Downlink-Uplink Symmetry in Mobile Battery-Free Retro-Reflective VLC: Enabling Sensing-Assisted Communications

Sihua Shao, Adrian Salustri, Alexander Heusser, Hassan Khaniani, Mostafa Hassanalian, Pedram Roghanchi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Designing a mobile retro-reflective visible light communication (R-VLC) system presents significant challenges due to the rapid and substantial changes in uplink channel gain. These changes occur when the retro-reflective tag, crucial for the system's operation, is worn by a person in motion. Consider a scenario where an intelligent rescue drone is leading the assisted-escape for miners trapped due to an accident. The drone, equipped with a searchlight, facilitates duplex communication with the trapped miners via a batteryless R-VLC system. Despite the retro-reflective tag's unique ability to support self-alignment in the VLC system, the tag's orientation changes quickly as a miner moves. This movement induces significant variations in the uplink channel gain, which requires a fast adaptive modulation and coding scheme. In response to this challenge, our work involves prototyping an R-VLC system powered by photovoltaic cells. Based on Manchester-coded on-off keying, the communication distance achieves up to 6 meters. Through channel characterization and experimental validation, we demonstrate that the prototype can leverage the downlink photovoltaic cell sensing output to directly estimate the strength of the uplink retro-reflected signal. The symmetry between downlink and uplink allows for symbol-wise adaptation, crucial for effective sensing-assisted communication.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2024 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2024
EditorsMatthew Valenti, David Reed, Melissa Torres
Pages1061-1066
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9798350304053
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
Event59th Annual IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2024 - Denver, United States
Duration: Jun 9 2024Jun 13 2024

Publication series

Name2024 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2024

Conference

Conference59th Annual IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDenver
Period6/9/246/13/24

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 IEEE.

Keywords

  • Sensing-assisted communication
  • backscatter communication
  • battery-free
  • drone-assisted mine rescue
  • mobility
  • visible light communication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
  • Control and Optimization
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Signal Processing
  • Information Systems and Management
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

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