An Amplify-and-Forward based OFDM System for VLC Uplink Transmission

Uplink transmission design for visible light communication (VLC) is challenging due to the high optical power requirement for reliable links, which may result in unpleasant irradiance to humans. Current studies have proposed to use radio frequency (RF) communication for uplink while treating VLC as a downlink transmission technique. However, in typical scenarios such as hospitals or aircraft cabins, non-RF communications are preferred. Thus, it is beneficial to design a system which can utilize VLC for uplink transmission while minimizing its optical power. In this paper, we propose a amplify and forward based VLC uplink system which can significantly mitigate the optical power of the source light. The multi-carrier modulation scheme termed DC biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is employed, and the theoretical model of the proposed uplink system is studied. Based on this analytical model, the key system parameters are optimized. Numerical and simulation results verify that, when compared to an equal power allocation based relay system and a reference system without a relay, the proposed system can simultaneously achieve higher spectral efficiency and lower the source optical power.