Patent ID: 8588617

Claim:
An optical transceiver assembly comprising: a transmission system configured to transmit first optical signals in a transmission direction; an optical entrance configured to receive second optical signals generated outside of the transceiver assembly, the optical entrance configured to have an input field of a plurality of available reception directions for the received second optical signals; a reception system configured to receive the second optical signals and a part of a beam of the transmitted first optical signals, the reception system comprising a matrix that includes: a first plurality of photodetectors arranged in the matrix to form a first zone having an outer perimeter, the first plurality of photodetectors of the first zone collectively corresponding to all of the available reception directions of the input field of the optical entrance, each of the first plurality of photodetectors of the first zone individually corresponding to a different available reception direction of the input field, the first zone positioned on the matrix to receive the second optical signals and to exclude reception of the part of the beam of the first optical signals; and a second plurality of photodetectors arranged in the matrix to form a second zone, the second zone disposed on the matrix outside of the outer perimeter of the first zone, the second zone positioned on the matrix to receive the part of the beam of the first optical signals and to exclude reception of the second optical signals, wherein the first zone is different than the second zone and the perimeter of the first zone remains constant on the matrix for all available reception directions for the received second optical signals; an optical coupling system configured to direct the part of the beam of the first optical signals onto at least one point on the photodetector matrix in the second zone and to exclude direction of the part of the beam of the first optical signals onto the photodetector matrix in the first zone, the at least one point varying depending on the direction of transmission; and a transmission control unit configured to determine the direction of transmission based on coordinates of the at least one point in the second zone on the photodetector matrix at which the part of the beam of the first optical signals is detected.