Broadcast signal retransmission system and method using illuminating visible-light communication

A broadcast signal retransmission method using illuminating visible-light communication comprising one or more visible-light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures, each comprising LEDs providing area illumination, each of the LED lighting fixtures of which converts a demodulated broadcast channel signal received through a power line into a light signal and outputs the converted light signal as illumination light, the method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a channel request message using one of a plurality of smart communicators, wherein each of which includes an RF transmitter, and each of which performs a request message transmit operation for a desired broadcast channel by generating the channel request message and sending the channel request message in an RF signal to a server;
• receiving, at the server, a multi-channel broadcast signal through a radio frequency (RF) receiver, and demodulating the multi-channel broadcast signal into demodulated broadcast channel signals by available channels;
• receiving, at the server, the RF signal, including the channel request message containing a desired broadcast channel information and a location reference from a particular smart communicator;
• selecting, at the server, a power line path to a LED lighting fixture indicated by the location reference;
• setting a signal switching path based on the location reference for routing a selected one of the demodulated broadcast channel signals;
• superimposing the selected demodulated broadcast channel signal on a power wave carried on the power line connected to the signal switching path, and transmitting the selected demodulated broadcast channel signal through the power line to the LED lighting fixture installed at the site indicated by the location reference to output the converted light signal as illumination light;
• and
• receiving, by the smart communicator, the illumination light, decoding the received illumination light into a reply broadcast signal, and outputting the reply broadcast signal.

A broadcast communication signal retransmission system, comprising:

• a server comprising:
• means for receiving a multi-channel broadcast signal, and demodulating the multi-channel broadcast signal into broadcast channel signals by available channels;
• radio frequency receiving means for receiving an RF signal, including a channel request message containing a desired broadcast channel information and a location reference:
• from a smart communicator having an RF transmitter;
• means for setting a signal switching path on the basis of the location reference to route the broadcast channel signal associated with the desired broadcast channel information;
• means for superimposing the broadcast channel signal associated with the desired broadcast channel information on a power wave carried on a power line;
• and
• means for transmitting the broadcast channel signal through the signal switching path on the power wave carried on the power line leading to an LED lighting fixture installed at the site indicated by the location reference;
• at least one visible-light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixture, wherein each LED lighting fixture is for providing area illumination and for converting the broadcast channel signal received through the power line into a light signal and outputs the converted light signal as illumination light;
• and
• wherein the smart communicator performs a request message transmit operation for a desired broadcast channel by generating the channel request message and by sending the channel request message including the location reference in the RF signal to the server, and decodes the illumination light from a corresponding LED lighting fixture into a reply broadcast signal and outputs the reply broadcast signal.