JP2000295180A - Optical communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain ease of communication with an opposite party with high reliability by attaining optical communication in multi-azimuth. SOLUTION: A reception section 3 consists of a downward convex reception reflection mirror 2a that is placed in a way that an outer plane of one hyperboloid of two-sheet hyperboloids is directed downward, a reception lens 13 that collects an infrared ray reflected by the reception reflection mirror 2a and a CCD area sensor 14 or the like that is placed under the reception lens 13 to receive the infrared ray collected by the reception lens 13. A transmission section 4 consists of a light source 19 that emits an infrared ray and is placed at an uppermost part of the transmission section 4, a liquid crystal shutter 18 to select an emitted position of the infrared ray from the light source 19, a transmission lens 17 that collects the infrared ray emitted from the liquid crystal shutter 18, and an upward convex transmission reflection mirror 2b that is placed in a way that the outer plane of the other hyperboloid of the two-sheet hyperboloids is directed upward.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical communication apparatus for exchanging information by light, and more particularly to an infrared communication between an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer or a multifunction machine thereof, and a PC or a portable terminal. The present invention relates to an optical communication device that performs the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, optical communication using infrared rays has been actively performed between an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer or a multifunction machine thereof, and a PC or a portable terminal. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-244774 discloses that in a laser printer equipped with a communication unit, the communication direction of the communication unit is made variable by switching means, and the relative positional relationship between the laser printer and a host computer as a communication partner is determined. A configuration for providing a degree of freedom is disclosed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-307502 discloses that, when infrared communication is performed between a PC and a portable terminal, the position of the other infrared communication device is detected and the optical axis of the own infrared communication device is driven. A configuration that is changed and adjusted by the above is disclosed.

[0003]

In such a conventional optical communication apparatus, every time the arrangement of an apparatus such as an image forming apparatus for performing optical communication is changed, an attempt is made to perform optical communication with a new apparatus. Each time, the communication direction is adjusted. However, in the communication unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-244774, the operation is time-consuming because the direction is adjusted by groping, and the positioning accuracy is low. In the infrared communication device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-307502, the position of the partner communication device can be detected only in a limited horizontal direction. In the case where the communication device is fixedly mounted on the device, there is an inconvenience that, in order to detect a partner communication device located behind the device, it is necessary to perform an operation of changing the direction of the device to the rear and keeping it within a detectable range. As described above, the use of the conventional optical communication device causes a reduction in the efficiency of the setting operation. In addition, since the adjustment of the communication direction is performed mechanically, the device configuration tends to be complicated, and there are problems such as mechanical fatigue due to long-term use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides an optical communication apparatus which enables optical communication in multiple directions and can easily and highly reliably communicate with a partner. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical communication apparatus capable of performing multidirectional data communication using light, wherein light from multiple directions is received in a fixed position. Multi-directional receiving means, and multi-directional transmitting means capable of transmitting light in a predetermined direction among the multi-directional directions in a fixed position based on the light receiving direction of the multi-directional receiving means. The multi-directional receiving means obtains the transmission position of the partner transmitter, and the multi-directional transmission means transmits the transmission position toward the transmission position of the partner transmitter.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus according to the first aspect, the multidirectional receiving means has a shape of one of two hyperboloids, and A convex receiving reflecting mirror that reflects light from the lens, a convex receiving lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid of the two-lobed hyperboloid, and a center disposed at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, And a light receiving section for detecting light collected by the receiving lens is arranged in this order.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus according to the first aspect, the multi-directional transmitting unit has a shape of one of the two-lobe hyperboloids. A convex transmitting reflecting mirror for reflecting light to the light, a convex transmitting lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid, and a center disposed at the focal point of the other hyperboloid; A shutter for selectively transmitting light at a predetermined position on a surface toward a transmission lens and a light source unit for emitting light toward the shutter are arranged in this order.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus according to the first aspect, the multi-directional receiving means has a shape of one of the two-lobe hyperboloids. A convex receiving reflecting mirror that reflects light from the lens, a convex receiving lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid of the two-lobed hyperboloid, and a center disposed at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, And a light receiving section for detecting light collected by the receiving lens are arranged in this order.
The multidirectional transmitting means has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobed hyperboloid, and has a convex transmission reflecting mirror for reflecting light to a partner communication device; A convex transmitting lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid, the center of which is arranged at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, and a shutter for selectively passing light at a predetermined position on the surface toward the transmitting lens And a light source unit that emits light toward the shutter are arranged in this order.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the optical communication device according to the fourth aspect, wherein: a rotationally symmetric axis of the receiving reflecting mirror;
The transmission reflection mirror may be coaxially arranged with a rotationally symmetric axis of the transmission reflection mirror.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication device according to the fifth aspect, the transmitting reflecting mirror and the receiving reflecting mirror are arranged close to a position where a two-lobe hyperboloid is formed. It is characterized by.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the coaxial direction is substantially vertical, and the multidirectional transmitting means is adjacent to the upper side and the multidirectional receiving means is adjacent to the lower side. The reflection mirror is arranged at the bottom of the multi-directional transmission means so that the outer surface of the hyperboloid faces upward, and the reflection mirror is provided at the top of the multi-direction reception means such that the outer surface of the hyperboloid faces downward. It is characterized by being arranged.

