Electronic devices employing optical communications

A system for optical communication comprising:

• a first electronic device comprising:
• a first housing;
• a first light cell array, each light cell controllable to output a collimated light beam;
• and
• a first controller to control each light cell of the first light cell array such that the light beams of the cells of the light cell array form a data encoded first optical output signal;
• a second electronic device external to the first housing, the second electronic device comprising:
• a second housing;
• a first photocell array to receive the first optical output signal, each photocell to provide an output signal representative of an amount of energy received from the first optical output signal;
• and
• a second controller to:
• measure an overlap between the first optical output signal and the first photocell array based on the output signals of the photocells of the first photocell array;
• and
• adjust a relative position of the first photocell array to the first optical output signal based on the measured overlap to adjust an alignment of the first photocell array with the first optical output signal,
• wherein the first controller is to:
• phase-modulate the light cells of the first light cell array such that the light beams of the first light cell array combine to form the first optical output signal comprising at least one directionally steerable light beam;
• and
• adjust the phase modulation of the light cells based on the measured overlap to adjust steering the at least one steerable light beam so as to align with the first photocell array.

A method of operating an optical communication system comprising:

• controlling each light cell of a light cell array of a first electronic device to individually output a collimated light beam such that the light beams of the light cell array form a data encoded optical output signal;
• receiving the optical output signal with a photocell array of a second electronic device, the second electronic device being located external to a housing of the first electronic device, each photocell of the photocell array to provide an output signal indicative of an amount of energy received from the optical output signal;
• measuring an overlap of the optical output signal with the photocell array based on the output signals of the photocell array;
• adjusting a position of the photocell array to align with the optical output signal based on the measured overlap;
• phase-modulating the light cells of the light cell array such that the light beams of the light cell array combine to form the optical output signal comprising at least one directionally steerable light beam;
• and
• adjusting the phase modulation of the light cells based on the measured overlap to adjust steering the at least one steerable light beam so as to align with the photocell array.