectrum permits and does not introduce electromagnetic interference to other devices.

[0003] In recent years, LEDs have rapidly captured the lighting market due to their advantages such as high efficiency, energy saving, environmental friendliness, and long lifespan. Furthermore, with the widespread adoption of smart homes in various indoor settings, smart lighting fixtures, typically equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microcontrollers, are also well-suited for incorporating visible light communication transmitters. Generally, visible light communication receivers include photodiodes (PIN diodes), avalanche diodes (APDs), image sensors, and specialized receivers for specific applications. In indoor settings, smartphones, tablets, and smart cameras, all equipped with CMOS image sensors, can receive information via visible light communication without requiring a new receiving sensor. Using a CMOS image sensor to sample and receive signals emitted by the LED visible light source at fixed intervals is problematic. Due to the rolling shutter effect of the CMOS image sensor, the modulation frequency of the visible light source is directly limited in this scenario. Using a conventional LED constant current driver will cause flickering during LED illumination. When the CMOS sensor is far from the light source (greater than 3 meters), the modulation signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver decreases. The discrete sampling of the CMOS image sensor, coupled with clock asynchrony between transmission and reception, and an inappropriate frame design, lead to a corresponding increase in the bit error rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a visible light communication method, communication device, transmitting device, and communication system to solve the technical problems of visible flicker, reduced signal-to-noise ratio, and increased bit error rate in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a visible light communication method is provided, applied to a transmitting device in a visible light communication system; the method includes:

[0006] The original information is encoded using the first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information;

[0007] The minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame is determined based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system.

[0008] The target information is framed according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames;

[0009] The bitstream in the target data frame is encoded using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitting device controls the lighting module in the transmitting device to switch between on and off according to the bitstream in the lighting control data.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a visible light communication device is provided, which is applied to a transmitting device in a visible light communication system; the visible light communication device includes:

[0011] The encoding module is used to encode the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information;

[0012] The duration determination module is used to determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system.

[0013] The framing module is used to frame the target information according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration, so as to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

[0014] The control data determination module is used to encode the bit stream in the target data frame using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitter controls the lighting module in the transmitter to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a visible light emitting device is provided, comprising: a microcontroller, a dimming drive module, and a light module;

[0016] The microcontroller is connected to one end of the dimming drive module, and the other end of the dimming drive module is connected to the lighting module.

[0017] The microcontroller encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. It determines the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the visible light receiving device. The target information is framed according to the data frames corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames. The bit stream in the target data frames is encoded using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module controls the lighting module to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a visible light communication system is provided, comprising: a visible light receiving device and a visible light emitting device as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to execute and implement the visible light communication method according to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] The technical solution of this invention encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. It then uses the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end to determine the minimum transmission duration for each data frame, configures a new data frame format according to the minimum transmission duration, frames the target information, and obtains multiple corresponding target data frames. Finally, it encodes the bitstream in the target data frames using a second encoding method to obtain the corresponding frame's lighting control data. This allows the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data. This solves the technical problems of reduced signal-to-noise ratio and increased bit error rate in the prior art, effectively improving the information reception accuracy between the transmitting and receiving ends, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio at the receiving end and reducing the bit error rate. Furthermore, by using the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data, it overcomes the problem of driving current fluctuations caused by only a constant current driver controlling the rapid on / off switching of the lighting module in the prior art, which leads to flickering perceptible to the human eye.

[0021] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a visible light communication method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of another visible light communication method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an encoding method for visible light communication provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a minimum data frame for transmitter modulation information provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transmitter modulation information after being acquired by a CMOS image sensor, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a visible light communication device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a visible light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another visible light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of another visible light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a visible light communication system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device serving as a receiving end, provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0036] In one embodiment, Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a visible light communication method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is applicable to situations that effectively improve the quality of visible light communication in indoor lighting. The method can be executed by a transmitter in a visible light communication system. The transmitter in the visible light communication system can be implemented in hardware and / or software, and the transmitter in the visible light communication system can be configured in a lighting device. The transmitter includes: a microcontroller, a dimming driver module, and a lighting module.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0038] S110. The original information is encoded using the first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information.

[0039] Here, "original information" refers to the unprocessed information that the transmitter needs to send; "first encoding method" refers to a method of forward error correction channel coding for the original information. For example, the first encoding method can be the Reed-Solomon forward error correction coding method. In this embodiment, the original information can be encoded using forward error correction coding to obtain the corresponding target information.

