Optical free-space communication apparatus

Abstract

An optical free-space communication apparatus includes a first light-emitting source for emitting a first transmission optical beam having a plane of polarization in a predetermined direction, the first transmission optical beam being modulated according to a primary signal containing communication information, a second light-emitting source for emitting a second transmission optical beam having a plane of polarization perpendicular to the plane of polarization of the first transmission optical beam, the second transmission optical beam being modulated according to an auxiliary signal for angle detection, a transmitting optical system for emitting the first and second transmission optical beams out of the apparatus as optical beams each having a predetermined angle of divergence, and a driving unit for redirecting the outgoing paths of the first and second transmission optical beams, wherein the second transmission optical beam has a larger angle of divergence than the first transmission optical beam.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.