Optical scanning for line-of-sight communications to optical tags

An optical device comprising:

• a laser;
• a laser-steering unit configured to direct laser light generated by the laser;
• a receiver unit;
• and
• a processing unit communicatively coupled with the laser, laser-steering unit, and receiver unit, the processing unit configured to:
• cause the optical device to execute a scanning process in which:
• the laser generates a plurality of pulses of laser light, and
• the laser steering unit illuminates a coverage area with the plurality of pulses of laser light by directing the plurality of pulses of laser light such that:
• each pulse of the plurality of pulses of laser light illuminates a respective portion of the coverage area along a spiral scan pattern within the coverage area,
• each portion of the coverage area illuminated by a respective pulse of the plurality of pulses of laser light overlaps with at least one or more other portions of the coverage area illuminated by respective one or more other pulses of the plurality of pulses of laser light,
• the laser steering unit traces the entire spiral scan pattern during the scanning process, and
• the scanning process is completed in less than 1 s;
• and
• for each of one or more pulses of received laser light detected with the receiver unit corresponding to respective one or more pulses of the plurality of pulses of laser light, determine whether the pulse of received laser light has been modulated to include predetermined information.