Optical random access memory
First Claim
1. An optical data lens system for reading or writing optical data with respect to a data storage medium, comprising:
- a data imaging lens means having a first surface adapted to be positioned proximate the data storage medium for storing a field of data bits, and having a second surface;
said first surface having a substantially aspherical prescription so as to selectively alter data image rays from different data bit locations on the data storage medium, and said second surface having a prescription that is relatively more spherical than the prescription of said first surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical memory is disclosed in which data is stored in an optical data layer capable of selectively altering light such as by changeable transmissivity, reflectivity, polarization, and/or phase. The data is illuminated by controllable light sources and an array of multi-surface imaging lenslets project the image onto a common array of light sensors. Data is organized into a plurality of regions or patches (called pages) and by selective illumination of each data page, one of the lenslets images the selected data page onto the light sensors. Light in the data image pattern strikes different ones of the arrayed light sensors, thereby outputting a pattern of binary bits in the form of electrical data signals. By selectively and sequentially illuminating different ones of the data regions (pages) on the data layer, correspondingly different data patterns are imaged by the corresponding lenslets onto the common sensor array, thereby enabling many stored data pages to be retrieved by multiplexing at electro-optical speed.
59 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An optical data lens system for reading or writing optical data with respect to a data storage medium, comprising:
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a data imaging lens means having a first surface adapted to be positioned proximate the data storage medium for storing a field of data bits, and having a second surface; said first surface having a substantially aspherical prescription so as to selectively alter data image rays from different data bit locations on the data storage medium, and said second surface having a prescription that is relatively more spherical than the prescription of said first surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An optical data lens system for reading or writing optical data with respect to a data storage medium, comprising:
a lens subsystem having a set of data imaging lens elements arranged in an optical path between the data storage medium and an array of sensors, a first of said lens elements adapted to be positioned proximate the data storage medium;
at least one of said lens elements is formed with a prescription having substantial aspherical characteristics so as to selectively alter data image rays from a data field in said medium; and
at least one of said lens elements is diffractive having a predetermined prescription.- View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
Specification