JP3594520B2 - Optical communication device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical communication device that is applied to an infrared remote control device, an IrDA infrared communication device, or the like, and uses an optical signal element that transmits or receives an optical signal such as an infrared signal.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In optical communication (for example, IrDA), the communication distance is determined by the S / N ratio of an optical signal and disturbance light (noise). Therefore, when performing optical communication in a place such as outdoors where disturbance light is large, it is necessary to perform directional optical communication by narrowing the communication angle (incident angle / radiation angle of optical signal) as much as possible.
Examples of the method of narrowing the communication angle include a method of providing a light-shielding plate that shields disturbance light in an optical signal transmission window (optical communication window) that transmits an optical signal, and a method in which an optical signal element is separated from the optical signal transmission window by a predetermined distance. There is a method of arranging it inside the housing.
[0003]
In addition, the effective communication angle of the infrared LED used for the light emitting element and the photodiode used for the light receiving element is generally about ± 15 °, and as a method of widening the communication angle, a plurality of optical signal elements are set to each communication angle. There is a way to place it in consideration.
[0004]
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-93145 discloses a module structure of an IrDA infrared light emitting diode in which a plurality of IrDA infrared light emitting element diodes are radially arranged and an interference prevention shield member is provided between each IrDA infrared light emitting element diode. A control method has been proposed.
[0005]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to the related art. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes an optical signal element, 42 denotes a substrate on which the optical signal element 41 is mounted, 43 denotes an optical signal transmission window that transmits the wavelength of the optical signal, 44 denotes a housing, and 45 denotes a light blocking unit that blocks disturbance light. .
In the conventional optical communication unit shown in FIG. 4, the effective communication angles of the optical signal elements 41 are each ± 15, and the optical signal elements 41 are radially arranged on the substrate 42 such that the optical axis is 30 °. Thus, the entire effective communication angle is 90 °.
Further, in order to reduce the influence of disturbance light incident from other than the communication angle, the size of the optical signal transmission window 43 is minimized, and a light shielding plate 48 is provided outside the optical signal transmission window 45. ing.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when a plurality of optical signal elements are radially arranged on a substrate as in the conventional optical communication unit shown in FIG. 4, the opening area of the optical signal transmission window becomes large. In addition, when the optical signal element is disposed slightly inward from the optical communication transmission window in order to reduce the influence of disturbance light, the opening area of the optical signal transmission window increases as the distance increases.
This becomes more conspicuous as the communication angle is increased, and there is a problem that the entire optical communication device becomes large. In other words, a structure that is not easily affected by disturbance light and an increase in the communication angle are in conflict with each other.
[0007]
The module structure described in JP-A-10-93145 also has a wide communication angle, but has a problem that it is easily affected by disturbance light.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and for example, reduces the area of an optical signal transmission window that transmits an optical signal, and causes the optical communication unit to be affected by disturbance light incident from outside the optical communication angle range. And an optical communication device capable of reducing the number of optical signals.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides an optical signal transmitting window that transmits a wavelength of an optical signal, and an optical signal element capable of transmitting or receiving an optical signal within a predetermined optical communication angle range around an optical axis through the optical signal transmitting window. An optical communication unit having a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged substrates, a housing for installing the optical communication unit, an optical communication control unit for controlling each optical signal element of the optical communication unit , and executing optical communication An input / output unit that inputs and outputs various instructions and communication data, and a data process that converts each communication data input by the input / output unit from an optical signal to communication data or from communication data to an optical signal based on a predetermined procedure. Part , the plurality of optical signal elements are arranged on the substrate in a concave shape so that each optical axis substantially intersects at one point in front, the optical signal transmission window is near the intersection of each optical axis and the substrate at a predetermined distance from the substrate to the front of A optical communication device characterized by having a substantially minimum dimensions required for transmitting the arranged optical signal.
[0010]
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the area | region (communication opening area) of the optical signal transmission window which transmits an optical signal is made small, and the influence of the disturbance light which injects into an optical communication part from other than an optical communication angle range is reduced. it can. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the optical communication unit and achieve highly reliable optical communication while having a wide optical communication angle range.
[0011]
The optical device further includes a light-shielding unit that shields ambient light, and the light-shielding unit is installed in the housing outside the optical signal transmission window and along an optical communication angle range in which the optical signal element transmits or receives an optical signal. May be adopted.
According to this configuration, since the disturbance light incident from outside the optical communication angle range is directly shielded, the influence of the disturbance light on the optical communication unit can be reduced more effectively while having a wide optical communication angle range. Can be.
