WO1986005607A1 - Systeme multi-etage programmable sans lentilles pour le traitement de donnees optiques - Google Patents

Systeme multi-etage programmable sans lentilles pour le traitement de donnees optiques Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1986005607A1
WO1986005607A1 PCT/US1985/002306 US8502306W WO8605607A1 WO 1986005607 A1 WO1986005607 A1 WO 1986005607A1 US 8502306 W US8502306 W US 8502306W WO 8605607 A1 WO8605607 A1 WO 8605607A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
optical
data
spatial light
modulators
modulator
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1985/002306
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jan Grinberg
Bernard H. Soffer
Original Assignee
Hughes Aircraft Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hughes Aircraft Company filed Critical Hughes Aircraft Company
Priority to JP61501364A priority Critical patent/JPH0614161B2/ja
Priority to DE8686901288T priority patent/DE3582888D1/de
Publication of WO1986005607A1 publication Critical patent/WO1986005607A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06E—OPTICAL COMPUTING DEVICES; COMPUTING DEVICES USING OTHER RADIATIONS WITH SIMILAR PROPERTIES
    • G06E3/00—Devices not provided for in group G06E1/00, e.g. for processing analogue or hybrid data
    • G06E3/001—Analogue devices in which mathematical operations are carried out with the aid of optical or electro-optical elements
    • G06E3/005—Analogue devices in which mathematical operations are carried out with the aid of optical or electro-optical elements using electro-optical or opto-electronic means

