Patent ID: 7317876

Claim:
A communication method for a retro-reflector device, the method comprising: receiving, at the retro-reflector device, a first frame encoded in an input beam; creating and sending, from the retro-reflector device, a second frame in a first reflected beam, the first reflected beam being formed by the retro-reflector device reflecting the input beam along a path closely aligned with a path of the input beam, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes medium access control information; receiving, at a plurality of retro-reflector devices, respective first frames encoded in respective input beams; creating and sending, from the plurality of retro-reflector devices, respective second frames in respective first reflected beams formed by each of the plurality of retro-reflector devices reflecting the respective input beam along a path closely aligned with a respective path of the respective input beam, wherein for each of the retro-reflector devices, at least one of the respective first frame or the respective second frame includes medium access control information; including, in at least some of the respective first frames, an indication of a data rate for a message within one of the at least some of the respective first frames and at least some of the respective second frames; and wherein the indication of the data rate for one retro-reflector device is different than the indication of the respective data rate for another retro-reflector device.