JP7003096B2 - Optical wireless communication device, mobile body, program, and communication method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an optical wireless communication device, a mobile body, a program and a communication method.

A mobile body equipped with an optical wireless communication function was known. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).
[Prior Art Document]
[Patent Document]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-166256

It is desirable to provide technology that supports the stable execution of optical wireless communication.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an optical wireless communication device is provided. The optical wireless communication device may include a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of directions. The optical wireless communication device may include a light receiving unit that receives light from a plurality of directions. The optical wireless communication device may include a data transmission unit that transmits the transmission data by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit based on the transmission data transmitted to another optical wireless communication device. The optical wireless communication device may include a data receiving unit that receives data from the other optical wireless communication device based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device received by the light receiving unit.

The light receiving unit may have a plurality of cameras. The light receiving unit may have an array of light receiving elements. The light receiving unit may be arranged outside the light emitting unit so as not to receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit, and may receive light from the outside. The light receiving unit may have an omnidirectional camera that captures an omnidirectional image. The light emitting unit may emit light in all directions. The optical wireless communication device may include an identification information storage unit that stores self-device identification information that identifies the optical wireless communication device, and the data transmission unit may use the transmission data whose source is the self-device identification information. The transmission data may be transmitted by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit based on the above. The data transmission unit may transmit the transmission data with the transmission source as the own device identification information and the destination as one or a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices. The data transmission unit may transmit the transmission data in which the transmission source is the self-identification information and the destination is an unspecified number of people. The data receiving unit may store the data as received data when the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device includes the own device identification information. If the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device does not include the self-identification information, the data receiving unit may discard the data.

The light emitting unit may have a plurality of light emitting units, each of which emits light having a different wavelength. The data transmission unit may transmit transmission data to each of the plurality of other optical wireless communication devices by controlling the light emission of each of the plurality of light emitting units. The optical wireless communication device may include a key storage unit for storing the own unit public key and the own unit private key corresponding to the own unit, and the data transmission unit may control other light emission by the light emitting unit. The own device public key may be transmitted to the optical wireless communication device, and the data receiving unit may transmit the data encrypted by the own device public key from the other optical wireless communication device. The above data may be decrypted with the own machine private key. The data receiving unit may receive a public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device from another optical wireless communication device, and the data transmitting unit may receive the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device. The transmission data to the other optical wireless communication device encrypted by the above may be transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device by controlling the light emission by the light emitting unit. The optical wireless communication device includes first light emitting device data including identification information of the first light emitting device received by receiving light emitted by a light emitting unit of the first light emitting device arranged on the ground. The second light emitting device data including the identification information of the second light emitting device received by receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the second light emitting device arranged on the ground, and the first light emitting device. A position information derivation unit for deriving the position information of the optical wireless communication device based on the position information and the position information of the second light emitting device may be provided. The optical wireless communication device may be mounted on a mobile body. The optical wireless communication device may be mounted on an underwater mobile body that moves underwater.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a mobile body including the optical wireless communication device is provided.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a program for making a computer function as the optical wireless communication device is provided.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication method executed by an optical wireless communication device having a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of directions and a light receiving unit that receives light from a plurality of directions. The communication method may include a data transmission step of transmitting transmission data by controlling light emission of a light emitting unit based on transmission data transmitted to another optical wireless communication device. The communication method may include a data reception step of receiving data from another optical wireless communication device based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device received by the light receiving unit.

The outline of the above invention does not list all the necessary features of the present invention. A subcombination of these feature groups can also be an invention.

An example of the optical wireless communication device 200 is shown schematically. An example of the flow of optical wireless communication by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is schematically shown. An example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the functional configuration of the optical wireless communication device 200 is schematically shown. An example of the underwater mobile body 300 is schematically shown. An example of the hardware configuration of the computer 1200 functioning as the optical wireless communication device 200 is schematically shown.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention to which the claims are made. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means of solving the invention.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of an optical wireless communication device 200. The optical wireless communication device 200 according to the present embodiment includes a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of directions and a light receiving unit that receives light from a plurality of directions, and another optical wireless communication device 200 is provided with light emitted by the light emitting unit. Data is transmitted to the light receiving unit, and the data is received by the light of another optical wireless communication device 200 received by the light receiving unit. The optical wireless communication device 200 may be mounted on a mobile body.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the optical wireless communication device 200 is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be a so-called drone. The optical wireless communication device 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 has an LED 212 and an LED 214, and a camera 222 and a camera 224. The LED 212 and the LED 214 are examples of the light emitting unit, and the camera 222 and the camera 224 are examples of the light receiving unit.