The invention according to claim 8 is the optical communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the multidirectional transmitting means and the multidirectional receiving means are installed with their relative positions fixed. In this case, the spatial coordinates of the maximum light receiving position, the received light intensity, and the received light intensity distribution in the light receiving unit of the multi-directional receiving unit are made to correspond to the spatial coordinates of opening the shutter of the multi-directional transmitting unit and the transmission address of the other party communication device. It is characterized by.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical communication apparatus capable of performing multi-directional data communication using light, wherein the first light receiving unit detects a horizontal transmission direction of light transmitted from a partner communication device. And a second light receiving unit that detects an elevation angle direction based on the horizontal transmission azimuth detected by the first light receiving unit to determine a maximum light receiving direction of light. And a transmission unit for transmitting light.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication device according to the ninth aspect, the first light receiving portion and the second light receiving portion are each inclined from a maximum light receiving direction with respect to an infrared ray from a partner communication device. Characterized by having a plurality of light receiving elements in which a light receiving surface is arranged at the specified position.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication device according to the tenth aspect, the first light receiving portion is, for example, a cylindrical light receiving portion that rotates in a horizontal plane, and has the same height on the side surface. A plurality of light receiving elements, and the second light receiving section is a frusto-conical light receiving section swingable in all directions above the first light receiving section, and has the same height as the conical surface. Further, it is characterized by having a plurality of light receiving elements.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication device according to the eleventh aspect, the light receiving element of the first light receiving unit is a wide directional sensor and the light receiving element of the second light receiving unit is a narrow directional sensor. It is characterized by the following.

The invention of claim 13 is the invention of claim 11 or 12
The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein a transmission unit that transmits infrared rays along a central axis of the mounting cone of the second light receiving unit is provided.

The invention of claim 14 is the invention of claims 9 to 13
The optical communication device according to any one of the above, further comprising a light receiving unit direction detecting unit that detects a direction of the first light receiving unit and a direction of the second light receiving unit.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the optical communication device according to the fourteenth aspect, further comprising a display device for displaying the directions of the first light receiving portion and the second light receiving portion and the infrared communicable area. It is characterized by being connected to a display device.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the optical communication device according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the display device displays a relative position with respect to a partner communication device.

The invention of claim 17 is the invention of claim 15 or 16
The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays an infrared signal intensity received by the second light receiving unit.

The invention of claim 18 is the invention of claims 9 to 17
The optical communication device according to any one of the above, further comprising positioning means for positioning the first light receiving unit, the second light receiving unit, and the transmitting unit.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the optical communication device according to the eighteenth aspect, wherein, for example, the I / O device of the partner communication device with which the communication has been performed.
The position code of the first light receiving unit, the second light receiving unit, and the transmitting unit at the time of communication is recorded in association with the P address, and if an address is specified in the next and subsequent communications, the corresponding position code is read out. The automatic positioning is performed by the positioning means.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the optical communication apparatus according to the present invention. The optical communication device (multidirectional receiving device) 1 has a hollow cylindrical shape inside, and an upper portion is a transmitting portion 4 and a lower portion is a receiving portion 3. The central portion of the column is transparent, and a reflection mirror 2 is provided inside the central portion. Thus, the optical communication device 1
In a state where the position is fixed, bidirectional data communication by infrared rays can be performed with the multidirectional communication device 10. The optical communication device 1 is mounted on a printer 7 or a PC (personal computer) 6, and receives infrared light transmitted from a partner communication device 10 by reflecting it on a reflection mirror 2 of a receiving unit 3. In accordance with the control by the control unit 5, the received data is sent to the printer 7 or the PC 6, and the data from the printer 7 or the PC 6 is transmitted to the communication unit control unit 5.
Is transmitted from the transmission unit 4 to the partner communication device 10 via the reflection mirror 2 in accordance with the control of

Receiving section (multidirectional receiving means) of optical communication apparatus 1
As shown in FIG. 2, reference numeral 3 is provided at the top of the receiving unit 3 so as to reflect the infrared ray transmitted from the partner communication device 10 such that the outer surface of one of the two-lobe hyperboloid faces downward. The receiving convex mirror 2a, the receiving lens 13 provided below the receiving mirror 2a so as to collect infrared rays reflected by the receiving mirror 2a, and the receiving lens 13 A CCD area sensor (CCD light receiving unit) 14 is provided below the receiving lens 13 so as to receive the collected infrared rays.

