Patent ID: 7486893

Claim:
A method of optically interconnecting a first station to a second station by coupling a first optical beam and a second optical beam, the first optical beam originating from the first station and being directed to the second station, the second optical beam originating from the second station and being directed to the first station, the method comprising: (a) providing a first adaptive optical module and a second adaptive optical module; (b) disposing the first adaptive optical module in a path of the first beam for (i) reflecting and directing the first beam to the second adaptive optical module; and (ii) reflecting the second beam received from the second adaptive optical module, and directing the second beam to the first station; (c) disposing the second adaptive optical module in a path of the second beam for (i) reflecting and directing the second beam to the first adaptive optical module; and (ii) reflecting the first beam received from the first adaptive optical module, and directing the first beam to the second station; (d) transmitting reference data from the first station towards the second station and from the second station towards the first station, the reference data being separable from other transmitted data; (e) comparing the reference data as received with the reference data as transmitted; (f) configuring the first and second adaptive optical modules to at least partially compensate for propagation errors induced in the received reference signal by transmission through at least one region of aberration.