Patent ID: 8224189

Claim:
An apparatus for retro-reflecting electromagnetic energy, the apparatus comprising: a substrate; a plurality of corner mirrors disposed on said substrate and having respective angles of acceptance with respect to said substrate to be operable to retro-reflect said electromagnetic energy within said respective angles of acceptance, wherein said plurality of corner mirrors are arranged to provide a combined angle of acceptance that is greater than any one of said respective angles of acceptance; and at least one modulator for modulating any of said electromagnetic energy received and retro-reflected, wherein said at least one modulator is disposed over at least a portion of said plurality of corner mirrors; wherein said substrate comprises at least one corrugated surface, and wherein said plurality of corner mirrors are disposed on said at least one corrugated surface; and wherein said at least one corrugated surface defines a plurality of receptacles for receiving said plurality of corner mirrors, and wherein said plurality of corner mirrors are disposed in said plurality of receptacles, and wherein said at least one modulator is disposed over said at least a portion of said plurality of corner mirrors such that said at least one modulator is conformal with said at least one corrugated surface.