The transmitting section (multidirectional transmitting means) 4 of the optical communication apparatus emits infrared light and emits light from a light source 19 provided at the top.
A liquid crystal shutter 18 as a digital surface light emitting unit provided below the light source for selecting an emission position of the infrared light emitted from the light source 19, and a liquid crystal so as to collect the infrared light emitted from the liquid crystal shutter 18. The transmission lens 17 provided below the shutter 18 and the transmission lens 1
An upper convex portion provided at the lowermost portion of the transmitting section 4 so that the outer surface of the other hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid faces upward in order to reflect the infrared light collected at 7 and guide it to the communication device 10 of the other party. And a transmission reflection mirror 2b.

In the optical communication device 1 having the above configuration, the rotationally symmetric axes of the receiving reflection mirror 2a and the transmission reflection mirror 2b are arranged coaxially, and the center of the receiving lens 13 is located at the transmission reflection mirror (the other end). The center of the transmitting lens 17 is located at the focal point of the receiving reflecting mirror (one hyperbolic surface) 2a.
The light reflected by the reflection mirrors 2a and 2b must be
Because it is focused on 3, 17
Light emission in multiple directions is also possible. Further, the distance between the CCD area sensor 14 and the receiving lens 13 and the distance between the liquid crystal shutter 18 and the transmitting lens 17 are set to be equal. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, an optical bearing credit reflecting mirror 2a is parallel to the rotational symmetry axis (optical axis).
A is a direction from the transmission mirror 2b to the CCD area sensor 14, and is parallel to the rotational symmetry axis.
The direction to 9 is B.

Next, the transmitting and receiving operations of the receiving unit and the transmitting unit with respect to the partner communication device 10 will be described. First, FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a light receiving intensity distribution of the CD area sensor, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a shutter position of the liquid crystal shutter 18. 3 and 4, the optical axis direction is z
An axis is defined, and a plane perpendicular to the axis is defined as an xy plane. And
A and B in the figure indicate the A and B directions in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a received light intensity distribution on the CCD area sensor 14 obtained by reflecting the infrared light transmitted by the other party's communication device 10 on the reflection mirror 2a for reception and condensing it by the lens 13 for reception. The infrared light to be received has an intensity distribution having a width around the point Pi (xi, yi) having the maximum light receiving intensity on the xy plane. The receiving unit 3 sets, for example, a region where light is received at an intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold in the intensity distribution as a light receiving region. The maximum received light intensity point Pi (xi, y on the plane)
Since i) does not correspond one-to-one with the position of the other party's communication device 10, it is calculated from the shape of the received light intensity distribution which part of the receiving mirror 2a is reflected. , The infrared emission direction of the partner communication device 10 is determined from the point Pi and the calculated reflection point. Further, the other party's communication device 1
Infrared emission intensity of 0 is stored in advance as data,
From the light receiving intensity at the point Pi (xi, yi), the distance from the infrared emission position of the partner communication device 10 is obtained. Thereby, the receiving unit 3 can calculate the infrared emission position of the partner communication device 10.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, a point Po on the xy plane of the liquid crystal shutter 18 of the transmitting unit 4 is determined based on the infrared emission position of the partner communication device 10 obtained by the receiving unit 3.
By selecting and opening (x0, y0), it is possible to transmit infrared rays to the other party's communication device 10 accurately when the infrared emission position and the infrared reception position of the other party's communication device 10 are substantially the same. The transmission unit 3 includes a liquid crystal shutter 18.
The data indicating in which direction the infrared ray is transmitted when the portion is opened is stored in advance. Further, when the point Po (x0, y0) on the liquid crystal shutter 18 is determined and the two-way communication is performed, the address of the partner communication device 10 may be stored in the optical communication device as the infrared emission position of the partner communication device 10. The transmission direction can be determined according to this IP address in the communication with the same partner communication device 10 from the next time.

