Receivers for optical narrowcasting

A receiver comprising:

• a lenslet array including a plurality of lenslets, each of the plurality of lenslets including a first side and a second side, the first side being convex;
• a first optical detector array including a plurality of optical detectors, each optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors positioned in a focal plane of the plurality of lenslets, each of the lenslets positioned to concentrate flux collected over the first side of the lenslet array received from a field of view (FOV) onto at least one optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors;
• a signal amplifier and filter coupled to the first optical detector array and configured to amplify and filter signals received from the first optical detector array to create an amplified signal;
• a format converter configured to convert an optical format of the amplified signal to a digital signal;
• a port configured to output the digital signal to a digital device;
• and
• a handheld digital device case capable of coupling with a digital device, the handheld digital device case including the lenslet array, the optical detector array, the signal amplifier and filter, the format converter, and the port, wherein the lenslet array is visible on a surface of the handheld digital device case.

A receiver comprising:

• a lenslet array including a plurality of lenslets, each of the plurality of lenslets including a first side and a second side, the first side being convex;
• a first optical detector array including a plurality of optical detectors, each optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors positioned in a focal plane of the plurality of lenslets, each of the lenslets positioned to concentrate flux collected over the first side of the lenslet array received from a field of view (FOV) onto at least one optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors;
• a signal amplifier and filter coupled to the first optical detector array and configured to amplify and filter signals received from the first optical detector array to create an amplified signal;
• a format converter configured to convert an optical format of the amplified signal to a digital signal;
• a port configured to output the digital signal to a digital device;
• and
• a tilt actuator configured to control tilt orientation of the receiver.

A method comprising:

• collecting an optical signal from an optical transmitter by a lenslet array including a plurality of lenslets, each of the plurality of lenslets including a first side and a second side, the first side being convex;
• concentrating, by the lenslet array, the optical signal to a first optical detector array including a plurality of optical detectors, each optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors positioned in a focal plane of the plurality of lenslets, each of the lenslets concentrating flux collected over the first side of the lenslet array received from a field of view (FOV) onto at least one optical detector of the plurality of optical detectors;
• generating a detector signal by the first optical detector array in response to the concentration of the optical signal;
• amplifying and filtering the detector signal by a signal amplifier and filter coupled to the first optical detector array to create an amplified signal;
• converting the amplified signal from an optical format to a digital signal;
• providing the digital signal to a digital device;
• collecting an optical beacon from the optical transmitter by an imaging lens;
• concentrating, by the imaging lens, the optical beacon to a second array of optical detectors in a focal plane of the imaging lens;
• generating an optical beacon signal by the second optical detector array in response to the concentration of the optical beacon;
• and
• generating, by a data processor, a notification based on the optical-beacon signal to indicate that additional information may be detectable from the optical transmitter through the lenslet array and by at least one optical detector of the first detector array.