US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

John L Johnson

James C Kirsch

Gary L Wood

Don A Gregory

William A Friday

Kevin L Landel

The all-optical pulse generating and amplifying system utilizes a phosphor that is excited by input light of a first wavelength and, in response, emits light of a second wavelength. The light emitted by the phosphor illuminates a bistable element which, at a pre-fixed intensity of the phosphor-emitted light, switches from non-transmissive state to transmissive state, thereby allowing the exit of light (also of first wavelength) emitted by an output light source as light pulse output of the system. An inhibitory light that also passes through the bistable element during its transmissive state quenches the phosphor light emission and returns the bistable element to its non-transmissive state and re-starts the process toward the next transmissive state. By gating the intensity, via selected non-linearity of the bistable element, of the light output in proportion to the intensity of the input light, the system can also function as an amplifier.

All-optical pulse generating and amplifying system

Two liquid crystal display panels, stacked together into a flat compact unit, in conjunction with a dedicated processor producing the appropriate video signals to drive the panels, generates a pair of polarization-encoded left and right images and exhibits them as a stereo image that is viewable through a pair of standard polarized glasses. This makes it possible to obtain stereo effect at a video workstation or at a console by eliminating the bulky box-like setup or the need to project onto a screen.

Flat panel three-dimensional display unit

The pulse-coupled automatic recognition system processes information utilizing parallel neural network and transmits information to and from the processing sites as time signals which encode in their pulse phase structure the geometrical content of the spatial distributions of light. A locating device then measures the coordinates of the spatial distributions (pulsating segment) and displays the coordinates of the pulsating segment on a screen for observation. The pulsating segment indicates the presence and location of the component of the input scene that corresponds to the segment.

Pulse-coupled automatic object recognition system dedicatory clause

An LCD projection system, located within a standard color CRT, is used to oject toward the screen decay stimulation patterns that vary dynamically from one frame to the next for each pixel based on the video signals received from external sources. This controls the output light intensity of the phosphors that are excited by a single electron gun. This system eliminates the three-electron-gun configuration of the standard CRT as well as the requirement of a shadow mask. What results is a CRT that is more rugged, easier to manufacture and that produces brighter and sharper images on its screen.

LCD-CRT hybrid image tube

A lightweight telescopic lens of monolithic construction is revealed that corporates additional refractive and reflective curved surfaces to produce all the optical functions performed by an ordinary telescope. A pair of such lenses may be mounted in an eyeglass frame to yield a telescope that can be worn like a pair of eyeglasses, thus affording superior image stability as well as free the user's hands. Minor modifications involving the use of several menisci of a different index of refraction from that of the core lens can be made to achieve achromatism of emergent light from achromatic input light. The entire core lens can also be shaped into a meniscus to take advantage of the principle of total internal reflection, thereby increasing the light-gathering aperture while at the same time rendering the lens even more compact and lightweight.

Lightweight binocular telescope

The White Light Optical Fourier Transform Device comprises symmetrical wedges of uniaxial birefringent crystal placed on either side of a half-wave plate to induce an angle between the wavefronts of the polarized components of the beam travelling through the device. The wavefront tilt angle of the output beam is shown to be linearly proportional to the angle of incidence. This is sufficient to generate the necessary phase factor for a Fourier transform of the incident intensity image.

White light optical transform device

An all-optical polar transform device transforms an image in rectangular rdinates into an image in polar coordinates by reflecting an input image-containing beam from a series of suitably positioned reflective surfaces and finally transmits the beam out as an output beam containing the transformed image.

All-optical device and method for remapping images

An optical scanning device for mechanically scanning images at a high scan ate over a wide field of view and under low light conditions. The device comprises a first rotating reflecting means such as mirrors for intersecting an input beam of light in a first path and for redirecting the beam of light into a second path. A second rotating reflecting means intersects the second path and reflects the beam of light into a third path, onto a detecting device for detecting the presence of predetermined images in the beam of light. In order to reflect the light beams over an elliptical path the mirrors are mounted on rotating shafts at a slight angle from the perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft. The mirrors are rotated at varying speed relationships to each other and varying phase relationships to each other in order to produce a variety of scan patterns.

Rotating mirror optical scanning device

A method for performing the addition of two N-bit binary numbers using palel neural networks. The value of a first register is converted and transferred into a second register in a mathematical fashion so as to add the numbers of the first register into the second register. When the first register contains all zeros then the desired sum is found in the second register.

Parallel neural network for a full binary adder

Optical solutions for self regulating neural networks are carried out by ee processors. Two use the nonlinearity of devices such as a phosphor screen and nonlinear cladding of optical fibers whereby the nonlinear regulating process is carried out. The third is accomplished by a ring cavity having a damped inhibitory loop where the signals are combined 180.degree. out of phase.

Optical neuromorphic embodiments of self-regulating neural networks

A multipurpose optical processor is described which functions as a multis dual scale adaptive pattern classifier. Normalization, enhancement, inhibitory convolutions, recurrent feedback, code stabilization, time sequences, reconstruction from partial data, and tracking systems are shown to be incorporated in the invention.

Optical processor for an adaptive pattern classifier

Incoherent optical processing techniques are shown which demonstrate image intensity normalization and contour enhancement. A new type of incoherent optical correlator which combines a model of the human neural system with an intensity image convolver. The processor's principal element is a Hughes liquid crystal light valve (LCLV). All components are commercially available and used without modification except for a liquid crystal television (LCLV). In operation the invention can be used as either a pre-processor to intensity normalize and edge enhance video scenes for use in pattern recognition applications or as a real-time pattern recognition device within itself, with the addition of an LCTV.

Incoherent image intensity normalization, contour enhancement, and

A remote laser locator system for viewing a wide field of view and detecting the angular position of a remote laser. A laser beam directed toward the sensor from any position within a 90 degree circular field-of-view can be detected to a positional accuracy of less than 0.1 degree in a two-axis coordinate system. The system utilizes an inline or coaxial optical sensor having field-of-view (FOV) optics that compress the field-of-view. The compressed output from the FOV optics is directed through a polarizer and filter to a phase shifter. The phase shifter, a pair of birefringent crystals, encodes the angle of incidence of the laser beam as a phase shift between the two components of the polarized input beam. Subsequently, an analyzer such as a Wollaston prism decomposes the beam into two linear component beams. These component beams are processed through a second phase shifter and an analyzer pair which are rotated axially with respect to the first pair to provide four distinct component beams. These components are condensed through a reimager lens and coupled to an array of intensity detectors. The array detector outputs are then combined to provide two normalized signal proportional to a trigonometric function of the two components of the angle of incidence of the laser beam, indicative of its position in space.

Wide field of view two-axis laser locator

A laser position sensor system for viewing a wide field of view for detecting the angular position of a remote laser. A laser beam directed toward the sensor from any position within a 90 degree circular field-of-view can be detected to a positional accuracy of less than 0.1 degree in a two-axis coordinate system. The system utilizes two parallel sensors having field-of-view optics that compress the field-of-view. The compressed output from each optics is directed through a polarizer and filter to a phase shifter. The phase shifter, a pair of birefringent crystals, encodes the angle of incidence of the laser beam as a phase shift between the two components of the polarized input beam. These components, the e-ray and the o-ray travel different paths through the phase shifter. Subsequently, an analyzer such as a Wollaston prism decomposes the beam into two linear components. These components are condensed through a reimager lens and coupled to a pair of intensity detectors. The detector outputs from each sensor can then be combined to provide a normalized signal proportional to a trigonometric function of the angle of incidence of the laser beam, indicative of its position in space.

Growing community of inventors

Huntsville, AL, United States of America

John L Johnson