In the optical communication device 1 according to the present embodiment, the light source 19 is provided at the top of the
Since the D area sensor 14 is provided at the lowermost part of the receiving unit 3, the two are arranged farthest apart from each other.
The heat generated in 9 is not easily transmitted to the CCD area sensor 14, and it is possible to prevent the adverse effect on the CCD area sensor 14 as much as possible. Also, the receiving reflection mirror 2
Since the rotationally symmetric axis of a and the rotationally symmetric axis of the transmission reflection mirror 2b are coaxial, and the reception reflection mirror 2a and the transmission reflection mirror 2b are close to each other and form a two-leaf dual surface, The transmitting unit 4 and the receiving unit 3 do not form a blind spot with respect to each other's infrared light path, so that communication interruption can be prevented.

Also, the optical communication device can be configured as multidirectional transmission / reception devices 21 and 31 as shown in FIG. In the multidirectional transmission / reception device 21, the transmission unit 24 has the same configuration as the transmission unit 4 of the multidirectional transmission / reception device 1, and from the bottom of the reception unit 23, a reception reflection mirror, a reception lens, and a CCD area sensor are arranged in this order. Things. In the multi-directional transmission / reception device 31, the transmission unit 34 is arranged from the bottom in the order of the transmission reflection mirror, the transmission lens, the liquid crystal shutter, and the light source unit, and the reception unit 33 is the same as the reception unit 23 of the multi-directional transmission / reception device 21. It is configured. Even with the configuration of these optical communication devices, optical communication similar to that of the multidirectional transmission / reception device 1 can be performed.

Next, an optical communication procedure using the optical communication device 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. Prior to performing the optical communication, the optical communication device 1 is assumed to have its relative position with respect to the partner communication device 10 roughly adjusted so that the receiver 3 can receive infrared rays from the partner communication device 10. I do.

At S1, the optical communication device is in a reception standby state,
In step S2, when there is an infrared transmission of a call from the partner communication device 10 as the partner station, in step S3, the optical communication device 1 determines whether or not it has a communication code with the partner communication device 10, that is, whether communication is possible immediately. Judge. If you have the communication code, you have the address of the other communication device.
In S5, this is called and used as the direction code, and in S6, the transmission direction is set. If the communication code is not held in S3, this is the first communication with the partner communication device.
The position of the partner communication device 10 is detected by measuring the maximum received light intensity position, the received light intensity distribution, and the received light intensity on the CCD area sensor 14. When the position of the communication device 10 is detected,
In step S6, the transmission direction is set, and the shutter at an appropriate position on the liquid crystal shutter 18 is opened. Then, data transmission / reception is performed in S7, and the address of the partner station is stored as a direction code in S8. When this is completed, the process returns to S1 to be in the reception standby state again.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 7 is an external view showing a second embodiment of the optical communication apparatus according to the present invention. FIG.
It is a block diagram of the optical communication apparatus which is 2nd Embodiment, (a)
Is a sectional view, and (b) is a side view. The optical communication device (transmission / reception device) 41 includes a first light receiving unit 42, a second light receiving unit 43, a transmission unit 44, and a control device 45, and is connected to a PC (personal computer) 6. The first light receiving unit 42 is a rotating body 51 on a cylinder provided on a base of the optical communication device 41 and rotatable in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of light receiving elements 52 such as photodiodes at the same height on the side surface.
Is attached so as to surround the side. These light receiving elements 52 are sensors having a wide directivity. The first light receiving section 42 roughly detects from which azimuth angle the infrared ray transmitted from the partner communication device arrives on the horizontal plane by receiving the infrared ray.

The second light receiving section 43 is a mounting cone-shaped light receiving section provided above the first light receiving section 42. A plurality of light receiving elements 54 such as photodiodes are provided at the same height of the conical surface. It is attached so as to surround the conical surface. These light receiving elements 54 are sensors with narrow directivity. The second light receiving section 43 is centered on the axis on the back side of the truncated cone 53.
The head can be swung in all directions above the first light receiving unit 42. By moving in the elevation direction with respect to the horizontal direction detected by the first light receiving unit 42, the maximum light receiving position is searched, and the direction of infrared transmission from the partner communication device is accurately detected. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 2, the transmission unit 44 is disposed on the central axis of the mounting cone 53 of the second light receiving unit 43, and is provided with a light source 55 such as an infrared LED and a collimating lens 56. I have. The control device 45 receives the command from the external PC 6 and thereby controls the first light receiving unit 42 and the second light receiving unit 42.
The control for driving the rotation axis of the light receiving unit 43 to a predetermined position by a motor or the like is performed. Note that the control device 45 may be omitted, and a moving member such as a knob may be provided to manually move the first light receiving unit 42 and the second light receiving unit 43.

The adjustment of the communication direction by the optical communication device 41 having the above configuration is performed by first rotating the first light receiving section 42 as a coarse adjustment of the alignment as shown in the left diagram of FIG. It receives and detects incoming infrared rays and adjusts the azimuth in the horizontal plane. Next, as a fine adjustment of the alignment, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 10, the second light receiving unit 43 is directed to the azimuth angle obtained by the first light receiving unit 42, and the head is swung vertically to adjust the elevation angle. And the maximum light receiving position. This maximum light receiving position is the direction of the light emitting source of the other communication device, and at the same time, the direction in which transmission to the other communication device is most efficiently performed. Therefore, there is no need for the transmission unit 44 to perform the positioning again.

The positioning of the above-described coarse adjustment and fine adjustment will be described. As shown in FIG. 9A, since the light receiving element 54 of the second light receiving unit 43 is provided on a frusto-conical surface, all the light receiving elements 54 should be orthogonal to the received infrared light. However, it is inclined by a certain angle from the orthogonal direction.

Now, consider two light receiving elements 54R, 54L arranged symmetrically. The light receiving surface of the light receiving element 54R is inclined from the orthogonal plane by an angle of -θ1,
Assuming that the light receiving surface of L is inclined from the orthogonal plane by an angle of -θ2 (0 ° <θ1, θ2 <90 °), the light receiving intensity of the light receiving element 54R and the light receiving element 54L are equal and the intensity is the same. When the second light receiving unit 43 is moved so that is the largest, the central axis of the transmitted infrared ray coincides with the central axis of the mounting cone 53, and the maximum light receiving position is reached. In this case, of course θ1
= Θ2, but in the fine adjustment process immediately before the adjustment is completed, θ
When 1 ≠ θ2, the light receiving intensities per unit area of the light receiving elements 54R and 54L are approximately Pcos θ1 and Pcos, respectively.
Since sθ2 (P is the received light intensity per unit area in the orthogonal plane), the difference in the amount of received light between the two can be emphasized. Therefore, the last fine adjustment can be performed accurately.
The same principle applies to the first light receiving unit 42. Further, in the present embodiment, the surface on which the light receiving element is mounted is inclined rearward from the plane orthogonal to the infrared transmission direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. You may. In this case, the same effect can be obtained.

The first light receiving section 42 and the second light receiving section 4
3 is provided with a light-receiving unit direction detection unit such as a potentiometer / encoder that detects the direction in which they face,
As shown in FIG. 10, the transmission / reception position of the optical communication device detected by the light receiving unit azimuth detecting unit and the counterpart communication device are displayed on the display device provided in the optical communication device or the display device provided in an external PC or printer. If the result of detecting the relative position with respect to is displayed, the positioning efficiency is improved. FIG.
Shows the state before the adjustment. The center of the display screen is the maximum light receiving position, that is, the position of the transmitting unit, and the communicable range 61 and the position of the communication partner 62 are displayed. In addition, the position 62 of the other party's communication device is displayed after at least a part of the infrared rays from the other party's communication device enters the optical communication device. The horizontal axis is the horizontal azimuth angle 63, and the vertical axis is the elevation angle 64.
Represents While viewing the display screen, the angle adjustment 63 and 64 of the first light receiving unit 42 and the second light receiving unit 43 are performed, and the display of the other party's communication device coincides with the center of the communicable range as shown in FIG. To do it. Although not shown, if the received light intensity of the optical communication device is displayed in the adjustment process, the adjustment efficiency is further increased.

Next, the adjustment process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that at least a part of the infrared ray emitted from the other party's communication device reaches the optical communication device in advance. In step S11, the optical communication device 41 is in a reception standby state, and in step S12, when there is a call from a partner station (partner communication device), the azimuth adjustment is performed by the first light receiving unit 42 in step S13, and the azimuth adjustment is performed by the second light receiving unit 43 in step S14. Perform elevation adjustment. In S15, the elevation angle is finely adjusted by the second light receiving unit 43. When the maximum light receiving position is determined in S16 and the preparation for reception is completed, transmission becomes possible. In S17, data communication is performed, and in S18, the IP address of the partner station and the azimuth code at that time are recorded in association with each other, and the process ends. Along with the above processing, the position of the partner station is displayed on the display device in S12, and in S1
In 3 to S15, the adjustment status, azimuth and elevation angle are displayed, and in S16
Displays the address of the partner station and the azimuth code at the time of transmission / reception.