[0012]
The light-shielding portion may be configured such that a surface along an optical communication angle range in which the optical signal element transmits or receives an optical signal is formed in a state of preventing disturbance light from being reflected.
According to this configuration, since the reflection of disturbance light can be prevented, the influence of disturbance light on the optical communication unit can be reduced more effectively while having a wide optical communication angle range.
[0013]
The optical communication unit may have a configuration in which a plurality of substrates on which a plurality of optical signal elements are arranged are arranged in a concave shape such that their optical axes substantially intersect at one location in front.
According to this configuration, it is possible to increase the intensity of the optical signal for transmission without increasing the area of the optical signal transmission window, and it is possible to increase the reception sensitivity of the optical signal.
[0014]
The optical signal element may be configured as a module in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are integrally formed.
According to this configuration, the size of the optical communication unit can be reduced.
[0015]
An optical communication device according to the present invention includes: an optical communication control unit that controls each optical signal element of the optical communication unit; an input / output unit that inputs and outputs various instructions and communication data for executing optical communication; and a data processing unit for conversion into an optical signal from the communication data or communication data from the optical signal on the basis of the communication data input by the section of a predetermined procedure.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. The present invention is not limited by this.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an optical communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes an optical communication device, and the optical communication device 1 is applied to an infrared remote control device, an IrDA infrared communication device, or the like.
Reference numeral 2 denotes an optical communication unit including a substrate on which an optical signal element for transmitting or receiving optical communication is mounted. The detailed configuration of the optical communication unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0018]
Reference numeral 3 denotes an optical communication control unit for controlling each optical signal element of the optical communication unit 2. The optical communication control unit 3 includes a light emitting drive circuit for driving light emission using the optical signal element as a light emitting element, and receiving light using the optical signal element as a light receiving element. It is composed of an amplifying circuit for amplifying and driving the removed optical signal by removing noise.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a data processing unit for processing communication data, which includes a CPU, various storage media, and the like, and converts the communication data into an optical signal or an optical signal into communication data.
Reference numeral 5 denotes an input / output unit for inputting and outputting various instructions and communication data for executing optical communication. The input / output unit includes a small key switch, a touch panel as an input unit, an LCD (liquid crystal display), an EL display, and the like as an output unit. .
[0019]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes an optical signal element capable of transmitting or receiving an optical signal within a predetermined optical communication angle range around the optical axis, and is configured as a module in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are integrally molded. Have been.
An IrDA infrared LED is used as the light emitting element, and a PIN photodiode is used as the light receiving element.
[0020]
Reference numeral 22 denotes a board on which the optical communication element 21 is mounted, and is made of a glass epoxy board or the like.
Reference numeral 23 denotes an optical signal transmission window (optical communication window) formed of a resin or a glass filter that transmits the wavelength of infrared light that is an optical signal. The optical signal transmission window 23 is designed to be small enough not to narrow the communication angle. By doing so, it also has a role of suppressing the influence of disturbance light.
[0021]
In the present embodiment, the number of the optical signal elements 21 is three, and each communication angle is ± 15 degrees according to the IrDA standard. Each optical signal element 21 is arranged concavely with respect to the optical signal transmission window 23 at an angle of 30 °.
That is, the three optical signal elements 21 are sequentially shifted on the substrate 22 by the communication angle, and are arranged in a concave shape so that the respective optical axes substantially intersect at one location in front.
In this embodiment, the communication angle of the optical communication element is ± 15 °, but another communication angle may be used.
[0022]
The optical signal transmission window 23 is arranged near the intersection of the optical axes and at the front of the optical communication unit 2. As a result, since the viewing angle other than the communication angle range has as little as possible, it is hardly affected by disturbance light.
[0023]
Reference numeral 24 denotes a housing in which the substrate 22 and the optical signal transmitting portion 23 are arranged, and is made of aluminum die cast, resin, or the like.
Reference numeral 25 denotes a light-shielding portion that shields ambient disturbance light. The light-shielding portion 25 is installed on the housing 24 outside the optical signal transmission window 23 and along the optical communication angle range in which the optical signal element 21 transmits or receives an optical signal. Is done.
[0024]
In the present embodiment, the light shielding portion 25 is formed of a plate-shaped material such as a metal or a resin that does not transmit infrared light. Preferably, an anti-reflection treatment such as an anti-reflection multilayer film or matte coating is preferably performed so that infrared light of disturbance light is hardly reflected.
