System and method of self-configuring optical communication channels between arrays of emitters and detectors

A method of self-configuring optical communication channels between arrays of emitters and detectors, said method comprising the steps of:

• roughly aligning an array of light emitters to an array of light detectors;
• controlling the light emitters of said emitter array to transmit optical data to said array of light detectors;
• and
• monitoring received optical data of the light detectors of said detector array to establish light emitter/detector optical channels between said arrays of light emitters and light detectors based on optical data transmission error rates;
• wherein said monitoring comprises identifying a group of light detectors for each energized light emitter based on light received from said energized light emitter;
• and
• wherein said step of controlling comprises optically transmitting a predetermined data stream from an emitter to each light detector and determining an optical data transmission error rate from the predetermined data stream for each detector of the group;
• and
• wherein said step of determining an optical data transmission error rate comprises incrementing an error count in a designated memory register for each detector of the group of light detectors.

A system for self-configuring optical communication channels, said system comprising:

• first means for emitting light in an array of light beams;
• second means for detecting said array of light beams, said second means being roughly aligned with said array of light beams;
• and
• self-configuration means for controlling said first means to transmit optical data in said array of light beams and for monitoring said second means for received optical data in said array of light beams to establish optical channels between said first and second means based on optical data transmission error rates;
• said configuration means comprising:
• means for identifying a group of light detectors for each energized light emitter based on light received from said energized light emitter;
• means for optically transmitting a predetermined data stream from an emitter to each light detector and determining an optical data transmission error rate from the predetermined data stream for each detector of the group;
• means for incrementing an error count in a designated memory register for each detector of the group of light detectors;
• means for monitoring the count corresponding to a time interval;
• and
• means for comparing the transmission error rate of each detector to determine the detector with the lowest transmission error rate over the time interval.