Patent ID: 7809278

Claim:
Apparatus for providing separate data and control optical communication channels between system functions, said apparatus comprising: an array of data emitters operative in response to electrical data signals generated from a first system function for emitting an array of corresponding light beams representative of said data signals; at least one control emitter operative in response to electrical control signals generated from said first system function for emitting light beams representative of said control signals; an array of data detectors for receiving light beams from corresponding data emitters of said emitter array to form an array of data optical communication channels, and conducting electrical data signals reproduced from said received light beams to a second system function; at least one control detector section comprising a multiplicity of light detectors in close proximity to each other for receiving light beams from said at least one control emitter to form at least one control optical communication channel, and conducting electrical control signals reproduced from said received light beams to said second system function, in which said at least one control optical communication channel is separate from said data optical communication channels; and a controller that determines alignment of said array of data emitters and said array of data detectors based on which of said multiplicity of light detectors of said at least one control detector section receives said light beams representative of said control signals from said at least one control emitter; wherein said control signals comprise data associated with an operating parameter of at least one of the array of data emitters and the array of data detectors that is communicated by optical modulation of at least one light beam in said control optical communication channel.