Patent ID: 11909439
Assignee: SA PHOTONICS, INC.
Field: Telecommunications (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A free-space optical (FSO) terminal comprising:
an alignment sensor comprising a set of detectors, each detector configured to generate a signal responsive to receiving electromagnetic radiation at a detection surface of the detector, the set of detectors comprising:
an inner set of plural detectors with detection surfaces in a plane; and
an outer set of plural detectors with detection surfaces in the plane, wherein the outer set of plural detectors surrounds the inner set of plural detectors in the planet, and wherein the outer set of plural detectors has a combined detection surface area greater than a combined detection surface area of the inner set of plural detectors; and

a controller configured to:
during a tracking process, adjust an orientation of the FSO terminal based on signals from the inner set of plural detectors; and
during an acquisition process, adjust the orientation of the FSO terminal based on signals from the outer set of plural detectors.