[0040] S120. Determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiver of the visible light communication system.

[0041] The visible light communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter can be an LED lighting device, while the receiver can be a smart terminal, such as a smartphone, tablet, or smart camera equipped with a CMOS image sensor. This image sensor can be understood as including, but is not limited to, CMOS image sensors. The minimum transmission duration refers to the shortest time required for the transmitter to send the bitstream containing the total number of bits in each data frame to the receiver; it can also be understood as the minimum time for encoding information at the transmitter. The refresh rate refers to the video stream frame rate of the CMOS image sensor configured in the camera at the receiver.

[0042] It should be noted that in order to determine the minimum transmission duration for each data frame, the maximum refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end needs to be obtained.

[0043] S130. The target information is framed according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

[0044] In this context, the target data frame is a subset of the target information. In this embodiment, the target information is segmented and framed according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration, resulting in multiple target data frames. The number of target data frames is related to the total number of bits contained in the target information and the total number of bits contained in each data frame. In one example, the ratio between the total number of bits contained in the target information and the total number of bits contained in each data frame can be determined, and this ratio can be used as the number of target data frames. For example, if the total number of bits contained in the target information is S1, and the total number of bits contained in each data frame is n, then the number of target data frames is S1 / n.

[0045] In one embodiment, each target data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes; wherein the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes; the frame data stripes include: a first type of bright stripe, a second type of bright stripe, a first type of dark stripe, and a second type of dark stripe; wherein the width and number of bits contained in the first type of bright stripe are the same as those in the first type of dark stripe, and the width and number of bits contained in the second type of bright stripe are the same as those in the second type of dark stripe. The frame boundary stripes serve as the boundary between two adjacent data frames, and to facilitate viewing the boundary between two adjacent data frames, the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes. The frame data stripes include four different stripes, including two bright stripes (i.e., the first type of bright stripe and the second type of bright stripe) and two dark stripes (i.e., the first type of dark stripe and the second type of dark stripe).

[0046] In one embodiment, the determination of the widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes includes: determining the shortest continuous transmission duration based on the minimum shutter speed of the image sensor in the receiving end; and determining the widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes based on the shortest continuous transmission duration and the total number of bits transmitted within the minimum continuous transmission duration. The shortest continuous transmission duration can be characterized by the number of bits contained in the stripe with the smallest width in the frame data stripes, indicating the transmission duration required for one bit; the minimum continuous transmission duration indicates the transmission duration required for one data frame. In actual operation, the minimum shutter speed of the image sensor is related to its own performance parameters. Generally, the minimum shutter speed of the image sensor in the receiving end associated with the lighting device can be obtained in advance, or a minimum shutter speed can be pre-configured based on a large amount of experimental data; there is no limitation on this.

[0047] S140. The bit stream in the target data frame is encoded using the second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitting device controls the lighting module in the transmitting device to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0048] The dimming driver module controls the lighting module to quickly switch between on and off states. The lighting module refers to the LED beads in the lighting equipment. In one example, the lighting module may include one or more LED beads; when the lighting module includes multiple LED beads, it can also be called an LED bead array. LED bead arrays can be constructed by connecting LED beads in series or in parallel. The more LED beads connected in series in an LED bead array, the higher the required driving voltage; the more LED beads connected in parallel in an LED bead array, the higher the required driving current. The configuration of the LED bead array can be tailored to the power requirements of different indoor lighting equipment.

[0049] The second encoding method refers to a way of adjusting the bit rate of the bitstream in the target data frame. For example, the second encoding method can be Manchester encoding. In one embodiment, each frame of lighting control data contains the same number of first bits and second bits. In this embodiment, the second encoding method is used to encode the bitstream in the target data frame so that the number of first bits and second bits in each frame of lighting control module is the same, thereby reducing the average current fluctuation when the lighting module transmits information to the receiving end. The first bit and the second bit are two different bit values; for example, if the first bit has a value of 0, then the second bit has a value of 1.