Each of the LED 212 and the LED 214 exemplified in FIG. 1 can emit light of three colors. The type of the color of the light emitted by the LED 212 and the LED 214 is not limited to this, and may be one or two, or may be four or more. By arranging the LED 212 on the upper surface side of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the LED 214 on the lower surface side of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, light can be emitted from the optical wireless communication device 200 in all directions.

Each of the camera 222 and the camera 224 exemplified in FIG. 1 is a camera capable of capturing an omnidirectional image. The camera 222 and the camera 224 may be referred to as an omnidirectional camera, an omnidirectional camera, an omnidirectional camera, a 360-degree camera, and the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the camera 222 is arranged on one side surface side of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, and the camera 224 is arranged on the other side surface side of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The optical wireless communication device 200 can acquire an captured image obtained by synthesizing an image captured by the camera 222 and an image captured by the camera 224.

When the optical wireless communication device 200 has only one of the camera 222 and the camera 224, the airframe direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 becomes a blind spot. On the other hand, by synthesizing the image captured by the camera 222 and the image captured by the camera 224, it is possible to acquire an captured image having a smaller blind spot.

The optical wireless communication device 200 transmits transmission data to the other optical wireless communication device 200 by controlling the light emission of at least one of the LED 212 and the LED 214 based on the transmission data transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device 200. You may send. Further, the optical wireless communication device 200 may receive data from the other optical wireless communication device 200 based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device 200 received by the camera 222 and the camera 224.

General optical wireless communication has a very high directivity, and there is a problem that communication can be performed only when the optical axes are aligned. On the other hand, the optical wireless communication device 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 emits light in all directions and captures the optical wireless light source by a camera capable of capturing an image in all directions, so that optical wireless communication that does not require optical axis alignment is unnecessary. Can be realized.

The optical wireless communication device 200 may include only one of the camera 222 and the camera 224. Further, the optical wireless communication device 200 may include three or more omnidirectional cameras. Further, the optical wireless communication device 200 may include a plurality of so-called ultra-wide-angle cameras and acquire images captured in all directions by synthesizing images captured by the plurality of ultra-wide-angle cameras. The plurality of ultra-wide-angle cameras are embedded in each location of the aircraft of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example.

It is desirable that the light receiving unit of the optical wireless communication device 200 does not receive as much light as possible from the light emitting unit. In FIG. 1, the camera 222 and the camera 224 are arranged on the side surface side of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 so as not to receive the light from the LED 212 and the camera 222 as much as possible.

The optical wireless communication device 200 is not an omnidirectional camera, but is provided with a plurality of cameras capable of capturing a specific direction, and the plurality of cameras are arranged outside the light emitting unit to receive light from the outside. It is also good. As a result, the light receiving unit can be prevented from directly receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit.

In the optical wireless communication device 200, instead of the camera, the arrayed light receiving elements are arranged so as to cover the whole celestial sphere so that the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device 200 can be received from any angle. It is also good. The optical wireless communication device 200 may use one or a plurality of cameras in combination with an array of light receiving elements.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of the flow of optical wireless communication by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. Here, a case where the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 communicates with the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 will be described in a situation where the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 are located around the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. ..

The optical wireless communication device 200 mounted on each of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 may intermittently broadcast its identification information by optical wireless communication during flight. As a result, each of the plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200 can grasp the existence of each. The timing of transmitting the identification information may be periodic or irregular.

In step 102 (the step may be abbreviated as S) 102, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 broadcasts its own identification information "B" by optical wireless communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184. Unmanned aerial vehicle 186 receives. In S104, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 broadcasts its own identification information "C" by optical wireless communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 receive it.