Next, a process for performing adjustment using the address of the other party's communication device stored in the above process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S21, the partner station is in a reception standby state, and in step S22, when there is a call from the partner communication device, the optical communication device 41 reads the position code according to the stored address. In S23, the azimuth adjustment by the first light receiving unit 42 is performed, and in S24, the elevation angle adjustment by the second light receiving unit 43 is performed.
In S25, the elevation angle is finely adjusted by the second light receiving unit 43. When preparation for reception is completed in S26, transmission becomes possible.
Data transmission and reception are performed in S27, the address of the partner station and the position code at that time are confirmed and recorded in S28, and the process is terminated. Along with the above processing, the position of the partner station is displayed on the display device in S22, the adjustment status / azimuth / elevation angle is displayed in S23 to S25, and the address of the partner station and the direction code for transmission / reception are displayed in S26.

[0044]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the multidirectional receiving means receives infrared rays from multiple directions without changing the position, and the multidirectional transmitting means does not change the position based on the receiving direction. Infrared is transmitted in a predetermined direction in multiple directions. Therefore, by making the transmission direction equal to the reception direction, the communication direction of the bidirectional optical communication with the partner communication device can be easily determined. In addition, since the positions of both the multi-directional receiving unit and the multi-directional transmitting unit remain fixed, there is no mechanical fatigue due to long-term use, and a highly reliable optical communication device is obtained.

According to the second and fourth aspects of the present invention, there is provided a reflecting mirror as an antenna having one of the hyperboloid shapes of the two-lobe hyperboloid and the other hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid. Since the center has a lens disposed at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, the infrared signal reflected by the reflection mirror can be received by the light receiving unit through the lens. Therefore, it is sufficient that the infrared ray transmitted from the other party's communication device reaches somewhere on the hyperboloid, and it is possible to easily perform multidirectional reception.

According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the transmission reflecting mirror has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid and the other of the two-lobe hyperboloid has the shape of the other hyperboloid. A transmitting lens whose center is located at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, a shutter for selectively passing light at a predetermined position on the surface toward the transmitting lens, and a light source unit for emitting light toward the shutter Thus, the shutter corresponding to the position of the partner transmitter determined by the receiving means is opened, and the light emitted therefrom can be easily transmitted to the target partner transmitter by the reflection mirror.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the light receiving position of the infrared ray transmitted by the other party's communication device in the light receiving portion corresponds to the transmission position of the other party's communication device on a one-to-one basis, the light receiving position is determined from the light receiving position. Can be easily detected. Then, by determining the transmission direction of the multi-directional transmission means based on the detection result, bidirectional optical communication with the partner transmitter can be performed.

According to the invention of claim 5, the optical communication device 2
By arranging the rotationally symmetric axes of the two reflection mirrors on the same axis, transmission and reception are performed from the same point on a plane coordinate perpendicular to the rotationally symmetric axis, and the multi-directional transmission means and the multi-directional means interfere with each other's communication (transmission Since there is no blind spot on the optical path or the receiving optical path), it is possible to accurately perform multidirectional bidirectional communication with the partner communication device.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the two reflection mirrors are coaxial with each other in the rotationally symmetric axis, and the two reflection mirrors are arranged at positions close to each other, so that the two reflection mirrors are opposed to each other. Since the transmitting optical path and the receiving optical path are close to each other with the positional relationship of the transmitter being almost the same, it is difficult to form a blind spot with respect to the transmitting / receiving antenna of the partner communication apparatus.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical communication apparatus in which the rotational reflection axes of the two reflecting mirrors are on the same axis and the two reflecting mirrors are arranged close to each other, the upper part of the optical communication apparatus is oriented substantially vertically. The multidirectional transmission means is provided on the side and the multidirectional reception means is provided on the lower side so as to be adjacent to each other. The reflecting mirror is arranged at the lowermost part of the multidirectional transmitting means so that the outer surface of the hyperboloid faces upward, and the reflecting mirror is arranged at the uppermost part of the multidirectional receiving means so that the outer surface of the hyperboloid faces downward. As a result, the transmission light-emitting surface of the multi-directional transmission means and the CCD light-receiving part of the multi-directional reception means become the most distant, so that the heat generated in the transmission light-emitting surface is less likely to be transmitted to the CCD light-receiving part, resulting in abnormal operation of the CCD light-receiving part. Can be prevented.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the relative position between the multi-directional transmitting means and the multi-directional receiving means is fixed, the spatial coordinates of the maximum light receiving position in the light receiving section of the multi-directional receiving means, the light receiving Since the intensity and the received light intensity distribution correspond to the spatial coordinates at which the shutter of the multi-directional transmission unit is opened and correspond to the transmission address of the other communication device, it is possible to easily set the transmission conditions of the optical communication device. Become.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the first light receiving unit detects the horizontal transmission direction of the infrared ray transmitted from the partner communication device, so that the rough orientation of the partner communication device can be first known. it can. Subsequently, by detecting the transmission azimuth in the elevation direction by the second light receiving unit, it is possible to determine the maximum infrared light receiving direction, that is, the accurate direction of the partner communication device. Then, since the transmitting unit transmits the infrared ray toward the detected maximum light receiving direction, the optimal transmission / reception azimuth is set, and good infrared two-way communication is enabled. The effect is that the alignment is facilitated.

