Prospects of differential optical receiver with ambient light compensation in vehicular visible light communication

Since the number of vehicles has been increasing and adding more complexity to the transportation infrastructure every day, safety and efficiency in transportation system are of utmost importance. Effective communication between vehicles and with traffic infrastructures (e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights, etc.) play a key role to ensure a safe and secure traffic system. Visible Light Communication being a very promising technology, can be an ideal solution to address the challenges in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. A fundamental challenge in this regard is the design of a proper sensor to minimize the interference of the ambient light in daytime. Optical filters can be used to minimize the problem, but additional techniques are required to further optimization. In this paper, we discuss the prospect of using a differential optical receiver in vehicular VLC communication, which can cancel ambient light and other atmospheric noises.