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.

A method by a coordination node is disclosed for controlling communications between visible Light Communication, VLC, Access Points, AP, and User Equipments, UEs. The method includes identifying occurrence of an event relating to operation of a first VLC AP. The method further includes determining that a second VLC AP and a third VLC AP each have communication coverage areas that are at least partially within a communication coverage area of the first VLC AP, responsive to identification of occurrence of the event. The method then controls the second and the third VLC APs responsive to the determination to avoid their interfering with communications between the first VLC AP and any UEs within common communication coverage areas of the second or the third VLC APs. Related coordination nodes are disclosed.

In a LiFi network with multiple coordinators, interference in the overlapping areas between the local parts of the network can occur if each coordinator determines its own local time schedule for communicating with devices. To solve this problem, the invention proposes cooperation between the coordinators to determine non-interfering local time schedules whereby the coordinators rely on interference reports from the devices in the overlapping areas and apply a small number of simple rules. The proposed method is simple, scalable and independent from a central unit.

The disclosure provides for a method for reacquiring a communication link between a first communication device and a second communication device. The method includes using one or more processors of the first communication device to receive historical data related to the first communication device and an environment surrounding the first communication device. The one or more processors are then used to determine one or more trends in the historical data related to fading of the communication link. Based on the one or more trends, the one or more processors are used to determine a starting time and an initial search direction for a search for the communication link. The one or more processors then execute the search at the starting time from the initial search direction.

According to some embodiments a system may control connected modules within a lighting fixture. The system may comprise a power supply that includes a first input to receive AC power, a second input to receive a control signal, and an output to transmit DC power. A light emitting diode (LED) array may receive DC power from the power supply. A master control unit may receive DC power from the power supply. The master control unit may comprise a first control line to send a control signal to the power supply to control the LED array and a second control line to control one or more modules. The system may further comprises one or more connectors mounted to a circuit board where at least one of the one or more connectors is electrically coupled to the output of the power supply and the second control line.

Techniques are described for providing an ad hoc mesh network of nodes that employ a light-based transmission protocol, such as a version of light fidelity (LiFi). The mesh network includes multiple nodes that each includes transceiver(s) for sending and receiving light-based communications. A node in the mesh network can receive a message signal sent by another node, by detecting the light modulations emitted by the sending node to transmit the message signal. The receiving node can forward the message signal to other node(s) that are proximal to the receiving node (e.g., that are in line-of-sight with the receiving node), by emitting the appropriate light modulations to send the message signal. In this way, a message signal can be conveyed from one node to another, from one endpoint of the mesh network to another endpoint of the mesh network.

A dynamic short range free-space optical (FSO) communication system that is specially designed for use in dynamically moving targets that are within a short range of distance (e.g., 0-50 meters) is provided herein. Using specially designed transmitters and/or receivers, the dynamic short range FSO communication system may facilitate high-bandwidth communication, while allowing several line of sight alignment options that may be useful for somewhat unpredictable vehicle movement.

Provided are techniques for dynamic LIFI extenders routing. One or more geographic locations of a physical region are identified based on historical crowd density, historical network traffic, current crowd density, and current network traffic. For each of the one or more geographic locations and a plurality of mobile bots, a mobile bot of the plurality of mobile bots is sent to that geographic location at a specified time, where the mobile bot provides a dynamic Light Fidelity (LIFI) extender router that acts as a network access point, and users at that geographic location are associated with the mobile bot, where each of the users has a LIFI enabled mobile device that communicates with a network of devices by sending data to the dynamic LIFI extender router via LIFI.

Liquid crystal (LC) beam modulation devices are applied to lighting control or to optical wireless communications to improve performance of lighting or communications. A flexible optical network using LC beam modulation and common control of beam intensity and solid angle of beams are also described.

A passenger vehicle optical communication system includes a source vehicle including a light source and an endpoint vehicle including a camera. The source vehicle transmits a series of patterns using the light source to communicate, as one example, state information to the endpoint vehicle.