Improved multiple access resource allocation in visible light communication systems

Discrete multi-tone (DMT) and optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulations are well-known methods used to transmit high data rate information in visible light communication (VLC) applications over the illumination infrastructure. However, the use of these techniques in a multi-user environment requires effective subcarrier and power allocation design in order to achieve the maximum data rate offered by the spatial distribution of the transmitters and receiver as well as to minimize the efficiency reduction of the illumination system due to the communication. This could be achieved by minimizing the communication signal power in an appropriate way. In this paper, we propose a heuristic allocation algorithm that minimizes the system subcarrier transmitter power while keeping the required data rate and error bit rate. The numerical calculation was done for given parameters. The results indicate that transmitter power reduction of more than 10% in a most scenario is achieved in comparison to previous algorithms.