In S106, the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 broadcasts its own identification information "D" by optical wireless communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 receive it. In S108, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 broadcasts its own identification information "A" by optical wireless communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 receive it.

In S110, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 transmits a communication start request signal having a source of "A" and a destination of "C" and a public key A corresponding to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by optical radio communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, Received by unmanned aerial vehicle 184 and unmanned aerial vehicle 186. The unmanned aerial vehicle 184 stores the received data because the destination matches its own identification information. The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 discard the received data because the destination is different from their own identification information.

In S112, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 transmits a communication start permission signal having a source of "C" and a destination of "A" and a public key C corresponding to the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 by optical radio communication, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, Received by unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and unmanned aerial vehicle 186. As a result, communication is started between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184. The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 discard the received data because the destination is different from their own identification information.

In S114, the transmission data transmitted by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 is encrypted by the public key C received in S112, and the transmission data is encrypted with the source as "A" and the destination as "C". It is transmitted by optical wireless communication and is received by the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186. The unmanned aerial vehicle 184 decrypts the encrypted transmission data by the private key C corresponding to the public key C.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 discard the received data because the destination is different from their own identification information. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 do not have the private key C corresponding to the public key C, the encrypted transmission data cannot be decrypted.

In S116, the transmission data transmitted by the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is encrypted by the public key A received in S110, and the transmission data is encrypted with the source as "C" and the destination as "A". It is transmitted by optical wireless communication and is received by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 decrypts the encrypted transmission data by the private key A corresponding to the public key A.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 discard the received data because the destination is different from their own identification information. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 186 do not have the private key A corresponding to the public key A, the encrypted transmission data cannot be decrypted.

As shown in FIG. 2, when each unmanned aerial vehicle 100 provides a public key corresponding to itself to another unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by optical wireless communication, the content of communication leaks to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 other than the communication partner. It can be prevented from being stored. In FIG. 2, the case where the public key is transmitted together with the communication start request signal and the communication start permission signal has been given as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may also transmit the public key when broadcasting its identification information intermittently. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may transmit the public key to another unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by optical wireless communication at an arbitrary timing.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment can execute optical wireless communication with another unmanned aerial vehicle 100 located in any direction. However, as shown in FIG. 3, when a shield such as a mountain exists, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 cannot directly perform optical wireless communication.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can perform multi-hop communication even with other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 that do not exist in the LOS (Line Of Site) if there are unmanned aerial vehicles 100 existing in each other's LOS. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 cannot directly communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 by optical wireless communication, but can communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 via the unmanned aerial vehicle 182.

The method in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 requests the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 to relay the communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 may be any method. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 broadcasts a relay request signal for communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 by optical wireless communication when the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 does not exist in the LOS. The relay request signal includes identification information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 184. Among the other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 that received the relay request signal from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 exists in the LOS and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 capable of performing the relay transmits the relay permission signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by optical wireless communication. Send.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 transmits a relay permission signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 may notify the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 that the communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 is relayed. After that, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 perform communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 182.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can also move in any direction over the sky, so that when the first unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the second unmanned aerial vehicle 100 are about to initiate optical wireless communication or while they are executing. It may be blocked by the third unmanned aerial vehicle 100.

When another unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is located between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment and the communication partner of optical wireless communication, the other unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may relay the communication with the communication partner. .. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 perform optical radio communication, it is detected that the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 moves between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184. In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 transmits a relay request signal for relaying communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 182.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 transmits a relay permission signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 when the relay can be executed. The unmanned aerial vehicle 182 may notify the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 that the communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 is relayed. After that, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 184 perform communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 182.

FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of a communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 performs optical wireless communication with a radio base station 40 having an LED 42.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 receives, for example, the position information of the radio base station 40 from the radio base station 40 by optical wireless communication. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may communicate with the management server 30 via, for example, the radio base station 40 and the network 20. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 receives, for example, flight instructions, weather information, and the like from the management server 30.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the radio base station 40 can normally perform radio wave communication, but radio wave communication may not be performed due to jamming or the shadow of a shield, or the communication quality may be extremely low. be. In such a case, the communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the radio base station 40 can be complemented by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the radio base station 40 performing optical wireless communication. In addition, the radio base station 40 may use a strobe light, an infrared laser by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ringing), or the like instead of the LED 42.

FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of the communication status by the optical wireless communication device 200. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can derive the position information of its own aircraft by using a triangular survey algorithm when it can execute optical wireless communication with at least two radio base stations 40.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may store the position information of each of the plurality of radio base stations 40 in advance. When the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 receives the identification information of the radio base station 40 from each of the two radio base stations 40, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 refers to the stored information and acquires the position information of the two radio base stations 40. .. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may receive the position information of each of the two radio base stations 40 from each of the two radio base stations 40 by optical wireless communication.

The unmanned aircraft 100 receives time from two wireless base stations 40 by optical wireless communication with, for example, two wireless base stations 40, and the position information of the optical wireless communication device 200 is obtained by a triangular survey due to a time lag. Is derived. Since the position of the radio base station 40 can be specified with high accuracy, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can specify the position of its own aircraft with high accuracy.

FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of the communication situation by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment can transmit and receive data to and from any device or device having an optical wireless communication device 200. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can transmit and receive data between the unmanned aerial vehicle 182 and the automobile 70. The automobile 70 has an LED 72, a camera 74, and a camera 76.

Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can receive data from any device or device having a light emitting unit. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can receive data from a radio base station 40 having an LED 42, a controller 50 having an LED 52, and a drone port 60 having an LED 62. By having the radio base station 40, the controller 50 and the drone port 60 having a light receiving unit, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can also transmit and receive data to and from the radio base station 40, the controller 50 and the drone port 60.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may communicate with the management server 30 on the network 20 via the radio base station 40, for example, by performing optical wireless communication with the radio base station 40. Further, for example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 executes optical wireless communication with the controller 50, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be operated by the operator 54.

Further, for example, the drone port 60 can support the takeoff and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by communicating the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the drone port 60 by optical wireless communication. Further, for example, by communicating between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the automobile 70 by optical wireless communication, position information, weather information, traffic jam information, and the like can be transmitted and received between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the automobile 70.

Further, for example, the automobiles 70 equipped with the optical wireless communication device 200 may execute optical wireless communication. Further, in any other combination, the objects provided with the optical wireless communication device 200 may execute optical wireless communication.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of the functional configuration of the optical wireless communication device 200. The optical wireless communication device 200 includes a light emitting unit 210, a light receiving unit 220, a storage unit 230, a data transmitting unit 232, a data receiving unit 234, a tracking unit 236, and a position information derivation unit 238.

The light emitting unit 210 emits light in a plurality of directions. The light emitting unit 210 may emit light in all directions. The type of light emitted by the light emitting unit 210 may be any type. The light emitting unit 210 emits light having a wavelength between infrared rays and visible light, for example.

The light emitting unit 210 may have one or more light emitting units. One or a plurality of light emitting units may be arranged in a mobile body on which the optical wireless communication device 200 is mounted. The one or more light emitting units may be arranged so as to be able to emit light in all directions around the moving body.

The light emitting unit 210 may emit a plurality of lights having different wavelengths. The light emitting unit 210 includes, for example, a plurality of light emitting units, each of which emits light having a different wavelength.

The light receiving unit 220 receives light from a plurality of directions. The light receiving unit 220 has, for example, a plurality of cameras. Further, the light receiving unit 220 has, for example, an array of light receiving elements. Examples of the light receiving element include a photomultiplier tube, a phototransistor, a photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, and the like. The plurality of cameras and the arrayed light receiving elements may be arranged outside the light emitting unit 210 so as not to receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit 210, and may receive the light from the outside.

The light receiving unit 220 may have an omnidirectional camera capable of capturing an omnidirectional image. The light receiving unit 220 may have one or more omnidirectional cameras. The one or more omnidirectional cameras may be arranged so as not to receive the light emitted by the light emitting unit 210 as much as possible.

The storage unit 230 stores various data. The storage unit 230 stores, for example, own unit identification information for identifying the optical wireless communication device 200. The own device identification information of the optical wireless communication device 200 may be the identification information of the mobile body on which the optical wireless communication device 200 is mounted. The storage unit 230 may be an example of the identification information storage unit.

