NeTS: Small: Collaborative Research: Multi-Element Illuminication for Mobile Free-Space-Optical Networks

任何在城市环境中使用过WiFi的人都知道，多个竞争用户之间存在干扰，并且会损失吞吐量。 无线家庭网络不仅用于休闲网页浏览，还用于将高质量视频传输到平板电脑和其他便携式设备。 接入点之间的干扰降低了这些应用的用户体验。 一种被提出来解决对高容量局域无线联网的增加的需求的方法是自由空间光通信（FSOC）。 并行地，具有多个发光二极管（LED）的固态照明（SSL）装置由于其上级耐久性和能量效率而被部署和商业化。虽然SSL和FSOC源于相同的核心光电子技术，但它们具有固有的权衡：当光电发射器的发散角高时，照明面积较大，而当发散角小时，传输范围较长。该项目设想多元素“照明”模块，执行联合和自适应优化两个相互冲突的目标：照明和通信。这些模块和协议可用于住宅和商业建筑、飞机和其他射频受限环境等许多环境中。该项目正在开发一个框架，以设计、优化和测试照明通信技术，同时考虑这两种功能的需求和要求。实现具有高空间复用和吞吐量以及均匀的高照度的移动的照明;该项目设计了（i）多元件照明模块，其使用球形结构以实现空间重用和均匀照明，（ii）用于节能的自适应强度控制和红-绿-蓝LED的色度控制，（iii）具有变化的视场和发散角的收发器，（iv）使用用于移动性的电子转向和聚焦的自动重新对准协议，（v）用于收发器选择的认知算法，以及（vi）具有高精度的光学无线定位。

As anyone who has used WiFi in urban environments knows, there is interference between multiple competing users and loss of throughput. Wireless home networks are not just for casual web browsing, but are also being used to stream high-quality video to tablets and other portable devices. Interference between access points degrades the user experience for these applications. One method being proposed to address the increased demand for high-capacity local-area wireless networking is Free-space-optical communication (FSOC). In parallel, solid-state lighting (SSL) devices with multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) are being deployed and commercialized due to their superior durability and energy efficency. Though stemming from the same core optoelectronics technology, SSL and FSOC have inherent tradeoffs: the illuminated area is larger when the divergence angle of the optoelectronic transmitter is high, whereas the transmission range is longer when it is small. This project envisions multi-element "illuminication" modules that perform joint and adaptive optimization of two conflicting goals: illumination and communication. Such modules and protocols are potentially deployable in many settings such as residential and commercial buildings, airplanes, and other RF-limited environments.This projects is developing a framework to design, optimize and test illumination-communication technologies considering needs and requirements for both functionalities. To attain mobile illuminication with high spatial reuse and throughput, and uniformly high illuminance; the project designs (i) multi-element illuminication modules which uses spherical structures for spatial reuse and uniform illumination, (ii) adaptive intensity control for energy saving and chromacity control over red-green-blue LEDs, (iii) transceivers with varying field-of-view and divergence angle, (iv) automatic realignment protocols using electronic steering and focusing for mobility, (v) cognitive algorithms for transceiver selection, and (vi) optical wireless localization with high accuracy.