Apparatus and method of establishing optical communication channels between a steerable array of laser emitters and an array of optical detectors

Apparatus for establishing optical communication channels between an array of light emitters and an array of light detectors, said apparatus comprising:

• an array of light beam emitter sections disposed on a surface of a substrate, each emitter section comprising a grouping of light emitters disposed at each surface section and configured to emit light beams at different emission angles with respect to said surface;
• an array of light detectors for receiving said light beams emitted from the array of emitter sections;
• and
• a controller coupled to said arrays of emitter sections and detectors for mapping at least one light emitter of each grouping with a light detector of said detector array to establish optical communication channels between said arrays based on said mappings.

Method of establishing optical communication channels between an array of light emitters and an array of light detectors, said method comprising the steps of:

• grouping of a multiplicity of light emitters at each of an array of sections of a surface of a substrate to form an array of light beam emitter sections on said surface;
• configuring said light emitters of each emitter section to emit light beams at different emission angles with respect to said surface;
• illuminating an array of light detectors with said light beams emitted from the array of emitter sections;
• and
• mapping at least one light emitter of each grouping with a light detector of said detector array to establish optical communication channels between said arrays based on said mappings.

Apparatus for establishing optical communication channels with a steerable array of light beams, said apparatus comprising:

• first means for emitting an array of light beams, each light beam of said array being controllably steered at different emission angles;
• second means for receiving said array of light beams emitted from said first means;
• and
• control means coupled to said first and second means for steering said emission angles of said light beams to establish optical communication channels between said first and second means.