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US4988153A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Holographic memory read by a laser array

Assignee: Leland Stanford Junior University
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Filing: 1989-12-22
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Granted: 1991-01-29
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Expires: 2009-12-22
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Abstract

Abstract A holographic memory read-out system in which multiple pages of information are angularly multiplexed onto a recording medium, either planar or volume. For read-out of the hologram, a selected one of a plurality of surface-emitting semiconductor lasers arranged in a two-dimensional array is activated. The coherent output beam is passed through a collimating lens which produces a coherent plane-wave having a direction dependent upon which laser in the array produced the output beam. The plane-wave uniformly irradiates the recording medium to thereby diffract a selected image at a set angle to an imaging apparatus.

Inventors

  • 👤 Eung-Gi Paek

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 08:25
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C13/00; G11C13/04; G11C13/042; G03; G03H; G03H1/00; G03H1/26; G03H1/2645; G03H1/265; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/004; G11B7/0065; G03H2222/00; G03H2222/34

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 89 words
A holographic memory system for reading a holographic recording medium recorded with angularly multiplexed pages of information, comprising: a two-dimensional array of surface-emitting lasers formed on an integrated circuit chip; means for activating a selected one of said lasers to produce a coherent optical output beam; and a collimating lens system for collimating said output beam produced by any of said activated lasers to fall upon an entire area of said recorded holographic medium at an incident angle dependent upon which of said lasers has produced said output beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 89 words
A holographic memory system for reading a holographic recording medium recorded with angularly multiplexed pages of information, comprising: a two-dimensional array of surface-emitting lasers formed on an integrated circuit chip; means for activating a selected one of said lasers to produce a coherent optical output beam; and a collimating lens system for collimating said output beam produced by any of said activated lasers to fall upon an entire area of said recorded holographic medium at an incident angle dependent upon which of said lasers has produced said output beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 1, wherein said laser array is disposed in a focal plane of said collimating lens system, whereby a substantially plane, coherent wave propagates toward said recording medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a planar recording medium acting as said holographic recording medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a volume recording medium acting as said holographic recording medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 2, wherein said surface-emitting lasers are vertical cavity, compound semiconductor lasers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 42 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a second lens system receiving a beam diffracted from said holographic recording medium and an imaging apparatus having an imaging plane disposed in a focal plane of said second lens system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 6, wherein said imaging apparatus comprises an array of photodetectors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 48 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 1, wherein a spacing of said lasers on said integrated circuit chip and a focal length of said collimating lens system provide an angular difference between said incident angles for neighboring ones of said lasers of no more than 0.04°.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
A holographic memory system as recited in claim 1, wherein said activating means includes means for simultaneously activating a selected plurality of said lasers.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3542448A Cited
US3651498A Cited
US3841729A Cited
US4094011A Cited
US4277137A Cited
US4633445A Cited
US4677629A Cited
US4884243A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-01-28 1994-07-30 1995-01-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-01-28 1998-07-30 1999-01-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-01-28 2002-07-30 2003-01-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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