The storage unit 230 may store the own machine public key and the own machine private key corresponding to the optical wireless communication device 200. The storage unit 230 may be an example of a key storage unit.

The storage unit 230 may store the position information of each of the plurality of radio base stations 40. When the light receiving unit 220 has a camera, the storage unit 230 may store the captured image captured by the light receiving unit 220.

The data transmission unit 232 transmits the transmission data to the other optical wireless communication device 200 by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit 210 based on the transmission data transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device 200. Data transmission by light emission may be performed by any method. For example, a blinking signal that transmits data depending on the difference in emission pattern is used. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data to a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices 200 in a time-division manner.

The data transmission unit 232, for example, intermittently broadcasts the own device identification information stored in the storage unit 230 to another optical wireless communication device 200. The data transmission unit 232, for example, transmits transmission data including own machine identification information and having an unspecified number of destinations by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit 210.

The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in a unicast format. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in which the transmission source is the own device identification information and the destination is the identification information of another optical wireless communication device 200 by optical wireless communication by the light emitting unit 210.

The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in a multicast format. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in which the transmission source is the own device identification information and the destination is the identification information of a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices 200 by optical wireless communication by the light emitting unit 210.

The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in a broadcast format. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit transmission data in which the transmission source is the own device identification information and the destination is an unspecified number of destinations by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit 210.

The data transmission unit 232 may transmit a communication start request signal designating the optical wireless communication device 200 of the other party to communicate with. For example, the data transmission unit 232 transmits a communication start request signal with the transmission source as the own device identification information and the destination as the identification information of another optical wireless communication device 200 by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit 210.

The data transmission unit 232 may transmit the own unit public key stored in the storage unit 230 by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit 210. For example, when the data transmission unit 232 intermittently broadcasts the self-identification information to another optical wireless communication device 200, the data transmission unit 232 also transmits the self-equipment public key. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit the own machine public key together with the communication start request signal. The data transmission unit 232 may transmit the own machine public key separately from the own machine identification information and the communication start request signal.

When the light emitting unit 210 can emit light of a plurality of wavelengths, the data transmission unit 232 may transmit data to one communication partner by optical wireless communication using the light of a plurality of wavelengths. As a result, the amount of data that can be transmitted can be increased as compared with the case where light having one wavelength is used. Further, the data transmission unit 232 may transmit data to each of a plurality of communication partners by using each of the light having a plurality of wavelengths.

The data receiving unit 234 receives data from the other optical wireless communication device 200 based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device 200 received by the light receiving unit 220. The data receiving unit 234 acquires data by, for example, analyzing a blinking signal of light emitted by another optical wireless communication device 200.

When the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device 200 includes the own device identification information, the data receiving unit 234 may store the data in the storage unit 230. If the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device 200 does not include the own device identification information, the data receiving unit 234 may discard the data. The data receiving unit 234 may discard the data when the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device 200 does not include the own device identification information and the destination is not an unspecified majority.

When the data receiving unit 234 receives the data encrypted by the own unit public key from another optical wireless communication device 200, the data receiving unit 234 decodes the data by the own unit private key stored in the storage unit 230.

When the data receiving unit 234 receives the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device 200 from the other optical wireless communication device 200, the data receiving unit 234 may store the identification information in the storage unit 230.

When the data receiving unit 234 receives the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device 200 from the other optical wireless communication device 200, the data receiving unit 234 uses the public key as the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device 200. It may be stored in the storage unit 230 in association with each other. When the data transmission unit 232 transmits the transmission data to another optical wireless communication device 200, the data transmission unit 232 may encrypt the transmission data using the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device 200.

When the light receiving unit 220 has a camera, the tracking unit 236 tracks the position of another optical wireless communication device 200 by using the captured image captured by the light receiving unit 220 and stored in the storage unit 230. When the tracking unit 236 recognizes the other optical wireless communication device 200 by the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device 200 received by the data receiving unit 234, the tracking unit 236 refers to the captured image captured thereafter. The other optical wireless communication device 200 is tracked.

