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Real-time programmable optical correlator

  • US 4,695,973 A
  • Filed: 10/22/1985
  • Issued: 09/22/1987
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A real-time programmable optical correlator, comprising:

  • means for providing a first beam of electromagnetic radiation and directing said beam of electromagnetic radiation along a preselected optical axis;

    means located at a first preselected location along said optical axis for receiving said first beam of electromagnetic radiation, a first input signal and a second input signal and for generating images representative of said first and said second input signals;

    means at a second preselected location along said optical axis for receiving said images and forming a joint Fourier transform of said images at a third preselected location along said optical axis;

    means for providing a second beam of electromagnetic radiation and directing said second beam of electromagnetic radiation to said third preselected location along said optical axis;

    means positioned at said third preselected location along said optical axis for receiving said joint Fourier transform of said images and said second beam of electromagnetic radiation and for generating a coherent power spectrum representative of said images;

    means positioned at a fourth preselected location along said optical axis for forming an inverse Fourier transform of said coherent power spectrum of said images at a fifth preselected location along said optical axis, said inverse Fourier transform being representative of a correlation between said first and said second input signals.

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