Wavelength Division Multiplexing Method Using Camera with CMOS Image Sensor for Visible Light Communication

In this paper, we propose a wavelength division multiplexing method to improve communication speed in visible light communication using line scan sampling. The proposed method performs wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) using a sampling technology that uses the line scan characteristics of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and red, green and blue (RGB) filters that are arranged at individual pixels according to the Bayer pattern. With the proposed method, a communication speed three-times higher than the conventional monochromatic light communication method can be expected. The feasibility of the proposed method was evaluated, and the feasibility was confirmed from the results.

I. Introduction

Visible light communication (VLC) is a wireless communication technology that uses light in the wavelength band that is visible to the human eye. VLC has advantages over other wireless communication technologies: It is not regulated by the Radio Law, visible light does not usually cause health problems to the human body, particularly the eyes, humans can perceive where the data is being sent from, and it does not penetrate thick materials such as walls, which offers security advantages. It should be easy to create a VLC infrastructure because lighting using visible light emitting diodes (LEDs) has recently become part of a widely used infrastructure. Because of these advantages, VLC is expected to be used as a means of ubiquitous communication [1].