The tracking unit 236 may track all the positions of the plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200 that have received the identification information. Further, the tracking unit 236 may track the positions of the plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200 according to the priority of the plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200. For example, the tracking unit 236 may include an optical wireless communication device 200 having a higher priority than a predetermined threshold value among a plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200, or a predetermined number of optical wireless communication devices 200 in descending order of priority. Track the position of. The priority of the plurality of optical wireless communication devices 200 may be arbitrarily determined. For example, the tracking unit 236 raises or lowers the priority of the optical wireless communication device 200 in response to a request from another optical wireless communication device 200.

The position information derivation unit 238 derives the position information of the optical wireless communication device 200. The position information derivation unit 238 includes, for example, the first light emitting device data including the identification information of the first light emitting device received by receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the first light emitting device arranged on the ground. The second light emitting device data including the identification information of the second light emitting device received by receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the second light emitting device arranged on the ground, and the position of the first light emitting device. The position information of the optical wireless communication device 200 is derived based on the information and the position information of the second light emitting device. The position information derivation unit 238 may derive the position information of the optical wireless communication device 200 by using a triangulation algorithm. The first light emitting device and the second light emitting device are, for example, two radio base stations each having a light emitting unit.

FIG. 9 schematically shows an example of the underwater mobile body 300. In FIGS. 1 to 8, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is mainly mentioned as an example of the moving body, but the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of moving objects include airplanes, helicopters, automobiles, and the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, an underwater mobile body 300 that moves in water is also mentioned as an example.

The underwater mobile body 300 includes an underwater mobile mechanism 302, an optical wireless communication device 200, an LED 212, and a camera 222. The underwater moving body 300 may include a GNSS unit (not shown), an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a control device, and the control device may include an underwater moving mechanism 302 based on output data from the GNSS unit, the acceleration sensor, and the gyro sensor. May be movable in any direction by operating.

The underwater mobile body 300 can operate in the same manner as the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The underwater mobile body 300 executes optical wireless communication with another underwater mobile body 300.

The underwater mobile body 300 is connected to the submersible 400 via a cable 402, for example, as shown in FIG. The submersible 400 to which the underwater moving body 300 is connected can communicate with another submersible 400 via the underwater moving body 300. Underwater, it is difficult to realize communication by radio waves, but according to the underwater mobile body 300 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily communicate with each other underwater devices such as a submersible 400.

FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as an optical wireless communication device 200. A program installed on the computer 1200 causes the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the apparatus according to the present embodiment, or causes the computer 1200 to perform an operation associated with the apparatus according to the present embodiment or the one or the like. A plurality of "parts" can be executed and / or a computer 1200 can be made to execute a process according to the present embodiment or a stage of the process. Such a program may be run by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphic controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes an input / output unit such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via the input / output controller 1220. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or the like. The computer 1200 also includes a legacy input / output unit such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

The CPU 1212 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 1216 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 1212 in a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or itself so that the image data is displayed on the display device 1218.

The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via the network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The IC card drive reads the program and data from the IC card and / or writes the program and data to the IC card.

The ROM 1230 stores in it a boot program or the like executed by the computer 1200 at the time of activation, and / or a program depending on the hardware of the computer 1200. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via a USB port, a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, and the like.

The program is provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as an IC card. The program is read from a computer-readable storage medium, installed in a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which is also an example of a computer-readable storage medium, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200 and provides a link between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The device or method may be configured to implement the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

For example, when communication is executed between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 executes a communication program loaded in the RAM 1214, and performs communication processing with respect to the communication interface 1222 based on the processing described in the communication program. You may order. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer area provided in the recording medium such as the RAM 1214, the storage device 1224, or the IC card, and transfers the read transmission data to the network. The received data transmitted or received from the network is written in the reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

Further, the CPU 1212 makes the RAM 1214 read all or necessary parts of a file or a database stored in an external recording medium such as a storage device 1224, an IC card, etc., and various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. May be executed. The CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to an external recording medium.

Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases may be stored in recording media and processed. The CPU 1212 describes various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, and information retrieval described in various parts of the present disclosure with respect to the data read from the RAM 1214. Various types of processing may be performed, including / replacement, etc., and the results are written back to the RAM 1214. Further, the CPU 1212 may search for information in a file, database, or the like in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of the first attribute associated with the attribute value of the second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 is the first of the plurality of entries. The attribute value of the attribute of is searched for the entry that matches the specified condition, the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry is read, and the attribute value of the second attribute is changed to the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition. You may get the attribute value of the associated second attribute.

The program or software module described above may be stored on a computer 1200 or in a computer-readable storage medium near the computer 1200. Further, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a dedicated communication network or a server system connected to the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, whereby the program can be transferred to the computer 1200 via the network. offer.

The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this embodiment may represent the stage of the process in which the operation is performed or the "part" of the device responsible for performing the operation. Specific steps and "parts" are supplied with a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. It may be implemented by the processor. Dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits include logical products, logical sums, exclusive logical sums, negative logical products, negative logical sums, and other logical operations, such as, for example, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and the like. , Flip-flops, registers, and reconfigurable hardware circuits, including memory elements.

The computer readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions executed by the appropriate device, so that the computer readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein may be in a flow chart or block diagram. It will be equipped with a product that contains instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the specified operation. Examples of the computer-readable storage medium may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, an electromagnetic storage medium, a semiconductor storage medium, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include floppy (registered trademark) disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory). , Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Blu-ray® Disc, Memory Stick , Integrated circuit cards and the like may be included.

Computer-readable instructions are assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or object-oriented programming such as Smalltalk, JAVA®, C ++, etc. Includes either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including languages and traditional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. good.

Computer-readable instructions are used to generate means for a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or the processor of another programmable data processing device, or a programmable circuit, to perform an operation specified in a flowchart or block diagram. General purpose computers, special purpose computers, or other programmable data processing locally or via a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, etc. to execute such computer-readable instructions. It may be provided to the processor of the device or a programmable circuit. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that the form with such changes or improvements may be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process such as operation, procedure, step, and step in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown in the claims, specification, and drawings is particularly "before" and "prior to". It should be noted that it can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Even if the scope of claims, the specification, and the operation flow in the drawings are explained using "first", "next", etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. It's not a thing.

20 networks, 30 management servers, 40 wireless base stations, 42 LEDs, 50 controllers, 52 LEDs, 54 operators, 60 drone ports, 62 LEDs, 70 cars, 72 LEDs, 74 cameras, 76 cameras, 100 unmanned aircraft, 182, 184, 186 unmanned aircraft, 200 optical wireless communication device, 210 light emitting unit, 212 LED, 214 LED, 220 light receiving unit, 222 camera, 224 camera, 230 storage unit, 232 data transmission unit, 234 data reception unit, 236 tracking unit, 238 location information derivation unit, 300 underwater moving body, 302 underwater moving mechanism, 400 submersible, 402 cable, 1200 computer, 1210 host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 graphic controller, 1218 display device, 1220 input / output controller, 1222 Communication interface, 1224 storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 input / output chip

Claims (21)

