Visible Light Communication for Appliance-Module Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances face increased complexity in networking and data communication, leading to challenges in expanding functionalities while maintaining galvanic isolation and ensuring reliable data transmission, especially when retrofitting with external modules.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system for unidirectional wireless data communication using visible light signals between a household appliance and a separate function module, allowing for high data rates and galvanic isolation without additional protection measures, utilizing existing light-emitting diodes and adhering to the VLC standard, enabling interference-free and tap-proof operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless data communication is implemented between household appliance and functional module, then galvanic isolation is achieved, but data transmission reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visible light as an intermediary carrier for data transmission between the household appliance and functional module. The light source modulates data onto visible light waves, which propagate through air to the photodetector receiver, providing galvanic isolation while maintaining high data transmission reliability through optical rather than electromagnetic radio frequency communication.
2Productivity
If Bluetooth standard is used for wireless communication, then data transmission is achieved, but data rate is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of communication from radio frequency (Bluetooth) to visible light frequency. This parameter change enables significantly higher data rates because visible light has much higher carrier frequency than Bluetooth radio waves, allowing for faster modulation and higher bandwidth communication while maintaining reliability through direct line-of-sight propagation.
3Device complexity
If existing light-emitting diodes are utilized for communication, then device complexity is reduced, but communication functionality is added
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing light-emitting diodes serve dual functions: their original illumination/display purpose and new data transmission purpose. By modulating the existing LEDs to encode data onto visible light waves, the system adds communication functionality without requiring separate dedicated transmitters, thereby reducing overall device complexity while enabling versatile wireless communication capabilities.
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
This solution achieves high data rates of up to 500 Mbit/s with low latency, ensures galvanic isolation, and simplifies retrofitting, while being interference-free and emission-free, thus addressing the complexity and reliability issues in household appliance communication.
Implementation Method 1
a light source (16) for emitting a light signal (17) modulated according to the transmission message signal (15)
Implementation Method 2
The second communication partner comprises a receiver for receiving the light signal and for providing an electrical reception message signal (29) from the light signal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a system (1) comprising a domestic appliance (2) and a functional module (21) which is separate from the domestic appliance (2), the domestic appliance (2) and the functional module (21) being designed for at least unidirectional wireless data communication with each other, and data communication being carried out by means of a visible light signal (17).