Planar multiplexed optical wireless

Some things take time. In 1992, we were getting ready for optical wireless to be commonly deployed in offices. 23 years on, we now see the technology make its way from the back burner to likely realization. Here is another 1992 recycled idea that may finally prove relevant after all those years.

In many ways, optical wireless is functionally similar to radio based wireless that we all know well. However, it is possible to use many planes of optical wireless in the same office to produce different nets for different purposes or groups within the same space. Point to point lasers are less useful because of the ease of beam blocking. Each desk could have a pole with a number of receivers for the appropriate networks. Mobility is still fairly easy via omni-directional signals, with the compromise of less network segregation.

I don’t think I need to reproduce my crappy diagram from 1992 but here it is anyway, just for fun. This assumed LEDs with broad beam emissions rather than lasers.