Standards for indoor optical wireless communications

Abstract

The application of Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) has grown in recent years that the whole industry would benefit from common standards to which competitive products comply. Standards are essential, particularly when the market expands into high-volume products like home appliances and other consumer goods. This article offers a timely review of standards-writing activity, as OWCs find their way into diverse products varying from TV remote controls to satellite links. This article discusses the most popular standards for optical wireless communications. We outline the IEEE 802.11 standard for optical wireless local area networks, and the ongoing standardization effort by IrDA on personal optical wireless systems. The article concludes with a discussion of the recently announced IEEE 802.15.7 standard on visible light communications.