The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 03, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 23, 1997
B Keith Jenkins, Long Beach, CA (US);
Armand R Tanguay, Jr, Fullerton, CA (US);
University of Southern California, University Park, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus is provided for the readout, and in certain applications the display, of information stored within incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed volume holographic optical elements. Such multiplexed volume holographic optical elements are based on parallel incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed volume holographic recording and readout principles, and are designed to exhibit maximum optical throughput efficiency and minimum crosstalk. Applications for this novel holographic readout apparatus, when used in conjunction with the aforementioned incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed volume holographic optical elements, include photonic interconnections for neural networks, telecommunications switching, and digital computing; optical information processors and optical memories; and optical display systems. The holographic readout apparatus is based primarily on the use of a spatially distributed source array, which contains a plurality of optical sources that are at once both individually coherent and mutually incoherent. The incorporation of the incoherent/coherent source array enables embodiments of the apparatus that in turn allow for incoherent superposition of reconstructed images and simplified parallel readout of the multiplexed volume holographic optical elements. The additional provision of spatial light modulation means allows for independent selection of the subset of stored holographically-encoded information patterns to be simultaneously read out or displayed. The holographic readout apparatus is capable of reading out and displaying information stored in several variants of incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed volume holographic optical elements, including those that are either optically recorded or computer generated, and that are based on either continuous-volume (bulk) or stratified-volume holographic media.