Patent ID: 7330662

Claim:
An apparatus for asymmetrically receiving and transmitting infrared data communication, the apparatus comprising: a stationary obiect with a receiver for reception of the infrared data communication at a first bit rate from at least one user device, wherein each message bit sent by the user device has been converted to a series of identical optical transmission pulses so as to extend a physical range of the user device and the receiver reconstructs each of the identical optical pulses into a single message bit: a plurality of infrared transceivers spatially arranged around the stationary object and electrically coupled thereto, whereby the infrared transceivers are capable of transmitting infrared pulses back to the user device at second bit rate that is higher than the first bit rate; a plurality of n spatially multiplexed synchronization channels, where each of the multiplexed synchronization channels receives optical transmission pulses with a period P and a time T, and where n is a whole number; and a signal processor for: integrating from T−T/n +((i−1)T)/n to T−T/n +((i−1)T)/n +P each channel i of the plurality of channels, where i goes from 1 to n; and determining one of the plurality of channels with a maximum integrated value.