Proposal and Preliminary Experiments of Indoor Optical Wireless LAN Based on a CMOS Image Sensor with a High-Speed Readout Function Enabling a Low-Power Compact Module with Large Uplink Capacity

• KAGAWA Keiichiro

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• NISHIMURA Tomohiro

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• HIRAI Takao

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• YAMASAKI Yasushi

  MICROSIGNAL Co.,LTD

• ASAZU Hiroaki

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• KAWAKAMI Tomoaki

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• OHTA Jun

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• NUNOSHITA Masahiro

  Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology

• WATANABE Kunihiro

  MICROSIGNAL Co.,LTD

Abstract

We propose a new scheme of indoor optical wireless LAN bused on a special CMOS image sensor (CIS), which realizes a low-power compact communication module with large uplink capacity due to space division multiple access. In our sclieme, all nodes and a hub utilize the CIS as a photoreceiver as well as a position-sensing do vice for finding the positions of the communication modules, while a single large photodiode is used in the conventional systems. Although conventional image sensors cannot detect modulated signals because they integrate photocurrents, our CIS has a high-speed readout function for receiving optical data from the specific pixels receiving optical signals. The advantages of the proposed scheme are 1) compact, embodiment of the communication module due to no need of the bulky mechanical components for searching the other modules, 2) space division multiple access, which leads to 3) large capacity of uplink, and 4) applicability of simple modulation and coding schemes for optical signals. In our scheme, diffusive and narrow beam lights are complementally used for position detection and communication, respectively, which leads to the advantage 5) low power consumption of both light emitter and receiver circuits. To demonstrate two basic functional modes of our CIS: an IS (image sensor) mode and a COM (communication) mode, we fabricate an 8×8-pixel CIS by use of a 0.8/μm BiCMOS technology. In the experiments, the image of a light, source is successfully captured in the IS mode for integration time of 29.6 msec and optical power of 1.1 nW. After the functional mode of the pixel receiving the light is changed to the COM mode, the eye pattern of the modulated light, is obtained from the pixel at frequency of 1 MHz, We also fabricate a test, pixel circuit with in-pixel amplifier, with which operation speed is improved to 100 MHz.

Journal

• Trans. Inst. Electron. & Commun. Eng. Jpn. Sect. E

  Trans. Inst. Electron. & Commun. Eng. Jpn. Sect. E 86 (5), 1498-1507, 2003-05-01

  The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

Keywords

• indoor optical wireless LAN
• CMOS image sensor
• free-space optical comunication
• space division multiple access
• MEMS mirror

Details

• CRID: 1571135652318318720
• NII Article ID: 110003221813
• NII Book ID: AA10826261
• ISSN: 09168516
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • CiNii Articles