[0050] The technical solution of this embodiment encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. It then uses the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end to determine the minimum transmission duration for each data frame, configures a new data frame format according to the minimum transmission duration, and frames the target information to obtain multiple corresponding target data frames. Finally, it uses a second encoding method to encode the bitstream in the target data frames to obtain the corresponding frame's lighting control data. This allows the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data. This solves the technical problems of reduced signal-to-noise ratio and increased bit error rate in the prior art, effectively improving the information reception accuracy between the transmitting and receiving ends, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio at the receiving end and reducing the bit error rate. Furthermore, by using the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data, it overcomes the problem of driving current fluctuations caused by only a constant current driver controlling the lighting module's rapid on / off switching in the prior art, which leads to flickering perceptible to the human eye.

[0051] In one embodiment, Figure 2 This is a flowchart of another visible light communication method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment describes the process of determining the minimum transmission duration and the target data frame based on the above embodiments. Figure 2As shown, the method includes:

[0052] S210. The original information is encoded using the first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information.

[0053] S220. Determine the minimum data sampling duration of the receiver based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiver of the visible light communication system.

[0054] The minimum data sampling duration refers to the shortest time for each sampling by the receiving end. In this embodiment, the reciprocal of the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end can be used as the minimum data sampling duration of the receiving end.

[0055] S230. Determine the minimum transmission duration for each data frame based on the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration.

[0056] The total number of data frames transmitted refers to the total number of data frames that can be sent within the minimum data sampling duration. The ratio between the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration can be used as the minimum transmission duration for each data frame.

[0057] S240. Determine the total number of bits contained in each data frame according to the minimum transmission duration.

[0058] The total number of bits refers to the total number of bits occupied by the valid data in the data frame. In the embodiment, when the frame format of the data frame is configured according to the minimum transmission duration, the total number of bits that the data frame can contain can be determined. Specifically, since the data frame includes a frame header field and a valid data field, the total number of bits contained in each data frame can be determined based on the number of bits occupied by the valid data field. Of course, if all the bits occupied by the valid data field carry data, then the number of bits occupied by the valid data field is the total number of bits contained in each data frame.

[0059] S250. Extract target sub-information from the target information that is equal to the total number of bits.

[0060] Here, target sub-information refers to the information contained in each data frame. Target sub-information is a subset of target information, and it can be a bitstream of 0 or 1 bits. In this embodiment, bits equal to the total number of bits are extracted from the target information according to the information arrangement sequence, and these bits are used as the target sub-information of the corresponding data frame.

[0061] S260. Store the target sub-information into the valid data field to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

[0062] Each data frame includes a frame header and a valid data field. The frame header field may include a specific bit sequence and a frame number. The specific bit sequence can be {10}, and the frame number is used to identify different data frames. The minimum value of the frame number can be 0, and the maximum value is an integer less than the number of target data frames. For example, if the number of target data frames is M, then the frame number takes the value [0, M). The valid data field is used to carry target sub-information. In this embodiment, the target sub-information can be stored in the valid data field, and the frame number corresponding to the target data frame can be stored in the frame header field to obtain the corresponding target data frame.

[0063] S270. The bit stream in the target data frame is encoded using the second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitting device controls the lighting module in the transmitting device to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0064] In actual communication, due to the asynchronous clocks of the transmitter and receiver in the indoor lighting visible light communication system, the bit values ​​carried by the effective data field in the target data frame may shift and change. In order for the receiver to sample effective data frames every time and to meet the requirements of long-distance indoor communication, the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling time must be at least greater than 1.

[0065] In one embodiment, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an encoding method for visible light communication provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Taking Reed-Solomon forward error correction coding as the first encoding method, Manchester coding as the second encoding method, a CMOS image sensor as the image sensor, and an LED lamp bead array as the lighting module as an example, the process of information encoding at the transmitting end in a visible light communication system is explained. Figure 3 As shown, the information encoding process at the transmitting end in this embodiment of the visible light communication system includes the following steps:

[0066] Step 1: The original information S is encoded into target information S1 using Reed-Solomon forward error correction coding.

[0067] Step 2: Determine the minimum transmission duration T1 / N corresponding to the data frame based on the refresh rate Fs of the CMOS image sensor in the receiving end.

[0068] Wherein, the minimum data sampling duration T1 = 1 / Fs, and N represents the total number of data frames that can be sent within the time T1 (i.e., the total number of data frame transmissions).

[0069] Step 3: Frame the target information S1 according to the smallest data frame format. The target information S1 is divided into M target data frames to be sent.