According to the tenth aspect, at least 2
The direction of the partner communication device can be estimated from the difference between the amounts of received light using the two light receiving elements. In particular, the light-receiving surfaces of the two light-receiving elements should be between -90 ° and 9 ° with respect to the maximum infrared light receiving direction.
When the tilt angle between one light receiving element and the other light receiving element is different, the component of cos θ of the maximum light receiving amount increases the difference between the light receiving amounts of the two when the tilt angle between one light receiving element and the other light receiving element is different. , The alignment becomes easy.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the azimuth angle in the horizontal plane with respect to the partner transmitter is detected by the first light receiving unit.
By obtaining the elevation angle with respect to the communication device of the other party by the second light receiving unit, it is possible to receive a signal in all omnidirectional directions and transmit the signal in the received direction.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the light receiving element of the first light receiving section is a wide directivity sensor, coarse adjustment of infrared light reception can be performed quickly, and the light receiving element of the second light receiving section is provided. Since it is a narrow directional sensor, fine adjustment of infrared light reception can be performed with high accuracy.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, since the transmitting section for transmitting infrared rays along the central axis is provided on the center axis of the mounting cone of the second light receiving section, the first light receiving section and the second light receiving section are provided. 2
The transmission light can be accurately transmitted from the main unit side toward the direction of the partner communication unit detected using the light receiving unit.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the potentiometer for detecting the amount of movement of the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit.
By attaching a light-receiving unit direction detection unit such as an encoder, it is possible to digitize the relative position between the optical communication device and the partner communication device.

According to the fifteenth aspect, in order to make the azimuth adjustment easier and more accurate, the azimuth adjustment can be performed more easily by displaying the azimuth of the other party and the strength of the received signal. .

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in order to make the direction adjustment easier to understand and accurate, displaying the relative position with respect to the other party's communication device makes the direction difference clearer and makes it easier to view the direction while looking at the figure. Adjustment can be performed.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, in order to make the azimuth adjustment easier to understand and accurate, the intensity of the infrared reception signal from the partner communication device is illustrated using a circle or the like, so that the communicable range is increased. It becomes clear and it is possible to make adjustments so as to fall within the circle while looking at the figure.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the optical communication device can be connected to the first light receiving unit or the second light receiving unit, or, in some cases, by attaching knobs or motor positioning means to the azimuth rotating unit of the transmitting unit. It is possible to set in the direction of the communication device.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the transmission / reception direction is automatically positioned by recording, for example, the IP address of the partner communication device and the position code at the point of communication with the partner communication device. The positioning is very quick and easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an optical communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an optical communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a light reception intensity distribution of a CCD area sensor.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a shutter position of a liquid crystal shutter 18.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating another example of the optical communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of optical communication using the optical communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an external view showing a second embodiment of the optical communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of an optical communication device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting angle of a second light receiving unit for blocking light reception and a direction detection of a light emitting source of a partner communication device.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing display contents of a display device.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the adjustment of the direction of the light emitting source of the partner communication device.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a direction adjustment of a light emitting source of a partner communication device using an IP address.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical communication apparatus (multidirectional transmission / reception apparatus) 2 Reflection mirror 3 Receiving part 4 Transmission part 5 Communication device control part 6 PC 7 Printer 10 Opponent communication device 13, 17 Lens 14 CCD area sensor 18 Liquid crystal shutter 19 Light source

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H087 KA22 TA01 TA03 TA06 5K002 AA05 AA07 BA21 DA05 FA04 GA01 GA07 9A001 BB04 CZ05 JJ12 JJ35 KK42

Claims (19)

