Optical intelligent reflecting surface (OIRS) offers a new and effective approach to resolving the line-of-sight blockage issue in visible light communication (VLC) by enabling redirection of light to bypass obstacles, thereby dramatically enhancing indoor VLC coverage and reliability. This article provides a comprehensive overview of OIRS for VLC, including channel modeling, design techniques, and open issues. First, we present the characteristics of OIRS-reflected channels and introduce two practical models, namely, optics model and association model, which are then compared in terms of applicable conditions, configuration methods, and channel parameters. Next, under the more practically appealing association model, we discuss the main design techniques for OIRS-aided VLC systems, including beam alignment, channel estimation, and OIRS reflection optimization. Finally, open issues are identified to stimulate future research in this area.

翻译：光学智能反射面（OIRS）为可见光通信（VLC）中的视距链路阻塞问题提供了一种新颖且有效的解决方案，其通过引导光线绕开障碍物，从而显著提升室内VLC的覆盖范围与可靠性。本文对面向VLC的OIRS进行了全面综述，涵盖信道建模、设计技术与开放性问题。首先，我们阐述了OIRS反射信道的特性，并介绍了两种实用模型，即光学模型与关联模型，随后从适用条件、配置方法和信道参数等方面对二者进行了比较。接着，在更具实际吸引力的关联模型下，我们讨论了OIRS辅助VLC系统的主要设计技术，包括波束对准、信道估计与OIRS反射优化。最后，本文指出了若干开放性问题，以推动该领域的未来研究。