The invention discloses a generalized dimming control method based on a multi-LED 
visible light communication system, and belongs to the field of 
wireless communication. The generalized dimming control method includes the steps: firstly, constructing a 
hybrid dimming module is constructed, initializing the number of space-time matrix activation elements, converting source bit information into a plurality of data blocks in a serial-parallel mode, mapping each data block into a space-time matrix, and transmitting the information through a 
visible light communication channel with the space-time matrix as a unit; calculating a 
direct current gain of the user channel matrix, and detecting and demodulating an 
electric signal receiving matrix obtained by conversion of the 
optical detector througha 
maximum likelihood detector; and calculating a joint boundary of corresponding 
system bit error rates when different numbers of elements are activated in the space-time matrix, and determining an optimal value of the number of the activation elements of the space-time matrix by taking the minimum 
bit error rate of the 
system as an optimization target and taking the dimming level and the 
spectral efficiency as constraint conditions. The generalized dimming control method effectively considers communication and lighting functions of the 
visible light communication system, can effectively improve the energy efficiency of the system, and can enhance the 
bit error rate performance of the system.