Optical random access memory
First Claim
1. An optical data system comprising:
- an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics and being organized into a plurality (P) of juxtaposed data regions each having capacity to store (B) bits of data;
controllable light source means for selectively illuminating at least one of said data regions of said optical data means;
data imaging lens means having a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets each being shaped and arranged in such proximity to and in optical registration with a different one of said juxtaposed data regions so that the image resolving power thereof is substantially uniform over the field of view of that data region to form an image thereof on a common image surface spaced from said data means and lens means;
sensor means having a plurality (S) of juxtaposed light sensors arranged at said image surface for sensing data as a light image corresponding to an illuminated data region; and
data signal output means coupled to said sensor means for outputting data signals representing said data of an illuminated and imaged data region.
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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.
63 Citations
88 Claims
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1. An optical data system comprising:
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an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics and being organized into a plurality (P) of juxtaposed data regions each having capacity to store (B) bits of data; controllable light source means for selectively illuminating at least one of said data regions of said optical data means; data imaging lens means having a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets each being shaped and arranged in such proximity to and in optical registration with a different one of said juxtaposed data regions so that the image resolving power thereof is substantially uniform over the field of view of that data region to form an image thereof on a common image surface spaced from said data means and lens means; sensor means having a plurality (S) of juxtaposed light sensors arranged at said image surface for sensing data as a light image corresponding to an illuminated data region; and data signal output means coupled to said sensor means for outputting data signals representing said data of an illuminated and imaged data region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 84, 85)
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38. An optical data system comprising:
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an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics having a density on the order of one bit per square micron and being organized into a plurality of juxtaposed data regions each adapted to store a field of bits of data; controllable light source means for selectively illuminating at least one of said data regions of said optical data means; lens means having a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets configured to resolve objects on the order of one micron or less and each arranged proximate and in optical registration with a separate one of said juxtaposed data regions for forming an image of the bit field thereof on a common image surface spaced from said data means and lens means; sensor means having a plurality of juxtaposed light sensors arranged at said image surface for sensing said data as a light image of an illuminated one or more of said data regions; and data signal output means coupled to said sensor means for outputting data signals representing said data of an illuminated and imaged data region.
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39. An optical data system comprising:
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an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics on a substantially planar data storage structure and being organized in an array of close packed, juxtaposed cells and each cell adapted to store data; controllable light source means for selectively illuminating at least one of said cells of said optical data means; data imaging optical means having an array of juxtaposed lens subsystems disposed so that each said lens subsystem is proximate to and in optical registration with a separate one of said cells and has a center-to-center spacing relative to adjacent lens subsystems that is substantially equal to the corresponding spacing between adjacent cells in said data storage structure, and wherein each said lens subsystem has a Numerical Aperture in the range of 0.35 to 0.6 and a field of view substantially equal to an area of the one of said cells in registration therewith for forming an image of data in said cell on a common image surface; and sensor means having a plurality of juxtaposed light sensors arrayed at said common image surface for sensing data as light imaged from an illuminated said cell. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 86, 87, 88)
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47. An optical data system comprising:
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an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics having a density in a range of the order of 107 to 108 bits per square cm and being organized into a plurality of (P) juxtaposed data regions each sized to store a field of (B) bits of data at said density; controllable light source means for selectively illuminating at least one of said data regions of said optical data means; lens means having a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets each arranged in optical registration with a separate one of said (P) juxtaposed data regions and shaped to resolve said field of (B) bits of data thereof at said density substantially uniformly over said region to form an image thereof on a common image surface spaced from said data means and lens means; sensor means having a plurality of juxtaposed light sensors arranged at said image surface for sensing said field of (B) bits of data as a light image of an illuminated one or more of said data regions; and data signal output means coupled to said sensor means for outputting data signals representing said field of (B) bits of data.
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48. An optical data system comprising:
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an optical data means for storing data as light altering characteristics and being organized into a plurality of juxtaposed data regions each having capacity to store bits of data; controllable solid state light generator means for selectively illuminating at least one of said separate data regions of said optical data means; data imaging lens means having a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets each having at least one functionally aspherical surface and arranged in such proximity to and in optical registration with a separate one of said juxtaposed data regions so that the image resolving power thereof is substantially uniform over the field of view of that data region to form an image thereof on a common image surface spaced from said data means and lens means; sensor means having a plurality of juxtaposed solid state light sensors arranged at said common image surface for sensing data as a light image corresponding to an illuminated data region; and data signal output means coupled to said sensor means for outputting data signals representing selective portions of said stored bits of data of an illuminated and imaged data region.
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49. An optical data recording and retrieval system comprising:
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read light source array means; optical data record means disposed proximate to said read light source array means for being illuminated thereby; lens array means comprising a plurality of substantially similar lenslets arrayed in a lens structure disposed proximate and affixed to said optical data record means, each said lenslet forming a distal image of a portion of said optical data record means illuminated by said read light source array means; light sensor array means disposed to receive said image of said portion of said optical data record means illuminated by said read light source means, said sensor array means responding to said image to output data; and recording light data composer means for producing a recording light data pattern and imaging same onto said optical data record means for storing said data pattern. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of recording and reading optical data, comprising the steps of:
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composing a recording light data pattern by selectively operating light pattern controlling devices; bonding an optical data record to a plurality of juxtaposed lenslets of a lens array using transparent bonding material; optically forming a recording image of said recording light data pattern through one of the plurality of lenslets of the lens array onto a region of the optical data record, said region being in registration with said one of the plurality of lenslets; storing said recording image formed on said optical data record; and reading said optical data record by illuminating said region thereof storing said recording image. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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65. An optical data recording system comprising:
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a recording light data composer means for forming a pattern of changeable data to be recorded; data storage means having a plurality of separate data storage regions each for storing data imaged thereon; lens array means comprising a plurality of similar lenslets arrayed in a lens structure and disposed and structurally affixed proximate to said data storage means so that each separate lenslet is optically in registration with a separate one of said regions of said data storage means; and optical selector means for causing composed data light patterns produced by said recording light data composer means to be imaged by said multiple lens array means onto a separate selected one of said data regions of said data storage means. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. An optical data and lens structure for an optical data system, comprising:
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a data layer for storing data as light altering characteristics and being organized into a plurality of separate data regions; a lens array comprising a plurality of lenslets disposed adjacent said data layer and each lenslet having an optical field of view respectively aligned with one of said separate data regions so that each lenslet is arranged for imaging optical data associated with one of said data regions; and structural means interposed said data layer and said lens array so as to optically couple and mechanically fix said data layer to said lens array to form a structural unit. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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Specification