Multi-channel filter system
First Claim
1. A multi-channel filter system comprising:
- means for modulating a substantially coherent light beam with an input RF signal spectrum;
means for optically Fourier transforming and channelizing the modulated light beam to produce an input array of modulated light beams, each light beam in said input array being modulated by a spectral component of said input RF signal spectrum;
means for optically notching out noise in said input array of modulated light beams;
a holographic multi-channel spectrum filter, said spectrum filter selectively passing light beams from said input array having a correlation to preselected RF spectral components to produce a correlated output array;
means for illuminating said spectrum filter with said input array of modulated light beams to produce said correlated output array;
means for downconverting said correlated output array into an output array of noise excised and spectrum filtered RF signals; and
means for detecting and for respectively converting the signals passed by said holographic multi-channel spectrum filter into electrical output signal arrays.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-channel filter which exploits the parallel processing advantages of an optical signal processor is used to sort, classify and remove noise or unwanted signals from signals of interest. This filter shall perform real time parallel signal processing to effectively channelize and remove unwanted spectra from the various signals of interest in a dense radio frequency environment. This would in effect transform a single channel that is corrupted with unwanted signals, interference and noise, to a number of discrete channels which are spectrally tailored to selected signals of interest. The filtering process is accomplished by modulating a laser carrier with the given signal of interest and performing all filtering functions optically and then down converting the filtered signal back into its original radio frequency for further use.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A multi-channel filter system comprising:
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means for modulating a substantially coherent light beam with an input RF signal spectrum; means for optically Fourier transforming and channelizing the modulated light beam to produce an input array of modulated light beams, each light beam in said input array being modulated by a spectral component of said input RF signal spectrum; means for optically notching out noise in said input array of modulated light beams; a holographic multi-channel spectrum filter, said spectrum filter selectively passing light beams from said input array having a correlation to preselected RF spectral components to produce a correlated output array; means for illuminating said spectrum filter with said input array of modulated light beams to produce said correlated output array; means for downconverting said correlated output array into an output array of noise excised and spectrum filtered RF signals; and means for detecting and for respectively converting the signals passed by said holographic multi-channel spectrum filter into electrical output signal arrays. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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2. A multi-channel filter system comprising:
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means for modulating a substantially coherent light beam with an input RF signal spectrum; means for optically Fourier transforming and channelizing the modulated light beams to produce an input input array of modulated light beams, each light beam in said array being modulated by a spectral component of said input RF signal spectrum; a holographic multi-channel spectrum filter, said spectrum filter selectively passing light beams in said input array having a correlation to preselected RF spectral components to produce a correlated output array; means for illuminating said spectrum filter with said input array of modulated light beams to produce said correlated output array; means for optically notching out noise in said correlated output array; means for downconverting said correlated output array into an output array of noise excised and spectrum filtered RF signals; and means for detecting and for respectively converting the signals passed by said holographic multi-channel spectrum filter into electrical output signal arrays.
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23. A method of filtering incoming RF spectra comprising:
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modulating a substantially coherent light beam with an input RF signal spectrum; optically performing a Fourier transform and channelizing the modulated light beam to produce an input array of modulated light beams, each light beam in said array being modulated by a spectral component of said input RF signal spectrum; optically notching out noise in said input array of modulated light beams; filtering said input array be selectively passing light beam in said input array having a correlation to preselected RF spectral components to produce a correlated output array; illuminating a power spectrum filter with said array of modulated light beams to produce said correlated output array; downconverting said correlated output array into an output array of noise and spectrum filtered RF signals; and detecting and converting the signals passed by said holographic multi-channel spectrum filter into electrical output signal arrays. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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24. A method of filtering incoming RF spectra comprising:
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modulating a substantially coherent light beam with an input RF signal spectrum; optically performing a Fourier transform and channelizing the modulated light beam to produce an input array of modulated light beams, each light beam in said array being modulated by a spectral component of said input RF signal; filtering said input array be selectively passing light beam in said input array having a correlation to preselected RF spectral components to produce a correlated output array; illuminating a power spectrum filter with said array of modulated light beams to produce said correlated output array; optically notching out noise in said correlated output array; downconverting said correlated output array into an output array of noise and spectrum filtered RF signals; and detecting and converting the signals passed by said holographic multi-channel spectrum filter into electrical output signal arrays.
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Specification