DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 3,851,299 A
• Filed: 12/15/1961
• Issued: 11/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David E. Wood
• Original Assignee: David E. Wood
• Inventors: Wood, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Farley, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US04/160,700
• Time in Patent Office: 4,729 Days
• Field of Search: 343/5,17.1,100.7,113,8 340/3,5,6,16,15,15.5,173,172.5 235/181
• US Class Current: 367/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/60 for providing a permanent recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/28 Processing seismic data, e.g. for interpretation or for event detection G01V1/48 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/55 Array focusing; Phased arrays

Abstract

1. A data processing system including in combination: 1. FIRST RECORDING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND RECORDING ON A RECORDING MEDIUM THE SIGNAL IMPUTS FROM AN ARRAY OF SIGNAL INPUT DEVICES, SAID RECORDING MEDIUM BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE ITS LIGHT MODIFYING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED BY SAID RECORDING MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SIGNAL INPUTS TO SAID RECORDING MEANS WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF TRACKS OF LIGHT MODIFYING MARKS ARE RECORDED ON THE RECORDING MEDIUM WITH EACH TRACK OF MARKS REPRESENTING THE SIGNAL SUPPLIED FROM ONE SIGNAL INPUT DEVICE OF THE ARRAY, 2. A FIRST LIGHT SOURCE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE RECORDING MEDIUM FOR IMAGING A LIGHT BEAM THROUGH THE TRACKS ON THE MEDIUM, 3. BEAM FORMING MASK MEANS POSITIONED OVER SAID RECORDING MEDIUM FOR DISPOSING OVER THE RECORDED TRACKS IN A SELECTED SEQUENCE MASKS REPRESENTING OPTIMUM SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM EACH ELEMENTAL POINT OF A SELECTED RANGE OF VIEW OF THE ARRAY OF SIGNAL PICKUP DEVICES, 4. FIRST ELECTRO-OPTICAL CONVERSION MEANS FOR CONVERTING THE LIGHT PASSING THROUGH BOTH THE RECORD TRACK AND THE MASK INTO AN ELECTRIC OUTPUT SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF COINCIDENCE BETWEEN THE MASK AND THE TRACK RECORD AT POINTS WHERE SUCH COINCIDENCE OCCURS, 5. SECOND RECORDING MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID FIRST ELECTRO-OPTICAL CONVERSION MEANS FOR RECORDING ON A RECORDING MEDIUM A PLURALITY OF TRACKS OF LIGHT MODIFYING MARKS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OUTPUT SIGNALS GENERATED BY THE BEAM FORMING PROCESS FROM EACH ELEMENTAL POINT EXAMINED, 6. A SECOND LIGHT SOURCE POSITIONED TO DIRECT LIGHT THROUGH THE LAST MENTIONED RECORDING MEDIUM AT LEAST IN THE PORTION WHERE SAID LIGHT MODIFYING TRACKS ARE FORMED, 7. A MASK HAVING A CODED SERIES OF LIGHT MODIFYING MARKS FORMED THEREON REPRESENTING THE SIGNAL WITH WHICH CORRELATION IS SOUGHT, 8. OPTICAL MEANS FOR OPTICALLY IMAGING THE LIGHT PASSING THROUGH ALL OF THE TRACKS OF LIGHT MODIFYING MARKS IN THE RECORDING MEDIUM UPON THE MASK, 9. LIGHT SEPARATING MEANS HAVING THE LIGHT IMAGES THAT HAVE PASSED THROUGH BOTH SAID RECORDING MEDIUM AND SAID MASK IMPINGING THEREON FOR SEPARATING THE LIGHT IMAGES FROM EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL TRACKS, AND 10. SECOND ELECTRO-OPTICAL CONVERTING MEANS FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL TRACKS HAVING SAID SEPARATED LIGHT BEAMS IMAGED THEREON FOR CONVERTING THE LIGHT IMAGE INTO OUTPUT ELECTRIC SIGNALS REPRESENTATIVE OF CORRELATION BETWEEN THE MASK AND INDIVIDUAL TRACKS ON THE RECORDING MEDIUM.

