Robotic vision, optical correlation system

Claim 1

A system for optically comparing an input image with optical information stored in matched filters to provide identification and aspect information about the input image, comprising: a. a spatial light modulator, having incident thereon an input image to be analyzed, which spatially modulates a coherent beam of radiation to form a spatially modulated radiation beam; b. a multiple holographic lens having the spatially modulated radiation beam incident thereon, for performing a multiple number of Fourier transformations thereon to obtain an array of a multiple set of Fourier transforms of the spatially modulated radiation beam; c. an array of matched filters having the array of Fourier transforms incident thereon, with each matched filter comprising a Fourier transform hologram of an aspect view of an object of interest and passing an optical correlation signal in its matched filter channel in dependence upon the degree of correlation of the Fourier transform of the spatially modulated radiation beam with the Fourier transform recorded by the matched filter; d. an inverse Fourier transform lens means, receiving the optical correlation outputs of said array of matched filters, for performing an inverse Fourier transformation on each optical correlation output; e. a detector means for detecting the inverse Fourier transform of each optical correlation output, and for producing a detector output signal representative of each optical correlation output; .f a normalizing means for each matched filter channel for producing a normalized detector output signal therefrom; and g. comparator means for comparing the magnitudes of the normalized detector output signals to generate output directional control signals therefrom, as determined by the aspect information about the input image.

Claim 2

A system for optically comparing an input image with optical information stored in matched filters to provide identification and aspect information about the input image, comprising: a. a spatial light modulator, having incident thereon an input image to be analyzed, which spatially modulates a coherent beam of radiation to form a spatially modulated radiation beam; b. a multiple holographic lens having the spatially modulated radiation beam incident thereon, for performing a multiple number of Fourier transformations thereon to obtain an array of a multiple set of Fourier transforms of the spatially modulated radiation beam; c. an array of matched filters having the array of Fourier transforms incident thereon, with each matched filter comprising a Fourier transform hologram of an aspect view of an object of interest and passing an optical correlation signal in its matched filter channel in dependence upon the degree of correlation of the Fourier transform of the spatially modulated radiation beam with the Fourier transform recorded by the matched filter; d. an inverse Fourier transform lens means, receiving the optical correlation outputs of said array of matched filters, for performing an inverse Fourier transformation on each optical correlation output; e. a detector means for detecting the inverse Fourier transform of each optical correlation output, and for producing a detector output signal representative of each optical correlation output; .f a normalizing means for each matched filter channel for producing a normalized detector output signal therefrom; and g. comparator means for comparing the magnitudes of the normalized detector output signals to generate output directional control signals therefrom, as determined by the aspect information about the input image.

Claim 8

A method for optically comparing an input image with optical information stored in matched filters to provide identification and aspect information about the input image, comprising: a. directing an input image to be analyzed onto a spatial light modulator to spatially modulate a coherent beam of radiation to form a spatially modulated radiation beam; b. directing the spatially modulated radiation beam onto a multiple holographic lens to perform a multiple number of Fourier transformations thereon to obtain an array of a multiple set of Fourier transforms of the spatially modulated radiation beam; c. directing the array of Fourier transforms onto an array of matched filters, with each matched filter comprising a Fourier transform hologram of an aspect view of an object of interest and passing an optical correlation signal in its matched filter channel in dependence upon the degree of correlation of the Fourier transform of the spatially modulated radiation beam with the Fourier transform recorded by the matched filter; d. directing the optical correlation outputs of said array of matched filters onto an inverse Fourier transform lens means to perform an inverse Fourier transformation on each optical correlation output; e. detecting the inverse Fourier transform of each optical correlation output and producing a detector output signal representative of each optical correlation output; f. normalizing the signal through each matched filter channel to produce a normalized detector output signal therefrom, said normalizing step including developing an individual angular response curve for each matched filter, with each individual angular response curve having an individual peak amplitude and an individual angular range, and normalizing the signal through each matched filter channel to equalize the peak amplitudes of all of the matched filter channels, which can result in different angular ranges for each matched filter channel; g. comparing the magnitudes of the normalized detector output signals to generate output directional control signals therefrom, as determined by the aspect information about the input image.

Claim 9

A method for optically comparing an input image with optical information stored in matched filters to provide identification and aspect information about the input image, comprising: a. directing an input image to be analyzed onto a spatial light modulator to spatially modulate a coherent beam of radiation to form a spatially modulated radiation beam; b. directing the spatially modulated radiation beam onto a multiple holographic lens to perform a multiple number of Fourier transformations thereon to obtain an array of a multiple set of Fourier transforms of the spatially modulated radiation beam; c. directing the array of Fourier transforms onto an array of matched filters, with each matched filter comprising a Fourier transform hologram of an aspect view of an object of interest and passing an optical correlation signal in its matched filter channel in dependence upon the degree of correlation of the Fourier transform of the spatially modulated radiation beam with the Fourier transform recorded by the matched filter; d. directing the optical correlation outputs of said array of matched filters onto an inverse Fourier transform lens means to perform an inverse Fourier transformation on each optical correlation output; e. detecting the inverse Fourier transform of each optical correlation output and producing a detector output signal representative of each optical correlation output; f. normalizing the signal through each matched filter channel to produce a normalized detector output signal therefrom, said normalizing step including developing an individual angular response curve for each matched filter, with each individual angular response curve having an individual peak amplitude and an individual angular range, and normalizing the signal through each matched filter channel to equalize the peak amplitudes of all of the matched filter channels, which can result in different angular ranges for each matched filter channel; g. comparing the magnitudes of the normalized detector output signals to generate output directional control signals therefrom, as determined by the aspect information about the input image.