A space-time RLS algorithm for adaptive equalization. The camera communication case

This paper presents a novel space-time recursive least-squares adaptive algorithm, which performs filter coefficients updates in space and postponed filtering in time. The algorithm is used for intersymbol interference suppression in optical camera communications, which is a subgroup of visible light communication systems. Optical camera communications uses image sensor receivers, as those available in smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to detect changes in light intensity in order to allow data transmission. The achievable data transmission rate of optical camera communication systems is nowadays constrained by the frame-per-second rate achieved by those devices, so that the spatial dimension, e.g., multiple-input multiple-output techniques, are typically exploited. Spatial intersymbol interference could arise and image blurring can be an issue especially when the link distance grows and/or when the receiver is in mobility. We present here a semiblind spatial fractionally spaced equalizer that uses a novel space-time recursive least-square adaptive algorithm to counteracts the blur introduced by the optical channel. Numerical results show how the bit error rate can be drastically reduced in both motion and out-of-focus blur scenarios.