Optical wireless communication to eco-system

Currently, there is enormous progress in the field of optical wireless communication. There is the well known IrDA organization approved 1 Gbps Giga- IR standard and established a new 10 Giga-IR WG recently. In addition there are many more players fostering that kind of wireless technology. There is the IEEE 802.15.7 task group founded in 2008 and focusing on visible light communication in combination with state of the art illumination. Data rates are available up to 100 Mbps with link distances up to some meters. Furthermore, there are other organizations like VLCC, ISO and the Li-Fi Consortium as well as various scientific approaches to make optical wireless usable in the public. Additionally optical wireless communication can be seen in a broader field meaning a complete optical eco-system comprising wireless communication, navigation, natural user interfaces and many more. This paper will introduce different cutting-edge technologies regarding optical wireless communication, research and standardization work as well as provide an overview of various applications where those technologies can be used advantageously. Current application scenarios are, for example, complete wireless terminal solutions for portable devices, Car2X communication or wireless indoor communication. It also explains Li-Fi and the idea of a new eco-system combining different optical wireless technologies.