US 12,744,598 B2 · Radio frequency support for establishing wireless optical connections

Abstract

This invention relates to an incorporation of radio frequency (RF) access capabilities (e.g., Wi-Fi station capabilities) to an access point (AP) and/or endpoint (EP) of a wireless optical communication network (e.g. LiFi network) to be able to perform discovery, authentication, and association using an RF peer-to-peer mechanism (e.g. Wi-Fi Direct) and wake up the access point and/or endpoint, when it is established using the RF peer-to-peer mechanism that a wireless optical connection may be used as a high-speed data link. Advantageously, the RF link is used to configure the optical link and more advantageously, the AP controls its transmit power based on the coverage area of the wireless optical access point so that the RF communication may be setup in a timely manner allowing exchange of information on a optical link capabilities and to wake-up the optical transceiver(s).

Claims15

Dependent claims

A wireless optical access point comprising:

a wireless optical transceiver,
a Radio Frequency, RF, transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF signals, and
an apparatus for controlling wireless optical communication,
the apparatus being configured to provide control signaling of a radio frequency, RF, based protocol using the RF transceiver, for a peer-to-peer connection establishment for setting up a bidirectional wireless optical connection between the wireless optical access point and a wireless optical endpoint and to use the wireless optical connection for optical data transfer,
wherein the apparatus is configured to:
exchange, using the RF transceiver, the control signaling between the wireless optical access point and the wireless optical endpoint via a peer-to-peer RF connection between the wireless optical access point and the wireless optical endpoint, and
wake up the wireless optical transceiver and establish the wireless optical connection when the peer-to-peer RF connection has been set up.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Radio frequency support for establishing wireless optical connections

Life of this patent

Radio frequency support for establishing wireless optical connections

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15