[0070] Step Four: Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a minimum data frame for transmitter modulation information provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The image shows alternating bright and dark stripes generated on a CMOS image sensor by the switching of an LED lighting device as the transmitter. The data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes. The frame boundary stripes, also known as coarse PWM shutdown stripes, are wider than the widest stripe in the frame data stripes and serve as the boundary between adjacent data frames. The frame data stripes contain two types of stripes, bright and dark, each with two widths: a first-type bright stripe, a second-type bright stripe, a first-type dark stripe, and a second-type dark stripe. Thin bright stripes (first-type bright stripes) represent data bits {1}, coarse bright stripes (second-type bright stripes) represent data bits {11}, thin dark stripes (first-type dark stripes) represent data bits {0}, and coarse dark stripes (second-type dark stripes) represent data bits {00}. A data frame contains a frame header and a valid data field. The frame header field is generally a combination of a specific bit sequence {10} and a frame sequence number FN (starting from 0 and less than M). The valid data field contains valid data taken at equal intervals from the data stream S1.

[0071] Step 5: The bit stream in the target data frame after framing is encoded using Manchester to obtain the lighting control data, and the lighting control data is sent to the receiving end.

[0072] Manchester encoding ensures that the number of 0s and 1s in each frame of lighting control data is the same, which initially reduces the average current fluctuation when LED beads transmit information. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the acquisition of transmitter modulation information by a CMOS image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bright and dark stripes generated on the CMOS image sensor by the transmitted bit stream are shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the fringe widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes are determined by the minimum shutter speed of the CMOS image sensor and the total number of bits transmitted within the minimum duration of transmission. Because the clocks of the indoor lighting visible light communication transmitter and receiver are not synchronized, therefore... Figure 5 The stripes in the image may shift to the left or right on the CMOS image sensor. In order to ensure that the receiver can obtain a valid data frame for each sampling and to meet the requirements of long-distance indoor communication, the number of data frames N that can be sent within T1 time needs to be greater than 1.

[0073] In one embodiment, Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a visible light communication device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6As shown, the visible light communication device includes: an encoding module 210, a duration determination module 220, a framing module 230, and a control data determination module 240.

[0074] Encoding module 210 is used to encode the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information;

[0075] The duration determination module 220 is used to determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system.

[0076] The framing module 230 is used to frame the target information according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration, so as to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

[0077] The control data determination module 240 is used to encode the bit stream in the target data frame using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitter controls the lighting module in the transmitter to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0078] In one embodiment, the duration determination module 220 includes:

[0079] The minimum sampling duration determination unit is used to determine the minimum data sampling duration of the receiving end based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system.

[0080] The duration determination unit is used to determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration.

[0081] In one embodiment, the framing module 230 includes:

[0082] The total number of bits determination unit is used to determine the total number of bits contained in each data frame according to the minimum transmission duration.

[0083] A sub-information extraction unit is used to extract target sub-information from the target information that is equal to the total number of bits.

[0084] A storage unit is used to store the target sub-information into a valid data field to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

[0085] In one embodiment, each target data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes; wherein the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes; the frame data stripes include: a first type of bright stripe, a second type of bright stripe, a first type of dark stripe, and a second type of dark stripe; wherein the first type of bright stripe and the first type of dark stripe have the same width and the same number of bits contained, and the second type of bright stripe and the second type of dark stripe have the same width and the same number of bits contained.

[0086] In one embodiment, the number of first bits and the number of second bits in each frame of the light control data are the same.

[0087] In one embodiment, the method for determining the widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes includes:

[0088] The shortest continuous transmission duration is determined based on the minimum shutter speed of the image sensor in the receiving end;

[0089] The widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes are determined based on the shortest continuous transmission duration and the total number of bits transmitted within the shortest continuous transmission duration.

[0090] The visible light communication device provided in the embodiments of the present invention can execute the visible light communication method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of executing the method.

[0091] In one embodiment, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a visible light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the visible light emitting device 10 includes: a microcontroller 101, a dimming drive module 102, and a light module 103;

[0092] The microcontroller 101 is connected to one end of the dimming drive module 102, and the other end of the dimming drive module 102 is connected to the lighting module 103.

[0093] The microcontroller 101 encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. It determines the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the visible light receiving device. The target information is framed according to the data frames corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two target data frames. The bit stream in the target data frames is encoded using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module 102 controls the lighting module 103 to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data.

