US Patent 7450855 Optical detection apparatus and free-space optics communication apparatus

There is provided an optical detection apparatus, comprising a light-receiving element, an optical system which forms a spot of light flux on a light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element by externally incident light flux, and an information generating section which generates information with respect to a position of the spot based on the output from the light-receiving element. The optical system includes an optical element array having a plurality of optical element portions, and a plurality of spots formed by the plurality of optical element portions substantially overlap to each other on the light-receiving surface.