# US 10,122,451 B2 · Information beamforming for visible light communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,451 B2 - Document ID: US10122451B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/108,821 - Filed: 2016-01-15 - Published: 2018-04-26 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-11 - Assignees: University of South Florida - Applicants: University of South Florida - Inventors: Zekeriyya Esat Ankarali; Huseyin Arslan; Alphan Sahin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122451B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/116: Visible light communication - H04B 10/502: {LED transmitters} - H04B 10/54: Intensity modulation - H04B 10/61: Coherent receivers - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Examples of information beamforming technology for visible light communication (VLC) systems are provided. A VLC system can include an array of light emitting diode (LED) elements that can emit omni-directional light and control circuitry that can control individual LED elements of the array to sinusoidally vary the intensity of the omni-directional light emitted from the individual LED elements. A data carrying light beam can be generated within an information beam region by constructively combining sinusoidal intensity variations of the emitted omni-directional light and uniform intensity light can be generated outside the information beam region by destructively combining the sinusoidal intensity variations. The VLC system can include an optical detector that can detect sinusoidal intensity variations of a data carrying light beam and generate an output signal corresponding to the sinusoidal intensity variations. The output signal can be converted into digital symbols corresponding to the detected sinusoidal intensity variations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A visible light communication (VLC) system, comprising: an array of light emitting diode (LED) elements configured to emit omni-directional light from individual LED elements of the array of LED elements; and control circuitry configured to control the individual LED elements to sinusoidally vary an intensity of the emitted omni-directional light from the individual LED elements, where a data carrying light beam is generated within an information beam region by constructively combining sinusoidal intensity variations of the emitted omni-directional light and a constant and uniform intensity light is generated outside the information beam region by destructively combining the sinusoidal intensity variations of the emitted omni-directional light. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The VLC system of claim 1, further comprising: an optical receiver configured to receive the data carrying light beam; and processing circuitry configured to convert the sinusoidal intensity variations of the data carrying light beam into corresponding digital symbols. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The VLC system of claim 1, wherein the optical receiver is a photodetector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The VLC system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to interface with a network device via a network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The VLC system of claim 4, wherein the control circuitry is configured to convert digital symbols to corresponding sinusoidal variations for symbol transmission over the data carrying light beam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The VLC system of claim 4, wherein the network is a hardwired local network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The VLC system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control amplitude and phase of the sinusoidal intensity variations of the emitted omni-directional light from the individual LED elements to generate the data carrying light beam in a defined direction. ### Claim 8 A visible light communication (VLC) system, comprising: an optical receiver configured to: detect sinusoidal intensity variations of a received data carrying light beam generated within an information beam region by constructively combining the detected sinusoidal intensity variations of omni-directional light emitted by an array of light emitting diode (LED) elements; and generate an output signal corresponding to the detected sinusoidal intensity variations; and processing circuitry configured to convert the output signal into digital symbols corresponding to the detected sinusoidal intensity variations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The VLC system of claim 8, wherein the optical receiver is a photodetector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The VLC system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to provide the digital symbols to a computing device communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The VLC system of claim 8, wherein uniform intensity light is generated outside the information beam region by destructively combining the detected sinusoidal intensity variations of the omni-directional light emitted by the array of LED elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 8) A light source comprising the visible light communication (VLC) system of claim 1 and the VLC system of claim 8. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The light source of claim 12, wherein the light source is a light fixture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The light source of claim 12, comprising a plurality of optical receivers. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: illuminating a space with an array of light emitting diode (LED) elements that emit omni-directional light; and generating a data carrying light beam within an information beam region of the space by sinusoidally varying an intensity of the omni-directional light emitted from one or more LED elements of the array of LED elements, while simultaneously generating uniform intensity light outside the information beam region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising: receiving data transmitted over a network; and transmitting the data via the data carrying light beam by modulating the intensity of the omni-directional light emitted from the one or more LED elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising controlling amplitude and phase of sinusoidal variations of the intensity to generate the data carrying light beam in a defined direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising: sensing intensity variations of the data carrying light beam; and generating an output signal corresponding to the intensity variations of the data carrying light beam. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, comprising converting an output signal generated from sinusoidal intensity variations of the data carrying light beam into digital symbols corresponding to the data transmitted over the network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein sinusoidal variations of the intensity of the omni-directional light constructively combine within the information beam region and destructively combine outside the information beam region.