Overview of visible light communications with emphasis on image sensor communications

Abstract

The concept of visible light communications (VLC) originates from an Asian professor and adopts light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a transmitter. Three Asian born Nobel Prize winners developed blue LEDs, key devices that produce white lighting. Consequently, VLC and its other forms can be considered as an Asian born wireless technology. This paper overviews VLC with emphasis on image sensor communication (ISC) that uses an image sensor as a reception device for VLC signals. Some results from the author vis-a-vis ISC and its application to automobile are also introduced.