[Claims] An optical communication apparatus capable of performing multidirectional data communication using light, comprising: multidirectional receiving means for receiving light from multiple directions in a fixed position; and multidirectional receiving means. And a multi-directional transmitting means capable of transmitting light in a predetermined direction among the multi-directional directions in a state where the position is fixed, based on the receiving direction of the light by the multi-directional receiving means. An optical communication device, wherein a transmission position of a transmitter is obtained, and transmission is performed by the multidirectional transmission means toward a transmission position of a partner transmitter. 2. The multi-directional receiving means has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobed hyperboloid, and a convex receiving reflection mirror for reflecting light from a communication partner device; A convex receiving lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid among the hyperboloids, the center of which is arranged at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, and a light receiving unit that detects light collected by the receiving lens, The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the optical communication devices are arranged in this order. 3. The multi-directional transmission means has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid, and reflects a convex transmission reflection mirror for reflecting light to a partner communication device; A convex transmitting lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid of the curved surfaces, the center of which is disposed at the focal point of the other hyperboloid; and selectively transmitting light at a predetermined position on the surface toward the transmitting lens. 2. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein a shutter that passes therethrough and a light source unit that emits light toward the shutter are arranged in this order. 4. The multi-directional receiving means has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid, and reflects a convex reception mirror for reflecting light from the other communication device; A convex receiving lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid among the hyperboloids, the center of which is arranged at the focal point of the other hyperboloid, and a light receiving unit that detects light collected by the receiving lens, The multidirectional transmitting means has a shape of one hyperboloid of the two-lobe hyperboloid, and reflects a convex transmission reflection mirror for reflecting light to a partner communication device; A convex transmitting lens having the shape of the other hyperboloid among the hyperboloids and having a center located at the focal point of the other hyperboloid; and selectively transmitting light at a predetermined position on the surface toward the transmitting lens. And a light source unit that emits light toward the shutter is arranged in this order. 1 optical communication device as claimed. 5. A rotationally symmetric axis of the reflection mirror for reception,
The optical communication device according to claim 4, wherein both the rotationally symmetric axis of the transmitting reflection mirror and the rotationally symmetric axis are coaxially arranged. 6. The optical communication device according to claim 5, wherein the transmission reflection mirror and the reception reflection mirror are arranged close to a position where a two-lobe hyperboloid is formed. 7. The multi-directional transmitting means is provided on the upper side, and the multi-directional receiving means is provided adjacent to each other on the lower side, and a reflection mirror is provided at the lowermost part of the multi-directional transmitting means. 7. The hyperbolic surface is arranged so that its outer surface faces upward, and a reflection mirror is arranged at the top of the multidirectional receiving means so that the outer surface of the hyperbolic surface faces downward.
An optical communication device according to claim 1. 8. When the multidirectional transmitting means and the multidirectional receiving means are installed with their relative positions fixed, spatial coordinates of the maximum light receiving position in the light receiving section of the multidirectional receiving means, light receiving intensity and 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the received light intensity distribution is made to correspond to a spatial coordinate at which a shutter of said multi-directional transmission means is opened and a transmission address of a communication partner.
The optical communication device according to any one of the above. 9. An optical communication device capable of performing multidirectional data communication using light, comprising: a first light receiving unit for detecting a horizontal transmission direction of light transmitted from a partner communication device; A receiving unit including a second light receiving unit that detects an elevation angle direction based on a horizontal transmission azimuth detected by one light receiving unit and determines a maximum light receiving direction; and transmits light toward the maximum light receiving direction. An optical communication device comprising: a transmission unit. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit includes a plurality of light receiving elements each having a light receiving surface arranged at a position inclined from a maximum light receiving direction with respect to infrared rays from a partner communication device. The optical communication device according to claim 9, wherein: 11. The first light receiving unit is a columnar light receiving unit that rotates in a horizontal plane, and has a plurality of light receiving elements at the same height on a side surface. 11. A light receiving section having a frusto-conical shape movable in all directions above one light receiving section, wherein the light receiving section has a plurality of light receiving elements at the same height of a conical surface. Optical communication device. 12. The optical communication device according to claim 11, wherein the light receiving element of the first light receiving section is a wide directional sensor, and the light receiving element of the second light receiving section is a narrow directional sensor. 13. The optical communication according to claim 11, wherein a transmission unit for transmitting infrared rays along the central axis is provided on the central axis of the mounting cone of the second light receiving unit. apparatus. 14. The optical communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a light receiving unit direction detecting unit that detects a direction of the first light receiving unit and a direction of the second light receiving unit. . 15. The light according to claim 14, further comprising a display device for displaying directions of the first light receiving portion and the second light receiving portion and an infrared communicable area, or being connected to the display device. Communication device. 16. The optical communication device according to claim 15, wherein the display device displays a relative position with respect to the other communication device. 17. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the intensity of the infrared signal received by the second light receiving unit.
17. The optical communication device according to 5 or 16. 18. The optical communication device according to claim 9, further comprising a positioning unit that positions the first light receiving unit, the second light receiving unit, and the transmitting unit. 19. A position code of the first light receiving unit, the second light receiving unit, and the transmitting unit at the time of communication is recorded in association with the address of the communication device with which communication has been once performed, and the address is designated in the next and subsequent communication. 19. The optical communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a position code corresponding to the read code is read out, and the automatic positioning is performed by the positioning means.