[0094] In this embodiment, the dimming drive module 102 can be a PWM dimming drive circuit. The PWM dimming drive circuit can convert the bit stream in the lighting control data input by the microcontroller 101 into information to control the on / off state of the lighting module 103. This is different from the existing PWM dimming circuits that adjust the brightness of the lighting module 103 by changing the PWM duty cycle. This overcomes the problem of drive circuit fluctuation caused by the existing PWM dimming circuits that control the lighting module to turn on and off quickly by a constant current driver, and effectively avoids the problem of flickering that can be perceived by the human eye.

[0095] The technical solution of this embodiment encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. It then uses the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end to determine the minimum transmission duration for each data frame, configures a new data frame format according to the minimum transmission duration, and frames the target information to obtain multiple corresponding target data frames. Finally, it uses a second encoding method to encode the bitstream in the target data frames to obtain the corresponding frame's lighting control data. This allows the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data. This solves the technical problems of reduced signal-to-noise ratio and increased bit error rate in the prior art, effectively improving the information reception accuracy between the transmitting and receiving ends, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio at the receiving end and reducing the bit error rate. Furthermore, by using the dimming drive module to control the lighting module's on / off switching according to the bitstream in the lighting control data, it overcomes the problem of driving current fluctuations caused by only a constant current driver controlling the lighting module's rapid on / off switching in the prior art, which leads to flickering perceptible to the human eye.

[0096] In one embodiment, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another visible light emitting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, the visible light emitting device also includes: a power supply module 104, a voltage regulator module 105, and a color brightness control module 106; wherein, the microcontroller 101 is connected to one end of the power supply module 104 and one end of the voltage regulator module 105; the other end of the voltage regulator module 105 is connected to the other end of the power supply module 104.

[0097] The power module 104 outputs an initial voltage corresponding to the output current configured in the microcontroller 101 and the first operating voltage of the lighting module 103 to power the lighting module 103; the voltage regulator module 105 adjusts the initial voltage to the second operating voltage corresponding to the microcontroller 101 and the dimming drive module 102 to power the microcontroller 101 and the dimming drive module 102.

[0098] The color brightness control module 106 is connected to the microcontroller 101.

[0099] After receiving a color adjustment command or a brightness adjustment command, the color and brightness control module 106 sends the color adjustment command or brightness adjustment command to the microcontroller 101 so that the microcontroller 101 dynamically adjusts the light color or light brightness of the light module 103 according to the color adjustment command or brightness adjustment command.

[0100] In this embodiment, the power module 104 needs to meet three conditions: first, it can be controlled by a microcontroller, meaning an adjustment precision can be set by the microcontroller 101; second, it provides DC power; and third, it is a current-limiting power supply, ensuring stable current. For example, the power module 104 can be a programmable DC current-limiting power supply. In actual communication, the programmable DC current-limiting power supply can precisely limit the current fluctuations generated by the lighting module 103 during rapid on / off cycles, thus suppressing perceptible flickering in the lighting module 103. The first operating voltage refers to the operating voltage required by the lighting module 103; the second operating voltage refers to the operating voltage required by the microcontroller 101 and the dimming drive module 102. In actual operation, the voltage values ​​of the first and second operating voltages can be the same or different, depending on the type of LED beads included in the lighting module 103.

[0101] When it is necessary to adjust the color of the light module 103, the color adjustment command can be input to the microcontroller 101 through the color brightness control module 106, so that the microcontroller 101 controls the on / off state of the corresponding color LED beads; when it is necessary to adjust the brightness of the light module 103, the brightness adjustment command can be input to the microcontroller 101 through the color brightness control module 106, so that the microcontroller 101 controls the output current of the power module 104 to achieve the brightness of the light.

[0102] In one embodiment, the color adjustment command or brightness adjustment command of the color and brightness control module is generated via a physical touch button in the lighting device where the transmitter is located in the visible light communication system, or via wireless communication. A physical touch button for adjusting the light color or brightness can be configured in the lighting device, or a smart terminal that establishes a wireless communication connection with the lighting device can send color adjustment commands or brightness adjustment commands to the lighting device to adjust the light color or brightness of the lighting module. This enables the color and brightness control module to adjust the brightness of the lighting module, avoiding the conflict between the existing PWM dimming circuit's adjustment of brightness by adjusting the duty cycle and the transmission of modulation information corresponding to the target information in the lighting module.

