Optical Boolean Function Computing via Light Diffusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical and electro-optical computing solutions face limitations in achieving high integration scale and computing speeds comparable to electronic devices, particularly in processing complex Boolean functions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for optically computing Boolean functions using coherent or partially coherent light radiation, involving an optical modulation device, light-diffusing devices, and electronic processing units to generate and process modulated light beams, deriving Boolean fields based on threshold comparisons, and identifying active points to encode and compute Boolean functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If optical devices are used to compute Boolean functions, then computing speed is improved, but integration scale and device complexity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional electronic computing systems with optical computing systems that use light beams to represent and process Boolean functions. The optical modulator encodes Boolean inputs into light beam intensities, and the optical processor computes the Boolean function by manipulating these light beams, achieving higher computing speeds while maintaining integration scale through optical component miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of information representation from electrical signals to optical signals. By encoding Boolean values as light beam intensities (0 for false, 1 for true) and using optical modulation to process these signals, the system achieves faster computation speeds while the integrated optical components maintain compact form factors comparable to electronic devices.
2Ease of operation
If electro-optical solutions are used, then information transfer between components is improved, but maximum achievable computing speeds are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the electro-optical conversion bottleneck by implementing a fully optical computing system. Optical modulators directly process light beams representing Boolean functions without converting to electrical signals, enabling information transfer and computation at the speed of light rather than being limited by electronic processing speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous optical processing of Boolean functions through the optical modulator and processor, which can handle multiple input light beams simultaneously and continuously. This continuous optical manipulation of light intensities eliminates the discrete, sequential processing limitations of electro-optical systems, achieving higher computing speeds while maintaining ease of information transfer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves higher computing speeds and enables the generation of complex Boolean functions, such as NOT, OR, AND, XOR, and EXOR, with improved integration scale and compatibility with electronic circuits.
Implementation Method 1
an optical modulation device (3) adapted to generate modulated light beams (L2) from the M input light beams (L, L1)
Implementation Method 2
one or more light-diffusing devices (5) operatively associated with the optical modulation device (3) to receive the modulated light beams (L2)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method (200) for optically computing a Boolean function with M inputs and a related electro-optical computing system (100). The system comprises : a coherent or partially coherent light radiation source (1) to make M input light beams (L, L1) available; an optical modulation device (3) to generate modulated light beams (L2) from the M input light beams; one or more light-diffusing devices (5) operatively associated with the optical modulation device to receive the modulated light beams; at least one electronic processing unit (9, 10) configured to control the optical modulation device (3); one or more electro-optical sensors operatively associated with said at least one electronic processing unit (9, 10). The method comprises the steps of : generating (201a), by the optical modulation device, the modulated light beams consisting of 2M combinations of the M input light beams, in each of the 2M combinations, each input light beam can take an ON state (ON) or an OFF state (OFF); making (201b) the modulated light beams available to the one or more light-diffusing devices to generate 2M random or pseudo-random fields (20) each associated with a combination of the modulated light beams; each random field is representative of a set of random light intensity variations of points in an observation space (S), each pseudo-random field is representative of a set of deterministic light intensity variations of points in the observation space; deriving (201c) 2M Boolean fields (30) each associated with one of the 2M generated random or pseudo-random fields, based on a comparison of the light intensity of the points of one or more regions of the observation space associated with each of the 2M random or pseudo random fields with at least one threshold light intensity value (TH), each Boolean field includes: first points of one or more regions of the observation space in which the light intensity of the related random or pseudo-random field is greater than the at least one threshold light intensity value, such first points being representative of a logical 1; second points of the one or more regions of the observation space in which the light intensity of the related random or pseudo-random field is lower than said at least one threshold light intensity value, such second points being representative of a logical 0; selecting (201d) a target Boolean function (F) with M inputs; identifying (201e), by the at least one electronic processing unit (9, 10), active points (31) between the first and second points of each of the 2M derived Boolean fields (30) which satisfy the selected target Boolean function; computing (202) the Boolean function with M inputs based on said identified active points.