METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING A TRANSMISSION PATH FOR FREE-SPACE OPTICAL WIRELESS DATA COMMUNICATIONS

A method and apparatus for conditioning a wireless data communication path for the transmission of a signal wave are presented. The apparatus comprises a conditioning wave transmitter positioned to transmit a conditioning wave along at least a portion of the wireless data communication path. The conditioning wave forms a conditioning envelope about the data communication path. The wavelength of the conditioning wave is selected to remove undesirable particles from the wireless data communication path. As a result, the wireless data communication path is conditioned to provide for improved data communication. The conditioning wave may be transmitted co-, counter-, or bi-directionally with respect to the signal wave, and may form a second data channel.