[0103] In one embodiment, Figure 9This is a structural block diagram of another visible light emitting device provided in this embodiment of the invention. Taking a programmable DC current-limited power supply as an example, an LED lamp bead array as the lighting module, and an LED PWM dimming drive circuit as the dimming drive module, the structure of the visible light emitting device will be described. Figure 9 As shown, the visible light emitting device in this embodiment includes: a programmable DC current-limiting power supply, a voltage regulator circuit, a microcontroller, a color and brightness control module, an LED PWM dimming drive circuit, and an LED lamp array.

[0104] The programmable DC current-limiting power supply's output voltage is determined by the voltage required by the LED array, while the output current is set by the microcontroller, with an adjustment precision of, for example, 1 mA. This precisely limits the current fluctuations generated by the LEDs during rapid on / off cycles, thus suppressing perceptible flicker. A voltage regulator circuit adjusts the output voltage of the programmable DC current-limiting power supply to the voltage required by the microcontroller and the LED PWM dimming drive circuit. The microcontroller encodes and frames the target information to be sent to the LED PWM dimming drive circuit, resulting in rapid on / off switching of the LEDs at a rate imperceptible to the naked eye. Furthermore, external light color and brightness control inputs to the microcontroller control the on / off state of the corresponding LEDs if a color change is needed, and controls the current of the programmable DC current-limiting power supply if a brightness change is required. The color and brightness control module can be input via physical touch buttons on the lighting equipment or wirelessly via WIFI, Bluetooth, etc. The PWM dimming drive circuit converts the changing digital bitstream input from the microcontroller into control of the LED beads' on / off state, unlike the original PWM dimming circuit which adjusts LED bead brightness by changing the PWM duty cycle. The LED bead array is composed of LED beads connected in series and parallel. The more beads connected in series, the higher the required driving voltage; the more beads connected in parallel, the higher the required driving current, determined by the power requirements of different indoor lighting equipment.

[0105] The visible light emitting device provided in the embodiments of the present invention can execute the visible light communication method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of executing the method.

[0106] In one embodiment, Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a visible light communication system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 As shown, the visible light communication system in this embodiment includes a visible light receiving device 20 and a visible light emitting device 10 as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0107] In one embodiment, Figure 11This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device serving as a receiving end, provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 The diagram illustrates a schematic of an electronic device 10 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present invention. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention described and / or claimed herein. The electronic device can be a smart terminal configured with a CMOS image sensor.

[0108] like Figure 11 As shown, the electronic device 10 includes at least one processor 11 and a memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) 12 or a random access memory (RAM) 13, communicatively connected to the at least one processor 11. The memory stores computer programs executable by the at least one processor. The processor 11 can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on the computer program stored in the ROM 12 or loaded from storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 10. The processor 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output (I / O) interface 15 is also connected to the bus 14.

[0109] Multiple components in electronic device 10 are connected to I / O interface 15, including: input unit 16, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 17, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; storage unit 18, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; communication unit 19, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc.; and CMOS image sensor 21. Communication unit 19 allows electronic device 10 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.

[0110] Processor 11 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 11 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. Processor 11 performs the various methods and processes described above.

[0111] In some embodiments, the visible light communication method may be implemented as a computer program tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or installed on the transmitter of the visible light communication system. When the computer program is executed by a microcontroller, one or more steps of the visible light communication method described above may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the microcontroller may be configured to perform the visible light communication method by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0112] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0113] Computer programs used to implement the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that when executed by the processor, the computer programs cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer programs may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, or as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0114] In the context of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a computer program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium may be a machine-readable signal medium. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0115] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0116] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as data servers), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., application servers), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., user computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., communication networks). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.

[0117] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through a communication network. The client-server relationship is created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host, which is a hosting product within the cloud computing service system to address the shortcomings of traditional physical hosts and VPS services, such as high management difficulty and weak business scalability.

