The embodiments set forth a technique for enabling a computing device to securely communicate with a peripheral computing device. According to some embodiments, the method can include the steps of (1) receiving, at a detection sensor of the computing device, a light signal from the peripheral computing device, wherein the light signal is received at a first frequency that is higher than a second frequency capable of being detected by a camera system of the computing device, (2) extracting information from the light signal, and (3) performing an operation using the information.

A system to detect obstacles includes a power beam transmission circuit, a power beam reception circuit arranged to receive a power beam from the power beam transmission circuit, an emitter module, and a detector module arranged to distinguish between a first characteristic and a second characteristic. The emitter module includes a first emitter arranged to emit a first signal having the first characteristic, the first signal emitted in proximity to the power beam, and a second emitter arranged to emit a second signal having the second characteristic, the second characteristic different from the first characteristic, the second signal emitted in proximity to the first signal. The detector module includes a first detector arranged to respond to the first signal emitted by the first emitter, wherein the detector module is arranged to determine when an obstacle is in or near a line-of-sight transmission path between the first emitter and the first detector.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for high performance wireless data transfers. In an example embodiment, laser chips are used to support the data transfers using laser signals that encode the data to be transferred. The laser chip can be configured to (1) receive a digital signal and (2) responsive to the received digital signal, generate and emit a variable laser signal, wherein the laser chip comprises a laser-emitting epitaxial structure, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure comprises a plurality of laser-emitting regions within a single mesa structure that generate the variable laser signal. Also disclosed are a number of embodiments for a photonics receiver that can receive and digitize the laser signals produced by the laser chips. Such technology can be used to wireless transfer large data sets such as lidar point clouds at high data rates.

Useful data is transmitted to a terminal existing in a transportation vehicle. A communication apparatus installed in the transportation vehicle and configured to transmit the data to the terminal existing in the transportation vehicle includes a data selection unit and an illumination unit. The data selection unit acquires location information indicating a location of the transportation vehicle in which the terminal exists and which is traveling. Based on the acquired location information, the data selection unit selects approaching-location data related to a location ahead of a current location of the transportation vehicle in a traveling direction from a plurality of pieces of data related to the location. The illumination unit transmits, as a modulated light signal, a signal comprising the approaching-location data.

A packaged integrated white light source configured for illumination and communication or sensing comprises one or more laser diode devices. An output facet configured on the laser diode device outputs a laser beam of first electromagnetic radiation with a first peak wavelength. The first wavelength from the laser diode provides at least a first carrier channel for a data or sensing signal.

An electronic vapor provision system comprising a light source configured to emit light, and a controller comprising a data processor configured to generate transmission data, wherein the controller is configured to control the light source to emit an optical signal for transmitting the transmission data.

Useful data is transmitted to a terminal existing in a transportation vehicle. A communication apparatus installed in the transportation vehicle and configured to transmit the data to the terminal existing in the transportation vehicle includes a data selection unit and an illumination unit. The data selection unit acquires location information indicating a location of the transportation vehicle in which the terminal exists and which is traveling. Based on the acquired location information, the data selection unit selects approaching-location data related to a location ahead of a current location of the transportation vehicle in a traveling direction from a plurality of pieces of data related to the location. The illumination unit transmits, as a modulated light signal, a signal comprising the approaching-location data.

Amplitude-modulated (AM) signals spanning a spatial wide area can be efficiently detected using a slowly scanning optical system. The system decouples the AM carrier from the AM signal bandwidth (or carrier uncertainty), enabling Nyquist sampling of only the information-bearing AM signal (or the known frequency bandwidth). The system includes a staring sensor with N pixels (e.g., N>10.sup.6) that searches for a sinusoidal frequency of unknown phase and frequency, perhaps constrained to a particular band by a priori information about the signal. Counters in the sensor pixels mix the detected signals with local oscillators to down-convert the signal of interest, e.g., to a baseband frequency. The counters store the down-converted signal for read out at a rate lower than the Nyquist rate of AM signal. The counts can be shifted among pixels synchronously with the optical line-of-sight for scanning operation.

A sensor device includes a sensor array including a plurality of photodiodes configured to generate current signals in response to light, an encoder configured to encode the current signals to generate a plurality of analog signals and output the plurality of analog signals sequentially, a signal processing module configured to process the analog signals, received from the encoder, to generate digital signals, and a decoder configured to decode the digital signals, received from the signal processing module, to generate a plurality of data signals corresponding to the current signals.

A data-receiving circuit adapted to an electronic device is provided herein. The electronic device receives a power-saving signal to operate in a power-saving mode. The data-receiving circuit includes a first register, a second register, a decoder, a data register, and a control circuit. The first register is configured to store a target value. The second register is configured to store the length of the target value. The decoder captures control data and endpoint data from an IR signal. The data register is configured to store the control data. The control circuit empties out the data register according to the power-saving signal and the endpoint signal.