Hologram producing apparatus with random object beam sampling

Claim 2

A hologram producing apparatus comprising: a source of coherent light; first means for separating said coherent light into an object beam and a reference beam, respectively, along different optical paths; second means for modulating said object beam in accordance with preScribed picture information; a photosensitive recording medium; third means for causing said object beam emanating from said second means to form an optical Fourier transform of said picture information on said recording medium; fourth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the path of said reference beam, for transmitting said reference beam to said recording medium; fifth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the path of said object beam, for collimating said object beam; and sixth means, disposed in the path of said collimated object beam, for dividing said collimated object beam into a plurality of discrete smaller rays which do not overlap each other, including plate means having a plurality of apertures therethrough disposed in a two-dimensional array, said apertures being of a size such that substantially no diffraction of said object beam occurs thereby; whereby a hologram is produced on said recording medium as an interference pattern formed by said plurality of smaller rays of said object beam and said reference beam.

Claim 3

The hologram producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apertures of said plate means are arranged at random.

Claim 4

The hologram producing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a device which shifts the phases of said plurality of divided smaller rays at random and uniformly irrespective of the array among the respective smaller rays.

Claim 5

The hologram producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plate means is so constructed that the sum of the areas of said plurality of apertures is from 10 to 60 percent with respect to the area of the entirety of said picture information.

Claim 6

The hologram producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plate means is so constructed that the mean diameter of the apertures is substantially equal to the value of a resolution as required for reconstruction of said picture information.

Claim 7

A hologram producing apparatus comprising: a source of coherent light; first means for separating said coherent light into an object beam and a reference beam, respectively, along different optical paths; second means for modulating said object beam in accordance with prescribed picture information; third means, disposed at a predetermined location in the optical path between said first means and said second means, for generating divided divergent rays upon the impingement of said object beam thereon; a photosensitive recording medium; fourth means for causing said object beam emanating from said second means to form an optical Fourier transform of said picture information on siad photosensitive recording medium; fifth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the optical path between said second means and said third means, for collimating said divided divergent rays into a plurality of discrete rays travelling along discrete paths, so that said plurality of discrete rays do not overlap each other and are not substantially diffracted and are thereby prevented from interfering with each other, each of which is modulated by said second means; and sixth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the path of said reference beam, for transmitting said reference beam to said photosensitive recording medium; whereby a hologram is produced in said recording medium as an interference pattern formed by said plurality of discrete rays of said object beam and said reference beam.

Claim 8

A hologram producing apparatus comprising: a source of coherent light; first means for separating said coherent light into an object beam and a reference beam, respectively, along different optical paths; second means for modulating said object beam in accordance with prescribed picture information; third means, disposed at a predetermined location in the optical path between said first means and said second means, for generating divided divergent rays upon the impingement of said object beam thereon; a photosensitive recording medium; fourth means for causing said object beam emanating from said second means to form an optical Fourier transform of said picture information on siad photosensitive recording medium; fifth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the optical path between said second means and said third means, for collimating said divided divergent rays into a plurality of discrete rays travelling along discrete paths, so that said plurality of discrete rays do not overlap each other and are not substantially diffracted and are thereby prevented from interfering with each other, each of which is modulated by said second means; and sixth means, disposed at a predetermined location in the path of said reference beam, for transmitting said reference beam to said photosensitive recording medium; whereby a hologram is produced in said recording medium as an interference pattern formed by said plurality of discrete rays of said object beam and said reference beam.

Claim 9

A hologram producing apparatus comprising: a source of coherent light; first means, receiving the light from said source, for separating said light into a reference beam and an object beam, respectively, along different optical paths; second means, disposed in the path of said object beam, for separating said object beam into a plurality of individual beams each of which is collimated and travels along a discrete path separate from the discrete paths of the other collimated beams of said pluralitY, so that said plurality of collimated beams do not overlap each other and are not substantially diffracted and are thereby prevented from interfering with each other; third means for modulating each of said collimated beams with prescribed picture information; fourth means, receiving said modulated collimated beams, for causing said collimated beams to form an optical Fourier transform of said picture information at a prescribed location in the path of said object beam; and fifth means, disposed at said prescribed location in the path of said reference beam, for recording the image formed by the interference of said reference beam and said optical Fourier transform of said picture information thereat.

Claim 10

A hologram producing apparatus comprising: a source of coherent light; first means, receiving the light from said source, for separating said light into a reference beam and an object beam, respectively, along different optical paths; second means, disposed in the path of said object beam, for separating said object beam into a plurality of individual beams each of which is collimated and travels along a discrete path separate from the discrete paths of the other collimated beams of said pluralitY, so that said plurality of collimated beams do not overlap each other and are not substantially diffracted and are thereby prevented from interfering with each other; third means for modulating each of said collimated beams with prescribed picture information; fourth means, receiving said modulated collimated beams, for causing said collimated beams to form an optical Fourier transform of said picture information at a prescribed location in the path of said object beam; and fifth means, disposed at said prescribed location in the path of said reference beam, for recording the image formed by the interference of said reference beam and said optical Fourier transform of said picture information thereat.

Claim 11

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second means comprises a collimating lens and a perforated plate having a plurality of apertures arranged therethrough in a two-dimensional array, said apertures being of a size such that substantially no diffraction of said object beam occurs thereby.

Claim 12

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said apertures are circularly shaped and are distributed across said plate in a random fashion.

Claim 13

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 9, further including seventh means, disposed in the respective paths of said collimated beams, for randomly shifting the phase of each respective collimated beam by an amount which is substantially constant across each beam.

Claim 14

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second means comprises means, disposed at a predetermined location in the optical path between said first means and said third means, for generating divided divergent rays upon the impingement of said object beam thereon, and a collimating lens for collimating said divided divergent rays into said plurality of individual beams travelling along discrete paths which do not overlap each other.

Claim 15

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said means for generating divided divergent rays comprises an illumination hologram.

Claim 16

A hologram producing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said means for generating divided divergent rays includes a random phase illumination hologram, disposed in the path of said object beam from said first means, for producing a plurality of discrete and separate divergent beams travelling along paths randomly distributed with respect to each other, the phase of each divergent beam being substantially constant across the beam and being randomly shifted with respect to the phases of the other divergent beams.