[0118] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0119] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method of visible light communication, characterized by, A transmitting device used in a visible light communication system; the method includes: The original information is encoded using the first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information; The minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame is determined based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system. The target information is framed according to the data frame corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two target data frames; each target data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes; wherein the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes; The bitstream in the target data frame is encoded using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitting device controls the lighting module in the transmitting device to switch between on and off according to the bitstream in the lighting control data; The step of determining the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system includes: The minimum data sampling duration of the receiving end is determined based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system. The minimum transmission duration for each data frame is determined based on the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of framing the target information according to the data frames corresponding to the minimum transmission duration to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames includes: The total number of bits contained in each data frame is determined according to the minimum transmission duration. Extract target sub-information equal to the total number of bits from the target information; The target sub-information is stored in the valid data field to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The frame data stripes include: a first type of bright stripe, a second type of bright stripe, a first type of dark stripe, and a second type of dark stripe; wherein the first type of bright stripe and the first type of dark stripe have the same width and the same number of bits, and the second type of bright stripe and the second type of dark stripe have the same width and the same number of bits.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The number of first bits and second bits in each frame of the lighting control data is the same.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method for determining the widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes includes: The shortest continuous transmission duration is determined based on the minimum shutter speed of the image sensor in the receiving end; The widths of the first type of bright stripes and the first type of dark stripes are determined based on the shortest continuous transmission duration and the total number of bits transmitted within the shortest continuous transmission duration.

6. A visible light communication device, characterized in that, Transmitting devices used in visible light communication systems; The visible light communication device includes: The encoding module is used to encode the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information; The duration determination module is used to determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system. A framing module is used to frame the target information according to the data frames corresponding to the minimum transmission duration, to obtain at least two corresponding target data frames; each target data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes; wherein, the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes; The control data determination module is used to encode the bit stream in the target data frame using a second encoding method to obtain the lighting control data of the corresponding frame, so that the dimming drive module in the transmitter controls the lighting module in the transmitter to switch between on and off according to the bit stream in the lighting control data; The duration determination module includes: The minimum sampling duration determination unit is used to determine the minimum data sampling duration of the receiving end based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the receiving end of the visible light communication system. The duration determination unit is used to determine the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration.

7. A visible light emitting device, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a microcontroller, a dimming driver module, and a lighting module; wherein the microcontroller is connected to one end of the dimming driver module, and the other end of the dimming driver module is connected to the lighting module. The microcontroller encodes the original information using a first encoding method to obtain the corresponding target information. Based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the visible light receiving device, it determines the minimum transmission duration for each data frame. The target information is then framed according to the data frames corresponding to the minimum transmission duration, resulting in at least two corresponding target data frames. A second encoding method is used to encode the bitstream in the target data frames to obtain the corresponding frame's lighting control data. This enables the dimming drive module to control the lighting module to switch between on and off states according to the bitstream in the lighting control data. Each target data frame includes frame boundary stripes and frame data stripes; wherein the width of the frame boundary stripes is greater than the width of the stripe corresponding to the widest width in the frame data stripes. The step of determining the minimum transmission duration corresponding to each data frame based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the visible light receiving device includes: The minimum data sampling duration at the receiving end is determined based on the refresh rate of the image sensor in the visible light receiving device; The minimum transmission duration for each data frame is determined based on the minimum data sampling duration and the total number of data frames transmitted within the minimum data sampling duration.

8. The visible light emitting device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A power supply module and a voltage regulator module; wherein the microcontroller is connected to one end of the power supply module and one end of the voltage regulator module; the other end of the voltage regulator module is connected to the other end of the power supply module; The power module outputs a corresponding initial voltage based on the output current configured by the microcontroller and the first operating voltage of the lighting module, so as to power the lighting module. The voltage regulator module adjusts the initial voltage to the second operating voltage corresponding to the microcontroller and the dimming drive module, thereby supplying power to the microcontroller and the dimming drive module.

9. The visible light emitting device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: Color brightness control module; wherein, the color brightness control module is connected to the microcontroller; After receiving a color adjustment command or a brightness adjustment command, the color and brightness control module sends the color adjustment command or the brightness adjustment command to the microcontroller, so that the microcontroller dynamically adjusts the light color or light brightness of the light module according to the color adjustment command or the brightness adjustment command.

10. The visible light emitting device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The color adjustment command or brightness adjustment command of the color and brightness control module is generated through physical touch buttons in the lighting equipment where the transmitter is located in the visible light communication system or through wireless communication.

11. A visible light communication system, characterized in that, include: Visible light receiving device and visible light emitting device as described in any one of claims 7-10.

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