In one embodiment, a device registers with a controller for a mesh of overhead access points. The device receives, from the controller, a communication schedule for the device. The device generates a message to be sent to the mesh of overhead access points. The device transmits, according to the communication schedule, the message as a beam cone directed substantially upward relative to the device towards the mesh of overhead access points. The message is received and relayed by one or more particular access points in the mesh without the device previously performing a wireless association exchange with those one or more particular access points.

A person support apparatus includes a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a second transceiver of a headwall interface that is positioned off of the person support apparatus. A communication link is automatically established between the first and second transceivers without requiring a user of the person support apparatus to activate a designated control and without requiring the user to identify the headwall interface. The first transceiver includes a unique identifier assigned to the headwall interface in its messages to the headwall interface. The first transceiver may also automatically transmit a disconnect signal to the headwall interface indicating the termination of the communication link is not accidental. The disconnect signal is sent based on one or more of the following: (1) a brake being off, (2) an A/C power cord being unplugged; and/or (3) a signal strength between the transceivers decreasing.

Provided is an in-store dual-mode communication system in which shelves are disposed within a commercial space. A server is coupled to the Internet and/or a wide-area network and is configured to send and receive communications. Also provided are light-based messaging units that are located on and/or attached to such shelves, each: 1) having a light source, 2) receiving a communication from the server, and 3) in response to receipt of such communication, turning the light source on and off so as to broadcast a digital message that was included within such communication, as a binary-encoded digital signal corresponding to on/off states of the light source. A user device: (i) receives, via its light sensor, and then decodes the binary-encoded digital signal from a light-based messaging unit in order to obtain the digital message that corresponds to it; and also (ii) communicates with the server via its wireless interface.

Techniques (e.g., method, apparatuses, etc.) for permitting communications, e.g., optical communications are described. In one example, a first communication apparatus for the communication with a second communication device may obtain a channel state information from the reception of one or more reference signals and/or beacon signals from one or more frontends of the second apparatus. The first communication apparatus may transform the channel state information from a frequency domain to a time domain, to obtain a time domain channel state information. The first communication apparatus may encode the time domain channel state information. The first communication apparatus may transmit the time domain channel state information to one or more frontends. The first communication apparatus may transmit channel information for association and updated channel information for network coordination in a contention access period and collision-free period, CFP, respectively.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for appliances, including networked or “Internet-of-Things” appliances.

Techniques are disclosed for programming a luminaire with location information, referred to herein as commissioning. Location information may include relative location information (e.g., the position of the luminaire relative to a reference point) and/or absolute location information (e.g., global coordinates for the luminaire). A commissioned luminaire can be configured to emit its location information via light-based communication (LCom). In some cases, the luminaire can be commissioned manually, by hard coding the luminaire with its location either at the luminaire itself or using a device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or a dedicated luminaire commissioning device) to program the luminaire with location information. In some cases, the luminaire can be commissioned automatically. In some cases, the luminaire may be configured to provide visual, aural, or tactile feedback to indicate that the luminaire has not received location data or that the luminaire has been moved.

An optical wireless communication system comprising a transmitter apparatus that comprises: an illumination light source configured to output visible light for illumination purposes, and a controller configured to control operation of the illumination light source to produce modulation of the visible light to provide an optical wireless communication signal representing data; a further light source configured to output further light, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the further light source to produce modulation of the further light to provide a further optical wireless communication signal representing substantially the same data, wherein the visible light and the further light have different wavelengths.

A person support apparatus includes a first transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a second transceiver of a headwall interface that is positioned off of the person support apparatus. A communication link is automatically established between the first and second transceivers without requiring a user of the person support apparatus to activate a designated control and without requiring the user to identify the headwall interface. The first transceiver includes a unique identifier assigned to the headwall interface in its messages to the headwall interface. The first transceiver may also automatically transmit a disconnect signal to the headwall interface indicating the termination of the communication link is not accidental. The disconnect signal is sent based on one or more of the following: (1) a brake being off, (2) an A/C power cord being unplugged; and/or (3) a signal strength between the transceivers decreasing.

Devices, systems, and methods for providing wireless personal area networks (PANs) and local area networks (LANs) using visible and near-visible optical spectrum. Various constructions and material selections are provided herein. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus includes a digital data port, an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) each configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps), and current drive circuitry coupled between the digital data port and the array of LEDs.

In a wireless optical network with multiple coordinators or other access points, the coverage area of coordinators may overlap. Interference in the communication between coordinators and devices may occur in these overlapping coverage areas. Various embodiments propose an automatic allocation of reserved time slots to coordinators. These time slots support the coordinators to advertise their presence without interference and enable device to detect the presence of a neighbour coordinator in a single MAC cycle. Fast detection allows fast re-scheduling of time slots in the wireless optical network in order to prevent interference when a device that enters the overlapping coverage area of two coordinators.