Lighting apparatuses and led modules for both illumination and optical communication

Abstract

An LED module has a controller with a modulator and illumination driver, and first and second LED chains. The first LED chain is connected to the modulator, has a first group of LED cells, and emits a first light under a pulse mode current input from the modulator. The first light has a digital data over a signal carrier. The second LED chain is connected to the illumination driver, has a second group of LED cells, and emits a second light under a constant current input from the illumination driver. There are fewer LED cells in the first group than the second group. The illumination driver is independent from the modulator in controlling emission of the first light. Alternatively, the LED module has a controller, an LED chain connected to the modulator, a first group of LED cells, and a second group of LED cells directly connected to the first group of LED cells. The first group of LED cells operates under a pulse mode current input from the modulator and emits a first light having a digital data over a signal carrier. The second group of LED cells emits a second light under a constant current input from the illumination driver.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.