Constraints and Recent Solutions of Optical Camera Communication for Practical Applications

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a promising technology for wireless communication due to its advantages of the vast optical spectrum, high energy efficiency, and no electromagnetic interference radiation. With the widespread adoption of LED infrastructure and camera-equipped smart devices, optical camera communication (OCC) has gained momentum as a pragmatic version of VLC based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices. Compared with VLC systems based on photodiodes (PD), the information-carrying capability of OCC enables it to provide a wide range of services in the areas of intelligent transportation, indoor positioning, underwater communication, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This paper presents a brief overview of the OCC system, focuses on the constraints affecting OCC performance, and offers feasible solutions for dependable data transmission in complex and diverse scenarios. Finally, this paper summarizes the potential extended applications of OCC, hoping to push this advanced form of optical wireless communication toward practical deployments in our daily lives.