An optical wireless communication system comprises a signal providing apparatus configured to provide a data signal, a driver apparatus separate from the signal providing apparatus and coupled to the signal providing apparatus by a signal cable, wherein the driver apparatus is configured to receive the data signal via the signal cable and to process the data signal to produce a driving signal, and a luminaire comprising a modulateable light source, wherein the modulateable light source is configured to be driven by the driving signal, thereby to produce modulated light, wherein the driver apparatus is positioned adjacent to or within the luminaire.

Vehicles are equipped with Free-Space-Optics (FSO) transceivers for establishing one or more inter-vehicle communication link. A vehicle, mounted with one or one or more FSO transceiver unit, may enable individual driver to initiate and engage automated communication, exchanging vehicle, road, or driving environment conditions, with another vehicle, forming a vehicle communication network. A group of vehicles may spontaneously, opportunistically, or automatically communicate with each other, forming a vehicle communication network. The FSO transceiver unit enables the determine independently or communicate concomitantly one or more inter-vehicle distance, range, location, speed, velocity, acceleration, using a position locating and range measurement system. Each vehicle can perform unicast, multicast, or broadcast communication using an On-Board Unit containing hardware and software to enable access to the in-vehicle bus systems to collect vehicle information for dissemination in real-time.

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between the source and the load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a Wi-Fi module operable to receive the RF signals directly from the wireless network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain an IP address from the received optical signal and control the power delivered to the load in response to a wireless signal received from the wireless network that includes the IP address.

An optical wireless communication (OWC) transmitter comprising a baseband chip comprises: a media access control (MAC) layer configured to receive data from a network; a first physical (PHY) layer associated with a first light source; and a second physical (PHY) layer associated with a second light source; wherein the first PHY layer is configured to receive first data from the MAC layer and provide a first signal to the first light source, so as to drive the first light source to emit first modulated light that comprises or is representative of the first data; and the second PHY layer is configured to receive second data from the MAC layer and provide a second signal to the second light source, so as to drive the second light source to emit second modulated light that comprises or is representative of the second data.

A method of coordinating wireless power transfer and data communication between a transmitter and a receiver comprising recognizing at the receiver that an energy store electrically coupled to the receiver requires an electrical charge, emitting from the receiver a beacon signal to the transmitter, the beacon signal including information about the receiver and a state of charge of the energy store, recognizing at the receiver first and second localization signals from the transmitter, establishing low-power and high-power laser beam connections between the receiver and the transmitter in response to the localization signals, and communicating further information via the low-power beam on a periodic basis while optical power is being transferred via the high-power beam. The low-power beam connection includes further information about the receiver and the state of charge of the energy store. Optical power is transferred from the transmitter to the receiver via the high-power beam.

Electronic device comprising: a lighting device, capable of illuminating a room or the like; a photodetector; an ultra-wideband pulse transmitter; an ultra-wideband pulse receiver; a controller, connectable to the internet;
wherein the controller is adapted for coding a signal and transmitting it to the lighting device and/or to the pulse transmitter, and for decoding a signal received by the photodetector or the pulse receiver; wherein the lighting device is adapted to transmit the signal as a LiFi signal and the pulse transmitter is adapted to transmit the signal as a UWB signal.

In a method for a data transmission between first and second modules, and a system having mobile parts for performing the method: the time bases of the first and second modules are synchronized; transmitters of the first module emit a light signal pulse individually one after the other and/or in numbered order in a respective time range; the particular receiver of the second module at which the strongest receive signal occurs is determined, the particular time range and/or the number of the particular time range being determined in which the strongest receive signal occurs; the determined time range and/or the determined number is/are transmitted from the second module to the first module; and the transmitter of the first module associated with the determined time range and/or to the determined number is determined and used for the subsequent data transmission from the first module to the second module.

A system and a method for sensing hydrogen charge state of a fuel cell electric vehicle are provided. The system includes an infrared transmission unit that transmits a fuel door sensing infrared signal for sensing a fuel door opened while charging hydrogen and a nozzle sensing infrared signal for sensing a charging station-side hydrogen charging nozzle connected to a hydrogen charging inlet of a vehicle. An infrared reception unit receives the fuel door sensing infrared signal and thereafter, reflected on a fuel door and the nozzle sensing infrared signal transmitted from the infrared transmission unit and thereafter, reflected on the hydrogen charging nozzle. A controller determines that the vehicle is being charged with hydrogen when sensing an open state of the fuel door and a hydrogen charging inlet connection state of the hydrogen charging nozzle.

An optical transmission/reception unit includes a carrier rotatable about a rotational axis, an optical receiver arranged at the carrier on the rotational axis to receive an optical reception signal from a first direction, an optical transmitter arranged adjacent to the optical receiver at the carrier to emit an optical transmission signal in a second direction, and a transmission/reception optic arranged at the carrier on the rotational axis above the optical receiver and extending across the optical receiver and the optical transmitter, wherein the transmission/reception optic includes a reception optic and a transmission optic arranged in the reception optic. The reception optic is configured to guide the optical reception signal incident on the transmission/reception optic towards the optical receiver on the rotational axis, and the transmission optic is arranged above the optical transmitter and is configured to shape the optical transmission signal emitted by the optical transmitter into an output beam.

Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for providing light communication (LC) for an aircraft. An LC transmitter is mounted on an aircraft fuselage and is configured to broadcast light signals within a defined region outside the aircraft. An LC receiver mounted on the aircraft fuselage is configured to receive light signals broadcast by a remote LC device. A controller is configured to manage LC signals in the aircraft, and an interface is provided between the controller and an aircraft data network. The light signals may be in a visible light spectrum, an invisible light spectrum, or both. The remote LC device may be, for example, a ground station, an aircraft, a ground vehicle, a ship, a building, or a portable transmitter.