Multi-element Visible Light Communications

Light bulbs are no longer just for lighting up your room—they can also connect your devices to the internet! With our innovative approach in Visible Light Communications (VLC), we’re bridging the gap between illumination and data transfer. Traditional VLC systems face challenges in speed and single-user limitations. Our cutting-edge research uses multiple LED elements to serve multiple devices at once, enhancing both speed and efficiency. It’s not just a light bulb; it’s the future of indoor connectivity.

Multi-Element VLC Architecture

When it comes to VLC, most systems are stuck in a single-user, single-stream world. Our research introduces Multi-Element VLC Architecture, which uses multiple LEDs to transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously. This opens up exciting opportunities for creating a multi-user environment, making better use of the available space, and dramatically increasing the overall data rates.

Addressing New Challenges

As promising as multi-element VLC is, it comes with its own set of challenges—like ensuring uniform lighting and linking the right LED with the right device. Our work solves these issues with strategic placement and power adjustments for the LEDs. We turn these challenges into opportunities for an even more robust and user-friendly VLC system.

Hybrid Connectivity: RF and Optical Wireless

Why limit ourselves to one type of communication? Our project incorporates a hybrid system that uses both RF (Radio Frequency) and optical wireless communications. This fusion provides a reliable and adaptable method for data transmission, offering the best of both worlds. The hybrid approach diversifies our system’s capabilities, making it resilient against various challenges.

Achievements and Impact

Our groundbreaking Multi-Element VLC system doesn’t just push the boundaries of what VLC can do; it shatters them. We’ve achieved significantly improved data rates and user inclusivity, all while maintaining optimal lighting conditions. It’s a leap forward in making VLC a real-world solution, turning everyday lighting into extraordinary connectivity hubs.

Selected Publications

  • S. Ibne Mushfique, A. Alsharoa, and M. Yuksel, “MirrorVLC: Optimal Mirror Placement for Multi-Element VLC Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 21, no. 11, Nov. 2022.
  • S. Ibne Mushfique, A. Alsharoa, and M. Yuksel, “Optimization of SINR and Illumina- tion Uniformity in Multi-LED Multi-Datastream VLC Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1108-1121, Sept. 2020.
  • S. Ibne Mushfique, A. Dey, A. Alsharoa, and M. Yuksel, “Resource Optimization in Visible Light Communication for Internet of Things”, in proc. of IEEE International Symposium on Local and Metropolitan Area Networks, Paris, France, July 2019