94 results about "Optical processor" patented technology

An optical processor for controlling a phased antenna array uses a frequency-shifted feedback cavity (FSFC), which includes a traveling-wave cavity. The FSFC incrementally delays and incrementally frequency shifts optical signals circulating in the traveling-wave cavity. Optical signals coupled out of the FSFC are separated by frequency, hence by delay, and processed to control either or both transmit and receive beam-forming operations. The FSFC provides a receiver with multiple receive signals which have incremental values of frequency. Each frequency corresponds to an incremental time sampling of optical signals input into the FSFC. Transmit signals coupled out of the FSFC have frequency and phase relationships that result in short time-domain pulses when combined. Controlling modulation and frequency of the transmit signals achieves carrier interference multiple access, a new type of spread-spectrum communications.

A method of redirecting light using an actuatable two-layer diffraction grating structure, the method having applications in wavelength-division multiplexed systems. An optical add / drop modulator (OADM) including an actuatable diffraction grating, for use with a wavelength-division multiplexed signal. An OADM having an optical source located off the main pathway to direct a optical carrier to be added onto the actuatable diffraction grating such that the carrier is diffracted into the main pathway. A detector to measure signal strength for use with an optical processor, the optical processor having an actuatable structure having gaps between the actuated portion of the structure. The detector detecting the portions of light diffracted by the gaps.

An optical processor adapted to emulate an artificial neural network (ANN) having a plurality of interconnected layers, each layer having one or more artificial neurons, the processor having a spatial light modulator (SLM) optically coupled, via an optical mask, to a photodetector array. In one embodiment, the SLM has a plurality of pixels, each pixel being configurable to emulate an output portion of a corresponding artificial neuron in a signal-sending ANN layer. The optical mask has a hologram that encodes the weights corresponding to interlayer connections in the ANN and spatially modulates the light transmitted by the SLM. The photodetectors of the array spatially resolve the interference pattern produced by the spatially modulated light, with each photodetector being configurable to emulate an input portion of a corresponding artificial neuron in a signal-receiving ANN layer.

A method and apparatus for enhancing the receiving and information identification functions of multiple access communications systems by employing one or more optical processors configured as a bank of 1-D correlators. The present invention is particularly useful in a DS / SS CDMA communications system, resulting in a multiuser CDMA system that approaches carrier to noise performance (C / N) as opposed to being limited by multiple access interference (MAI). The correlators are arranged in parallel to detect and / or demodulate the received signal, in conjunction with one or more complex algorithms to perform near-optimum multiuser detection, perform multipath combining and / or perform carrier Doppler compensation. An improved receiver in accordance with the present invention comprises means for receiving a plurality of signals transmitted through a communications channel; signal conversion means for converting the received signals into a form suitable for input to the multichannel correlator; a multichannel optical correlator for identifying the presence of particular waveforms and estimating the relative time delay or delays, carrier frequency offset from expected, RF amplitude and RF phase for each received spread spectrum waveform present in the received plurality of signals; a controller for determining and providing to the optical correlator the appropriate set of reference hypotheses; and one or more receiver algorithms depending on the exact receiver function to be performed.