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to optical computing and data processing systems and, in particular, to a multistage lensless optical processor that is electrically programmable to perform a wide variety of complex computations on optical data.
  • optical processing is of great potential value due to its fundamentally parallel processing nature.
  • the parallelism arises due to the processing of complete images at a time.
  • the volume of data processed in parallel is generally equivalent to the effective resolution of the image.
  • optical processing has the virtue of processing data in the same format that it is conventionally obtained.
  • the data to be processed is generally obtained as a single image or as a rastor scan of an image frame.
  • an optical processor may receive data directly without conventional or other intermediate processing. Since the informative value of image data increases with the effective resolution of the image and the number of images considered, the particular and unique attributes of optical processing become quite desirable.
  • optical processing is performed by projecting an image to be processed through a selected spatial mask onto an appropriate optical detector.
  • the mask itself is, in its simplest form, only an image fixed in a film. Even as such, relatively complex optical processing computations may be performed.
  • Optical processor projection systems generally require a variety of highly specialized components including arc lamps as illuminating point sources, collimating and focusing lenses, polarizing and polarization rotation plates, beam splitters, and mirrors.
  • these components must be assembled and maintained, often in critical alignment, spatially separated from one another. Consequently, the optical processing apparatus is large and bulky, sensitive to its environment, particularly in terms of vibration and contamination, and specifically limited to performing one or only a few quite closely related optical processing calculations.
  • a temporally variable mask for optical processors has been realized as a two-dimensional spatial light modulator (SLM) that, through electronic activation, effects selective alteration of the spatially distributed data impressed on a data beam by the mask.
  • SLM spatial light modulator
  • a typical two-dimensional (2D) SLM is realized through the use of a photo- electrically activated reflective type liquid crystal light valve which may be coupled to a cathode ray tube.
  • 2D SLM devices perform well for many applications within specific limits.
  • these performance limits include a relatively slow liquid crystal light valve response time of typically greater than 10 milliseconds. This naturally directly impacts the high speed processing capability of an optical processor.
  • the use of this type of mask requires further focusing, beam splitting and support components with the end result being a mechanically complex optical processor.
  • Two-dimensional SLM masks have also been realized in the form of a solid electro-optic element activated by a two-dimensional spatially distributed array of electrodes.
  • the modulating image is effectively formed by separately establishing the voltage potential of each of the electrodes at an analog corresponding to their respective intended data values.
  • the current level of fabrication technology unfortu- nately, stands as a practical barrier to the reproducible fabrication of even moderately high resolution independent pixel addressable two-dimensional SLM devices. Alter ⁇ nately using a low effective resolution mask would directly impact the high speed data processing capabi- lities of the optical processor.
  • a purpose for the present invention is, therefore * , to provide an optical data processor that can be flexibly and reliably operated to perform a wide variety of complex data processing functions while avoiding or overcoming most, if not all, of the deficiencies of the prior art.
  • an apparatus for processing an optical data beam comprising a plurality of modulators for spatially modulating the optical data beam, means for the lensless interconnection of each of the modulators to provide for the lensless transfer of the optical data beam between the modulators, and means for controlling the plurality of modulators so as to permit the programmable processing of the optical data beam.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it may be configured to optimally perform a variety of different optical data processing functions.
  • Still another advantage of the present invention is that it can be dynamically and electrically reconfigured as needed to perform significantly different optical data processing functions.
  • Yet still another advantage of the present invention is that it requires. only one integrally coupled incoherent light source from which to operate.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective block diagram of a preferred optical data processing system in accordance with the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred generic embodiment of an optical data processor constructed in accordance with the present invention
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective detail of an electro- optical spatial light modulator utilized in the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another electro-optical spatial light modulator utilized in the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective representation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention for illustrating its preferred methods of operation.
  • the preferred system embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.
  • the preferred multistage optical data processor (ODP) is operatively supported by the microcontroller 12 and interface registers 18, 22, 24, 30, 32 and 34. While the preferred structure of the ODP 20 will be described in greater detail below, the principal operative components of the ODP 20 are shown in FIG. 1 as including a flat panel light source 14, matrix array accumulator 16 and a plurality of spatial light modulators (SLMs) 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46.
  • SLMs spatial light modulators
  • spatially relatable data is provided to the spatial light modulators 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 via the interface registers 22, 24, 26, 30, 32 and 34.
  • These registers preferably operate as high speed digital data storage registers, buffers and digital-to-analog data converters.
  • the stack of spatial light modulators preferably includes a plurality of one- dimensional spatial light modulators and one or more two-dimensional spatial light modulators. As shown in FIG. 1, one-dimensional spatial light modulators 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 are coupled to respective registers 22, 30, 24, 32 and 26 via interface data lines 60, 78, 62, 80 and 64. A two-dimensional spatial light modulator 46 receives data from register 34 via the interface data line 82.
  • the interface registers 22, 24, 26, 30, 32 and 34 in turn preferably receive data in a parallel form provided by external sensors.
  • the microcontroller 12 via the processor control buses 50, 70 provide the control signals. While the processor control buses 50, 70 are shown as separate and respectively connected to the registers by the register control lines 52, 54, 56, 72, 74 and 76, the interface registers may alternately be coupled via control multiplexers to a single, common control bus driven by the microcontroller 12. In either case, however, it is essential only that the micro ⁇ controller 12 possess sufficient control over the registers 22, 24, 26, 30, 32 and 34 to selectively provide its predetermined data thereto.
  • the optical data processor system 10 is completed with the provision of the output register 18 coupled between the accumulator 16 and the processor output.
  • the accumulator 16 itself is a matrix array photosensitive device capable of converting incident light intensity into a corresponding voltage potential representative of the data beam at an array resolution at least matching that of the spatial light modulators 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46. As will be described in greater detail below, the accumulator 16 accumulates light beam data that can then be shifted by means of a clock signal supplied by a clock generator 83 to the data output register 18 via the output interface bus 88.
  • the accumulator 16 also includes circular shift bus 86 and lateral shift bus 84 to permit a wide variety of shift and sum operations to be performed within the accumulator 16 during the operation of the optical data processor 20.
  • the data output register 18 is preferably a high speed analog-to-digital converter, shift register and buffer that channels the shifted output data from the accumulator 16 to the processor output via the processor data output bus 90.
  • FIG. 2 The structure of an exemplary optical data processor 20 fabricated in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2.
  • the embodiment shown is exemplary as including , substantially all of the principle components that may be incorporated into any preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • the components of the optical data processor may be functionally grouped as parts of a light source 91, SLM stage 92 and data beam receiver 93.
  • the light source 91 essentially includes the flat panel light source 14 and, optionally, a light beam buffer component 94.
  • the flat panel light source 14 is preferably an electroluminescent display panel or, alternately, a gas plasma display panel or LED or LED array or laser diode or laser diode array.
  • the buffer component 94 is preferably utilized to grade the light produced by the flat panel display panel into a spatially uniform optical beam. Where a gas plasma display is utilized, the buffer component 94 may further function to insulate the remainder of the optical data processor 20 from any heat generated by the plasma display 14.
  • the buffer component 94 is preferably an optical glass plate having a thickness of approximately 0.25 inch.
  • the bulk.of the optical data processor 10 is formed by a serial stack of SLM stages, of which SLM stage 92 is representative. While each stage is preferably identical in terms of their component composition, the SLM of each is the only essential component.
  • the SLM is a rigid structure requiring no additional support.
  • the SLMs may be placed immediately adjacent one another, separated only by a thin insulating optically transparent layer, yielding an optimally compact multistage stack of spatial light modulators.
  • the stage 92 preferably further includes a supporting fiber optic plate 102.
  • the fibers of the fiber optic plate 102 are, of course, aligned with their cylindrical axes parallel the major axis of the optical data processor 20.
  • a polarizer 64 is preferably interposed between the SLM 44 and fiber optic plate 102. The polarizer 64 further permits the utilization of an unpolarized optical data beam source 14 in local polarization vector data representation embodiments of the present ' invention.
  • the data beam receiver 93 essentially includes an accumulator component 16.
  • the accumulator 16 is preferably a solid state matrix array of optical detectors.
  • the optical detector array is preferably a two-dimensional shift register array of conventional charge coupled devices (CCDs) provided at an array density equivalent to the effective resolution of the optical data processor 20.
  • CCDs charge coupled devices
  • the use of a CCD array is preferred both for its charge accumulation, i.e., data summing, capability as well as for the ease of fabricating CCD shift register circuitry that can be directly controlled by the microcontroller 12.
  • the electro-optic element 152 may be either a liquid crystal light valve or a solid state electro- optic material.
  • transverse field polarization modulation electro-optic materials such as represented by Li b ⁇ 3, LiTa ⁇ 3, BaTi ⁇ 3, Sr x Ba ( i- x) Nb ⁇ 3 and PLZT are preferred. These materials are believed to possess the generally equivalent structural strength characteristics as the polarization modulation material KD2PO4 described above.
  • Electrode leads to the electrode strips 156, 158 are again preferably attached using conventional wire bonding or solder bump interconnect technology.
  • optical data processor 20 is functionally illustrated as a series of planes A, B, C, D, E and F, each plane parallel to the X and Y axis and distributed along the Z axis of the coordinate system 200.
  • the optical data processor 20 is shown as having an effective resolution of three by three pixels.
  • a two-dimensional spatial light modulator 208 driven by register 218 via bus 240 is provided in plane D with both being interconnected with the microcontroller 12 by the bus 230. Since, as will be demonstrated below, the operation of the two-dimensional spatial light modulator is effectively static with respect to the other planes of the optical data processor, the necessity of high speed independent addressing of the array electrodes is substantially obviated. Rather, simpler shift register mode propagation of data may be utilized in the operation of the two-dimensional spatial modulator 208. Consequently, the construction constraints and complexity limitations in the reliable fabrication of high resolution matrix spatial light modulators are greatly eased for purposes of the present invention.
  • Plane E includes the three by three pixel register 220 that is interconnected with a uniform, zero- dimensional spatial light modulator 210 via the single pixel bus 242 and both with the microcontroller 12 via the bus 232.
  • a matrix array accumulator 14 is provided in plane F.
  • circular 86 and lateral 84 shift buses are provided to permit flexible sum and shifting operations to be performed under the control of the microcontroller 12.
  • a two-dimensional cross correlation of two- dimensional data, appropriate for image recognition, is performed by:

