Patent ID: 7009165

Claim:
An optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window; an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window; a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n×n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)×(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes.