Developing concurrent coding:An unconventional encoding scheme applied to visible light communications

Abstract

An unconventional encoding scheme called concurrent coding has recently been demonstrated and shown to offer interesting features and benefits in comparison to conventional techniques, e.g., robustness against burst errors and improved efficiency of transmitted power. This concept has been demonstrated for the first time with optical communications, where standard light-emitting diodes have been used to transmit information encoded with concurrent coding. The technique successfully transmits and decodes data despite unpredictable interruptions to the transmission causing significant dropouts to the detected signal. The technique also shows how it is possible to send a single block of data in isolation with no presynchronization required between transmitter and receiver, and no specific synchronization sequence appended to the transmission. Our work also demonstrates the successful use of multithreaded (overlaid) concurrent codes for the first time.