Abstract: Systems and methods for optical narrowcasting are provided for transmitting various types of content. Optical narrowcasting content indicative of the presence of additional information along with identifying information may be transmitted. The additional information (which may include meaningful amounts of advertising information, media, or any other content) may also be transmitted as optical narrowcasting content. Elements of an optical narrowcasting system may include optical transmitters and optical receivers which can be configured to be operative at distances ranging from, e.g., 400 meters to 1200 meters. Additionally, the elements can be implemented on a miniaturized scale in conjunction with small, user devices such as smartphones.

Abstract: Use of optical narrowcasting for gaming systems and methods are provided. An optical shooting device may comprise an optical transmitter assembly and a first RF transceiver. The optical shooting device may determine shooting information and transmit an optical beam carrying the shooting information using the optical transmitter assembly. An optical target device may comprise an optical receiver assembly and a second RF transceiver. The optical receiver assembly may receive the optical beam using the optical receiver assembly. The optical target device may extract the information from the optical beam. A game control device may comprise a third RF transceiver. The game control device may communicate with the optical shooting device or the optical target device using the third RF transceiver to transmit or receive information relating to a shooting game, and activate a game event based on the information relating to the shooting game.

Abstract: Adaptive communications focal plane arrays that may be implemented in, e.g., a specially-configured camera that can be utilized to receive and/or process information in the form of optical beams are presented. A specialized focal plane array (FPA) having a plurality of optical detectors is utilized, where one or more optical detectors are suppressed such that data is not allowed to be output from the one or more suppressed optical detectors, and only a significantly smaller number or subset of optical detectors receiving optical beams are allowed to output data. In this way, the rate at which data is to be output by an adaptive communications FPA (ACFPA) can be significantly reduced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using optical narrowcasting with social media applications are described herein. One system may include an optical receiver to receive optically narrowcast content extracted from an optical beam transmitted by an optical transmitter; and a first user device to capture a media representation of a real-world environment in which the optical beam is detected. The system may be configured to create an enhanced media dataset including the optically narrowcast content and the media representation; and post the enhanced media dataset on a social media platform. The system may set one or more filters to be applied to optically narrowcast content posted on the social media platform; and apply the one or more filters to the optically narrowcast content of the enhanced media dataset that is posted on the social media platform.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical narrowcasting are provided for transmitting various types of content. Optical narrowcasting content indicative of the presence of additional information along with identifying information may be transmitted. The additional information (which may include meaningful amounts of advertising information, media, or any other content) may also be transmitted as optical narrowcasting content. Elements of an optical narrowcasting system may include optical transmitters and optical receivers which can be configured to be operative at distances ranging from, e.g., 400 meters to 1200 meters. At such far-field distances, light beams emitted from the optical transmitters can be combined in a tiled fashion to create energy efficient and directable optical transmissions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical narrowcasting are provided for transmitting various types of content. Optical narrowcasting content indicative of the presence of additional information along with identifying information may be transmitted. The additional information (which may include meaningful amounts of advertising information, media, or any other content) may also be transmitted as optical narrowcasting content. Elements of an optical narrowcasting system may include optical transmitters and optical receivers which can be configured to be operative at distances ranging from, e.g., 400 meters to 1200 meters. Moreover, the elements can be implemented on a miniaturized scale in conjunction with small, user devices such as smartphones, thereby also realizing optical ad-hoc networking, as well as interoperability with other types of data networks. Optically narrowcast content can be used to augment a real-world experience, enhance and/or spawn new forms of social-media and media content.