It is an optical wireless communication device,
A light emitting part that emits light in multiple directions,
A light receiving part that receives light from multiple directions,
A data transmission unit that transmits the transmission data by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit based on the transmission data transmitted to another optical wireless communication device.
A data receiving unit that receives data from the other optical wireless communication device based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device received by the light receiving unit is provided.
The data transmission unit uses the transmission source as its own device identification information for identifying the optical wireless communication device, and the communication start request signal and its own device as the identification information of another optical wireless communication device with which the destination is to communicate. The corresponding own unit public key is transmitted by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit, the data receiving unit uses the other optical wireless communication device, and the transmission source is the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device. After receiving the communication start permission signal whose destination is the own device identification information and the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device, the transmission data to be transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device is the same as the other. The light emitting unit is used as the source of the encrypted data encrypted by the public key corresponding to the optical wireless communication device of the above and the destination as the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device. Transmit by optical wireless communication,
If the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device does not include the own device identification information, the data receiving unit discards the data.
Optical wireless communication device. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit has a plurality of cameras. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit has an array of light receiving elements. The light according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged outside the light emitting unit so as not to receive light emitted by the light emitting unit, and receives light from the outside. Wireless communication device. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit has an omnidirectional camera that captures an omnidirectional image. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light emitting unit emits light in all directions. It is equipped with an identification information storage unit that stores the identification information of the own machine.
The item according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the transmission data by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit based on the transmission data whose transmission source is the self-identification information. The optical wireless communication device described. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the transmission data with the transmission source as the own device identification information and the destination as one or a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the transmission data in which the transmission source is the self-identification information and the destination is an unspecified number of destinations. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the data transmission unit transmits the transmission data to a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices in a time-division manner. Any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the data receiving unit stores the data as received data when the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device includes the own device identification information. The optical wireless communication device according to paragraph 1. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the light emitting unit has a plurality of light emitting units, each of which emits light having a different wavelength. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 12, wherein the data transmission unit transmits transmission data to each of the plurality of other optical wireless communication devices by controlling the light emission of each of the plurality of light emitting units. .. It is equipped with a key storage unit that stores the private machine public key and private machine private key corresponding to the own machine.
The data transmission unit transmits the own unit public key to another optical wireless communication device by controlling the light emission by the light emitting unit.
The data receiving unit according to claims 1 to 13, when the data encrypted by the own machine public key is received from the other optical wireless communication device, the data receiving unit decodes the data by the own machine private key. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of the items. The first light emitting device data including the identification information of the first light emitting device received by receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the first light emitting device arranged on the ground, and the second light emitting device arranged on the ground. The second light emitting device data including the identification information of the second light emitting device received by receiving the light emitted by the light emitting unit of the light emitting device, the position information of the first light emitting device, and the second light emitting device. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a position information deriving unit for deriving the position information of the optical wireless communication device based on the position information of the light emitting device. The optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the optical wireless communication device is mounted on a mobile body. The optical wireless communication device according to claim 16, wherein the optical wireless communication device is mounted on an underwater mobile body that moves underwater. A mobile body including the optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. A program for causing a computer to function as the optical wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 17. A communication method executed by an optical wireless communication device having a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of directions and a light receiving unit that receives light from a plurality of directions.
The transmission source is the own device identification information that identifies the optical wireless communication device, and the communication start request signal that is the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device of the other party with whom the destination is to communicate and the self corresponding to the optical wireless communication device. A data transmission stage in which the machine public key is transmitted by controlling the light emission of the light emitting unit, and
It is a data receiving step of receiving data from the other optical wireless communication device based on the light emitted by the other optical wireless communication device received by the light receiving unit, and is received from the other optical wireless communication device. If the destination of the generated data does not include the own device identification information, the data is discarded, the transmission source is set as the identification information of the other optical wireless communication device from the other optical wireless communication device, and the destination is set. When the communication start permission signal used as the own device identification information and the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device are received, the data reception stage in which the public key is stored in the storage unit of the optical wireless communication device. ,
The transmission data transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device is encrypted by the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device, the transmission source is the own device identification information, and the destination is A communication method including a data transmission step of transmitting by optical wireless communication using the light emitting unit as identification information of the other optical wireless communication device. It is an optical wireless communication device,
A data transmission unit that transmits the transmission data to a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices based on the transmission data transmitted to the other optical wireless communication device.
It is equipped with a data receiving unit that receives data from the other optical wireless communication device.
The data transmission unit uses the transmission source as its own device identification information for identifying the optical wireless communication device, and the communication start request signal and its own device as the identification information of another optical wireless communication device with which the destination is to communicate. The corresponding own unit public key is transmitted to a plurality of other optical wireless communication devices by optical wireless communication, and the data receiving unit transmits the transmission source from the other optical wireless communication device of the other party with which the communication is to be performed. After receiving the communication start permission signal with the identification information of the optical wireless communication device and the destination as the own device identification information and the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device, the other optical wireless communication device is used. The transmission data to be transmitted is encrypted data encrypted by the public key corresponding to the other optical wireless communication device, the source is the own device identification information, and the destination is the identification of the other optical wireless communication device. As information, it is transmitted to multiple other optical wireless communication devices by optical wireless communication,
If the destination of the data received from the other optical wireless communication device does not include the own device identification information, the data receiving unit discards the data.
Optical wireless communication device.

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