Smartphone Camera Rolling Shutter for Low-Rate VLC Signal Decoding

The patent applies universality by enabling smartphones to perform VLC signal decoding using their existing camera hardware. The camera's image sensor, originally designed for photography, is made to serve dual purposes: capturing images and detecting VLC signals. This eliminates the need for specialized dedicated VLC receiver devices, reducing device complexity while maintaining decoding reliability through software-based demodulation algorithms that process the image data captured by the universal camera hardware.

The patent implements self-service by utilizing the smartphone's existing camera system to perform VLC signal detection and decoding. The smartphone's camera, which is already a standard component in mobile devices, is leveraged to capture VLC signals without requiring additional specialized hardware. The device's processor and software algorithms then automatically process the captured image data to extract VLC signal information, making the system self-sufficient and widely accessible while maintaining measurement precision through sophisticated signal processing techniques.

The patent applies mechanics substitution by replacing additional physical photo-detecting hardware with software-based processing. Instead of adding more optical sensors or photodetectors to the receiver, the invention uses the smartphone's existing camera sensor to capture VLC signals and employs software algorithms to demodulate and recover the signal information. This substitution maintains or improves productivity through advanced signal processing while avoiding the increased hardware complexity that would result from adding additional photo-detecting components.