Further, the light shielding portion 25 is not limited to a plate shape, and may be a cylindrical shape or a structure in which the housing 24 is deformed.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 2, by arranging the substrate 22 inside the optical signal transmission window 23 by a distance α, the optical signal element 21 has a structure that is hardly affected by disturbance light.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the optical signal element 21 is arranged in a convex shape, as the distance α increases, the size of the optical signal transmission window 23 or the communication opening area of the light shielding unit 25 increases. By arranging it in a concave shape, the size can be reduced.
[0026]
In addition, by providing the light shielding portion 25 while disposing the substrate 22 inside by the distance α, the optical signal element can be made less susceptible to disturbance light. This is particularly effective for an optical signal element near the center among the optical signal elements 21 arranged on the substrate 22.
[0027]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, in the optical communication unit 2, a plurality of substrates 22 on which a plurality of optical signal elements 21 are arranged are arranged in a concave shape such that respective optical axes thereof substantially intersect at one location in front. Also, in FIG.
(1) If a plurality of optical signal elements are arranged on a substrate so that their respective optical axes are parallel, the light emission intensity and reception sensitivity of the optical communication unit 2 are improved.
(2) If a plurality of substrates on which a plurality of optical signal elements are arranged are arranged in a concave shape so that the optical axes of the optical signal elements on each substrate intersect at the front, the size of the optical signal transmission window 23 disposed at the front of the substrate is increased. Can be reduced.
As a result, the optical communication unit 2 can be reduced three-dimensionally.
Further, by making the arrangement of the optical signal elements and the arrangement of the substrate thereof concave, the size of the optical signal transmission window can be minimized.
[0028]
That is, three substrates 22 on which the optical signal elements 21 are two-dimensionally arranged are arranged in a concave shape outwardly with respect to the optical signal transmission window 23. When the communication angle of the optical signal element is ± 15 °, the substrate 22 is arranged with the optical axis shifted by 30 ° according to the communication angle. With such an arrangement, the optical signal elements can be three-dimensionally arranged in a concave shape, and the size of the optical signal transmission window 23 and the communication opening area of the light shielding portion 25 can be reduced.
With this configuration, the optical signal element can transmit the optical signal with increased intensity while avoiding the influence of disturbance light, and can increase the receiving sensitivity of the optical signal.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the area | region (communication opening area) of the optical signal transmission window which transmits an optical signal is made small, and the influence of the disturbance light which injects into an optical communication part from other than an optical communication angle range is reduced. it can. For this reason, miniaturization of the optical communication unit and highly reliable optical communication become possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an optical communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a component arrangement of an optical communication unit according to the related art.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 optical communication device 2 optical communication unit 21 optical signal element 22 substrate 23 optical signal transmission window 24 housing 25 light shielding unit 3 optical communication control unit 4 data processing unit 5 input / output unit

Claims (5)

An optical signal transmission window that transmits the wavelength of the optical signal and an optical signal element capable of transmitting or receiving an optical signal within a predetermined optical communication angle range around the optical axis through the optical signal transmission window in a two-dimensional manner. An optical communication unit having a plurality of arranged substrates, a housing for installing the optical communication unit, an optical communication control unit for controlling each optical signal element of the optical communication unit, and various instructions for executing optical communication; An input / output unit that inputs and outputs communication data, and a data processing unit that converts each communication data input by the input / output unit from an optical signal to communication data or from communication data to an optical signal based on a predetermined procedure. the plurality of optical signal device is the optical axis is arranged in a concave so as to substantially intersect at one point ahead on the substrate, the optical signal transmission window is the forward near a and the substrate the optical axes intersect approximately They are arranged from the substrate at a predetermined distance Optical communication device characterized by having a substantially minimum dimensions required for transmitting the signal. The optical device further includes a light-shielding portion that shields ambient light, and the light-shielding portion is provided on the housing outside the optical signal transmission window and along an optical communication angle range in which the optical signal element transmits or receives an optical signal. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The optical communication device according to claim 2, wherein the light shielding unit has a surface along an optical communication angle range in which the optical signal element transmits or receives an optical signal formed in a state in which disturbance light is prevented from being reflected. 2. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the optical communication unit includes a plurality of substrates on which a plurality of optical signal elements are arranged, and the plurality of substrates are arranged in a concave shape such that respective optical axes substantially intersect at one location in front. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the optical signal element is a module in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are integrally molded.

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