Claims

1. A data processing system including in combination:

1. first recording means for receiving and recording on a recording medium the signal inputs from an array of signal input devices, said recording medium being adapted to have its light modifying characteristics changed by said recording means in accordance with the signal inputs to said recording means whereby a plurality of tracks of light modifying marks are recorded on the recording medium with each track of marks representing the signal supplied from one signal input device of the array, 2. a first light source positioned adjacent the recording medium for imaging a light beam through the tracks on the medium, 3. beam forming mask means positioned over said recording medium for disposing over the recorded tracks in a selected sequence masks representing optimum signal output from each elemental point of a selected range of view of the array of signal pickup devices, 4. first electro-optical conversion means for converting the light passing through both the record track and the mask into an electric output signal representative of coincidence between the mask and the track record at points where such coincidence occurs, 5. second recording means operatively coupled to said first electro-optical conversion means for recording on a recording medium a plurality of tracks of light modifying marks representative of the output signals generated by the beam forming process from each elemental point examined, 6. a second light source positioned to direct light through the last mentioned recording medium at least in the portion where said light modifying tracks are formed, 7. a mask having a coded series of light modifying marks formed thereon representing the signal with which correlation is sought, 8. optical means for optically imaging the light passing through all of the tracks of light modifying marks in the recording medium upon the mask, 9. light separating means having the light images that have passed through both said recording medium and said mask impinging thereon for separating the light images from each of the individual tracks, and 10. second electro-optical converting means for eacH of the individual tracks having said separated light beams imaged thereon for converting the light image into output electric signals representative of correlation between the mask and individual tracks on the recording medium.

2. a first light source positioned adjacent the recording medium for imaging a light beam through the tracks on the medium,

3. A data processing system including in combination:

4. a thermoplastic film data recorder operatively coupled to the output of said adding circuit for recording on a thermoplastic film recording medium the correlated output signals from the preceding correlation operation whereby in repeated operation and by progressively stepping up the azimuth fan being viewed by incremental angles of elevation a three dimensional record of an area being viewed by the array of signal input devices can be obtained.

5. second recording means operatively coupled to said first electro-optical conversion means for recording on a recording medium a plurality of tracks of light modifying marks representative of the output signals generated by the preceeding beam forming process from each elemental point examined,

6. said first optical means including image magnifying means,

7. A data processing system including in combination:

8. optical means for optically imaging the light passing through all of the tracks of light modifying marks in the recording medium upon the mask,

9. said optical means including image magnifying means,

10. second recording means operatively coupled to said first electro-optical conversion means for recording a second set of parallel tracks of light modifying marks on the thermoplastic film surface of the turntable, said second set of tracks being representative of the output signals generated by the preceding beam forming operation with each track being representative of the signal returned from each elemental point of the range of view of the array,

11. light separating means having the light images that have passed through both said recording medium and said mask impinging thereon for separating the light images from each of the individual tracks,

12. optical means for optically imaging the light passing through the second set of tracks of light modifying marks upon said last mentioned mask,

13. a thermoplastic film data recorder operatively coupled to said second electro-optical converting means for recording on a thermoplastic recording medium the correlated output signals from the correlation process whereby in repeated operations and by stepping up the azimuth fan being viewed by the incremental angles of elevation a three dimensional scan of the area being monitored can be obtained.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13 further characterized by:

15. light separating means having the light images that have passed through both said recording medium and said mask impinging thereon for separating the light images from each of the individual tracks,

16. second electro-optical converting means for each of the individual tracks having said separated light beams imaged thereon for converting the light image into an output electric signal representative of correlation between the mask and the tracks on the recording medium.

17. a thermoplastic film data recorder operatively coupled to said electro-optical converting means for recording on a thermoplastic film recording medium the correlated output signals from the correlation process whereby in repeated operations and by stepping up the azimuth fan being viewed by incremental angles of elevation a three dimensional record of the area being viewed by the array can be obtained.

18. Apparatus for beam forming and correlating signals received from an array of signal pick-up devices including in combination:

19. an adding circuit electrically coupled to the second electro-optical converting means responsive to the light images that have passed through the positive mask and also electrically coupled to the output of said inverter circuit for deriving an output electric signal representative of correlation between the masks and the tracks on the recording medium.