Patent ID: 6983110

Claim:
An optical receiver, comprising: an optical input path; a light detector array, including: a light-sensitive surface having an area, and light detectors each having an area and generating an electrical signal in response to light; an optical converging element located to focus an optical input signal received via the optical input path to form a spot on the light-sensitive surface of the light detector array, the spot having an area less than the area of the light-sensitive surface but greater than the area of one of the light detectors; and an information signal generator that generates an electrical information signal from at least one of the electrical signals, the information signal generator operable to: identify the electrical signals generated in response to the optical input signal, the electrical signals identified as being generated in response to the optical input signal being generated by respective illuminated light detectors, generate the electrical information signal from the electrical signals, exclude from the electrical information signal ones of the electrical signals not identified as being generated in response to the optical input signal, and not exclude from the electrical information signal the electrical signals generated by at least one of: ones of the light detectors surrounding the illuminated light detectors; ones of the light detectors located in a regular block that includes the illuminated light detectors, the block being regular in terms of an addressing scheme of the light detector array; and ones of the light detectors surrounding the regular block that includes the illuminated light detectors.