High density optical memory storage means employing a multiple lens array

• US 3,898,005 A
• Filed: 01/04/1974
• Issued: 08/05/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald L. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Donald L. Roberts
• Inventors: Roberts, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wintercorn, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/430,933
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 355/39,40,42,46,53,54,64 354/75,76,77,120,125,7,12
• US Class Current: 355/54
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus

Abstract

Information is optically recorded very densely on high resolution film by displaying the information on a page composer, such as a cathode ray tube, electro-optic shutter, or a light emitting diode array, and concentrating the displayed information onto the film utilizing a multiple lens array. A moveable aperture is disposed to pass light from the page composer through a selected single lenslet of the array. After a block of information has been recorded through the selected lenslet onto a corresponding area of the film, the aperture is moved to another lenslet, and another block is displayed and recorded. This process is repeated until all desired information has been recorded on the film. The resulting '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'master'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' mask may then be processed and reproduced using standard photographic techniques. This abstract is not to be taken either as a complete exposition of or as a limitation on the present invention. The full nature and extent of the invention may only be discerned by reference to the entire disclosure.

Claims

1. An information stOrage system comprising:

A. display means for displaying the information;

B. a multiple lens array disposed in the field of view of said display means, said multiple lens array comprising first and second substrates each having parallel corrugations on a face thereof, said faces brought together with the parallel corrugations of said first substrate perpendicular to the parallel corrugations of said second substrate, said corrugations forming at each intersection thereof one of a plurality of lenslets;

C. a photosensitive film disposed in the image plane of said multiple lens array; and

D. an aperture plate disposed parallel to and proximate said multiple lens array, said aperture plate having an aperture dimensioned to pass a light beam with a cross-sectional area equal to the cross-sectional area of one of said lenslets.

2. The information storage system of claim 1 in which said aperture plate is disposed between said multiple lens array and said photosensitive film.

3. The information storage system of claim 2 which further includes means for aligning said aperture with a selected one of said lenslets.

4. The information storage system of claim 1 in which said display means is a cathode ray tube.

5. The information storage system of claim 1 wherein said parallel corrugations are of a density of at least 25 per centimeter and said photosensitive film has a resolution of at least 2,000 lines per millimeter.