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optical Modulation, Optical Deflection, Nonlinear Optics, Optical Demodulation, Optical Logic Elements (AREA)
  • Liquid Crystal (AREA)

Abstract

Un processeur programmable de données optiques est constitué par un appareil de traitement d'un faisceau de données optiques comprenant une pluralité de modulateurs zéro, mono et bidimensionnels permettant la modulation dans l'espace du faisceau de données optiques, des organes de connexion entre chaque modulateur, permettant le transfert sans focalisation du faisceau de données optiques entre les modulateurs, et des organes de commande de la pluralité de modulateurs, permettent le traitement programmable du faisceau de données optiques. Le processeur de données optiques ainsi réalisé est physiquement solide et compact et peut exécuter une vaste gamme de calculs optiques.
PCT/US1985/002306 1985-03-18 1985-11-25 Systeme multi-etage programmable sans lentilles pour le traitement de donnees optiques WO1986005607A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP61501364A JPH0614161B2 (ja) 1985-03-18 1985-11-25 光学的演算を実行する方法及び装置
DE8686901288T DE3582888D1 (de) 1985-03-18 1985-11-25 Programmierbare mehrstufige linsenlose optische datenverarbeitungsanordnung.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71306485A 1985-03-18 1985-03-18
US713,064 1985-03-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1986005607A1 true WO1986005607A1 (fr) 1986-09-25

Family

ID=24864605

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1985/002306 WO1986005607A1 (fr) 1985-03-18 1985-11-25 Systeme multi-etage programmable sans lentilles pour le traitement de donnees optiques

