Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for free-space optical communication. The method comprises the steps of receiving a receive optical beam through a narrow field of view, determining a receive power level, shifting an alignment, maximizing the receive power, and transmitting a transmit optical beam along the alignment, wherein the narrow field of view is less than a divergence of the transmit optical beam. The narrow field of view can be a narrow region of a multi-region field of view. The apparatus comprises an optical beam transmitter configured to generate a narrow diverging transmit beam, a narrow field of view optical receiver, wherein the field of view is less than the divergence of the transmit beam, and a controller configured to determine a power level of a receive beam and to determine adjustments to a direction of transmission maximizing receive power.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for tracking alignment between transceivers for free-space optical communication. The method comprises the steps of receiving a received narrow optical beam, determining an angle at which the optical beam is received, quickly shifting an alignment such that the alignment minimizes the angle, and directing a narrow transmit optical beam along the alignment. The method further shifting the alignment through at least a portion of a search pattern searching for the receive beam. The apparatus provides free-space optical communication, comprises an optical beam detector configured to receive a received narrow tracking beam, an optical beam source configured to generate a narrow transmit tracking beam, and a controller configured to determine an angle of reception of the receive beam and to control a direction of transmission of the transmit beam such that the angle is minimized.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for free-space optical communication. The method comprises the steps of receiving a receive optical beam through a narrow field of view, determining a receive power level, shifting an alignment, maximizing the receive power, and transmitting a transmit optical beam along the alignment, wherein the narrow field of view is less than a divergence of the transmit optical beam. The narrow field of view can be a narrow region of a multi-region field of view. The apparatus comprises an optical beam transmitter configured to generate a narrow diverging transmit beam, a narrow field of view optical receiver, wherein the field of view is less than the divergence of the transmit beam, and a controller configured to determine a power level of a receive beam and to determine adjustments to a direction of transmission maximizing receive power.