Case study – Modelling of Visible Light Communication on Luminous Intensity Distribution Curve of LED Low Beam Car Headlamps

The issues addressed in this paper is focused around the possibilities of using VLC (Visible Light Communication) in the automotive industry. This case study addresses the range of low beams car headlights in terms of the usability of the modulated signal on the distributed luminous flux. The paper discusses the Luminous Intensity Distribution Curves (LIDC) of LED low beams car headlights in a car due to the possibility of modulating LED (Light-Emitting Diode) light sources with high modulation frequencies. Due to the conversion between the communication parameters and the lighting units, a laboratory measurement of the passing LED lamp was performed. From the laboratory measurements, the limits of VLC usability were determined for various illuminance generated by low beams car headlights. At the same time, the LIDCs of these low beams car headlights were obtained so that they could be implemented in lighting software and simulated situations in which these luminaires reached the limits required for the use of VLC technology for standardly available photodetectors. Only the direct component of the luminous flux will be evaluated in the article, because the actual photodetectors do not allow the use of the reflected component due to attenuation (path losses of the transmission channel) or interference. This direct component will be evaluated from both a horizontal and a vertical VLC photodetector location.