Framework of IoT Services over Unidirectional Visible Lights Communication Networks

Abstract

Visible Light Communication (VLC) has been noted as an emerging technology for communications in wireless local area networks. VLC provides some distinctive features over the conventional wireless access technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee. The most prominent feature of VLC is that it can provide more exact location information, since it is based on a particular light. In addition, VLC can reduce the frequency interferences from numerous wireless channels, since it uses a completely different radio frequency channel from the conventional wireless access technologies. Thus, VLC can be used for Internet-of-Things (IoT) services. Nevertheless, up to now, not enough studies on how to provide IoT services over VLC networks have been conducted. In this paper, we propose a framework to provide IoT services in VLC networks. In particular, we will consider the unidirectional VLC network, in which the downlink channel from the VLC transmitter to the VLC receiver is given by using VLC communication, whereas the uplink channel from the VLC receiver to the VLC transmitter is implemented by using another wireless access technology, such as Wi-Fi. This is because most of the VLC receivers, such as mobile phones, cannot support the uplink VLC communication. Based on the framework of IoT services over unidirectional VLC, in this paper, we also propose the VLC–IoT protocol (VIP) which is an application layer protocol for data transport with the session management functionality that can be used to effectively provide IoT services among IoT servers, VLC transmitters and VLC receivers in the networks. The proposed VIP protocol is implemented by using the Cooja simulator. For performance analysis, the proposed scheme is compared with the existing CoAP-based scheme that does not provide the session management. From a variety of simulation experiments, we see that the proposed scheme can provide lower data transmission and handover delays, compared to the existing scheme.

Semantic Modeling of a VLC-Enabled Task Automation Platform for Smart Offices

“…Moreover, many studies have been conducted on VLC to improve its functionality [13,44]. However, the use of VLC for providing IoT services has not been extensively studied [14].…”

“…These problems have pushed the investigation of new wireless communication technologies, such as Visible Light Communication (VLC) [13]. VLC uses the existing light in an environment (e.g., Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights) for transmitting data, exploiting the bandwidth of visible light, which is almost ten times wider and completely different from that of conventional wireless access technologies [14]. Furthermore, the use of existing LED-based lighting infrastructure in buildings for lighting and data communication simultaneously can notably reduce the operating costs and carbon footprint [5].…”

Printed Electronics in Radiofrequency Energy Harvesters and Wireless Power Transfer Rectennas for IoT Applications

“…When different printing techniques or a combination of printing techniques and conventional PCB technology are utilized for the fabrication of several rectenna components in a single device, a range of electrical connections and packaging for electronics needs to be considered, such as conductive adhesives, [ 156 ] including copper tape, [ 157 ] or low‐temperature soldering. [ 158 ] However, the usual method of combining printing techniques that utilize similar layer thicknesses is a direct print of layers one‐by‐one, sometimes with an interlayer, to avoid material mixing. [ 159 ] The right choice of technique and material allows printed electronics techniques to be used in unusual applications, e.g., to make functional electrical connections on temperature‐sensitive surfaces [ 160 ] or to produce structures with temperature‐sensitive geometries.…”

In-Vehicle Visible Light Communications Data Transmission System Using Optical Fiber Distributed Light: Implementation and Experimental Evaluation

“…The wide area distribution of LED light sources, together with the VLC energy harvesting [17,18] and energy transfer capabilities [19,20], also opens the possibility of being used in Internet of Things [21,22] applications. Additionally, the current Industry 4.0 transition forces the integration of wireless communication technologies into more and more industrial applications.…”