Wireless Optical Communication Device Periodic Light Source Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical wireless communication devices face challenges in reducing electrical consumption and ensuring user eye safety, particularly when increasing light intensity, as they must comply with power supply limitations and prevent eye exposure to high-intensity light.
Innovation Solution
A wireless optical communication device with a processing component that produces binary control signals to selectively activate or deactivate the light source, featuring a cut-off circuit that turns off the light source during non-transmission periods, significantly reducing energy consumption and ensuring user safety by limiting exposure during device search cycles with short, spaced pulses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the light intensity is increased to improve communication range and quality, then the communication performance is improved, but the electrical consumption increases and eye safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by using search cycles with transmission periods followed by silence periods. The light source is activated only during transmission periods (which are at least 10 times shorter than the silence periods) and deactivated during silence periods. This periodic operation allows the system to achieve necessary communication functionality while dramatically reducing overall electrical consumption compared to continuous operation at high intensity.
2Illumination intensity
If the light intensity is increased to improve communication range and quality, then the communication performance is improved, but eye safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by structuring communication into search cycles with brief transmission periods separated by long silence periods. The light source emits high-intensity signals only during transmission periods and remains off during silence periods (which are at least 10 times longer). This temporal separation ensures that even when high intensity is used, the exposure duration is minimal, thereby protecting user eyes while maintaining communication effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action through the cut-off circuit that is arranged to deactivate the light source before potential harmful exposure can occur. The circuit proactively switches off the light source during silence periods and when no transmission is needed, preventing eye exposure to high-intensity light before it becomes a hazard. This preventive approach ensures safety without compromising communication performance during active transmission periods.
3Reliability
If the light source is continuously activated to ensure communication availability, then the communication reliability is improved, but the electrical consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing periodic search cycles that include transmission periods for communication and silence periods for energy saving. The system maintains communication reliability by periodically becoming available for transmission while remaining energy-efficient during silence periods. The cut-off circuit enables this by selectively activating the light source only when communication transmission is occurring, rather than maintaining continuous operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces electrical consumption and ensures user eye safety by only activating the light source during transmission periods and using brief, spaced pulses during device searches, minimizing energy usage and preventing eye exposure to high-intensity light.
Implementation Method 1
a light source arranged to produce emitted light signals from the emitted analog signals
Implementation Method 2
a photodetector arranged to produce received electrical signals from the received optical signals
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
Wireless optical communication device comprising: - a processing component (14) which is configured to produce transmitted digital signals during transmission times; - a light source (24) which is configured to produce transmitted light signals from transmitted analogue signals; - a shutdown circuit (25) which is configured to selectively activate or deactivate the light source; the processing component comprising a binary output (40) to which it applies a binary control signal which is in a first state during transmission times and in a second state outside the transmission times, the shutdown circuit being configured to activate the light source when the binary control signal is in the first state and to deactivate the light source when the binary control signal is in the second state.