Patent ID: 7142786

Claim:
An infrared transceiver node, comprising: a support assembly; at least two infrared transceivers connected to said support assembly, each of said infrared transceivers including a single light source consisting of an infrared transmitter including a light-emitting diode and a transmitter lens for generating an infrared beam having a beam divergence of in the range of about 0.5 to 1 degree, an infrared receiver including a receiver lens and a photo detector, for receiving an infrared beam and for converting said infrared beam to an electronic signal, a first drive assembly for adjusting the elevation of said infrared transceiver, a second drive assembly for adjusting the azimuth of said infrared transceiver, and a processor connected to each of said first and second drive assemblies for controlling the azimuth and elevation of said infrared transceiver; a connector for connecting said infrared transceiver node to a user computer; and a switching engine connected to said connector and to each of said at least two infrared transceivers for switching data between said user computer and said at least two infrared transceivers.