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0215822B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH0614161B2 (fr)
DE (1) DE3582888D1 (fr)
IL (1) IL77387A0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1986005607A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0464898A2 (fr) * 1990-06-29 1992-01-08 Philips Electronics Uk Limited Dispositif optique de traitement de données
EP0733962A2 (fr) * 1995-03-24 1996-09-25 AT&T IPM Corp. Techniques de traitement de signal basées sur des dispositifs optiques

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3989355A (en) * 1975-01-21 1976-11-02 Xerox Corporation Electro-optic display system
DE3121436A1 (de) * 1980-05-29 1982-04-08 Rockwell International Corp., 90245 El Segundo, Calif. Optische signalverarbeitungseinrichtung
DE3218244A1 (de) * 1982-05-14 1983-11-17 Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH, 8000 München Verfahren und vorrichtung zur optischen datenverarbeitung

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3989355A (en) * 1975-01-21 1976-11-02 Xerox Corporation Electro-optic display system
DE3121436A1 (de) * 1980-05-29 1982-04-08 Rockwell International Corp., 90245 El Segundo, Calif. Optische signalverarbeitungseinrichtung
DE3218244A1 (de) * 1982-05-14 1983-11-17 Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH, 8000 München Verfahren und vorrichtung zur optischen datenverarbeitung

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0464898A2 (fr) * 1990-06-29 1992-01-08 Philips Electronics Uk Limited Dispositif optique de traitement de données
EP0464898A3 (en) * 1990-06-29 1993-03-03 Philips Electronics Uk Limited An optical data processing device
US5268679A (en) * 1990-06-29 1993-12-07 U.S. Philips Corporation Optical data processing device
EP0733962A2 (fr) * 1995-03-24 1996-09-25 AT&T IPM Corp. Techniques de traitement de signal basées sur des dispositifs optiques
EP0733962A3 (fr) * 1995-03-24 1997-04-09 At & T Corp Techniques de traitement de signal basées sur des dispositifs optiques
US5689441A (en) * 1995-03-24 1997-11-18 Lucent Technologies Inc. Signal processing techniques based upon optical devices

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0215822B1 (fr) 1991-05-15
DE3582888D1 (de) 1991-06-20
IL77387A0 (en) 1986-08-31
EP0215822A1 (fr) 1987-04-01
JPH0614161B2 (ja) 1994-02-23
JPS62502070A (ja) 1987-08-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5363228A (en) Optical device with spatial light modulators for switching arbitrarily polarized light
US4747069A (en) Programmable multistage lensless optical data processing system
US5317445A (en) Optical device with spatial light modulators for switching polarized light
US5339090A (en) Spatial light modulators
US4800519A (en) Optical data processing systems and methods for matrix inversion, multiplication, and addition
EP0579356B1 (fr) Dispositif optique de traitement d'information
US4764891A (en) Programmable methods of performing complex optical computations using data processing system
EP0450526A2 (fr) Systèmes et procédés de traitement de données pour programmation linéaire
US4843587A (en) Processing system for performing matrix multiplication
EP0399753B1 (fr) Réseaux neuronaux
US4707743A (en) Method and apparatus for image conversion with multiple exposures for filtering
EP0256033B1 (fr) Systemes de traitement de donnees analogiques optiques pour la manipulation de donnees bipolaires et complexes
EP0215822B1 (fr) Systeme multi-etage programmable sans lentilles pour le traitement de donnees optiques
EP0215008B1 (fr) Procede programmables permettant d'effectuer des calculs optiques complexes en utilisant un systeme de traitement de donnees
GB2233469A (en) Spatial light modulators
CA1261445A (fr) Dispositif analogique parallele pour traitement local de signaux bidimensionnels
US7173662B1 (en) Foveating imaging system and method employing a spatial light modulator to selectively modulate an input image
Karim et al. Electrooptic displays for optical information processing
JPH03256032A (ja) 光演算装置
JP2778176B2 (ja) 光演算装置
RU1806423C (ru) Оптоэлектронное устройство
Zhang et al. Massively parallel optical interconnect for long data stream convolution
Cao Real-time electro-optical pattern recognition and optical computing
JPH02127626A (ja) 並列光演算モジュール
JPH03100531A (ja) 光演算装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): JP

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LU NL SE

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 1986901288

Country of ref document: EP

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 1986901288

Country of ref document: EP

WWG Wipo information: grant in national office

Ref document number: 1986901288

Country of ref document: EP