USRE31334E — Acoustooptic scanner apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 436 words

A method of translating information from a plurality of information signals, each independently varying in amplitude with time, respectively to a like plurality of output light beams, and wherein a coherent light beam is utilized as a light source, comprising: generating a plurality of carrier signals corresponding in number to said plurality of information signals, said carrier signals each being of a frequency different from those of the other carriers; modulating in amplitude each of said carrier signals in accordance with a respective one of said information signals; Bragg-diffracting at least part of said source beam into a corresponding plurality of angularly-discrete diffracted output light beams, each intensity-modulated in accordance with a respective one of said information signals; and maintaining the .[.maximum.]. signal intensity of each of said diffracted beams substantially independent of variations in the intensity of the remaining diffracted beams. .[.2. Apparatus for recording on a light-sensitive medium arranged in a recording station, information derived from a storage source, said apparatus comprising: means for producing a beam of collimated light; format generating means for receiving derived information from such storage source and for converting the derived information into a format which comprises a plurality of successive increments, each increment comprising a number of elements, the number of such elements in each successive increment depending upon the characteristics of the derived information; plural frequency oscillator means for receiving the converted information from said format generating means and for generating an electrical signal having a plurality of different fixed frequencies, with each fixed frequency corresponding to a different one of said elements in each of said successive increments; means, including an acoustooptic cell arranged in the beam of light and responsive to said electrical signal from said oscillator means, for simultaneously forming a light beam set comprising a diffracted light beam of a unique diffracted angle for each fixed frequency in said signal; and means for simultaneously imaging the diffracted light beams on the medium..]. .[.3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 further comprising means for scanning said diffracted light beam sets in at least one direction relative to said medium in said recording station..]. .[.4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the scanning means comprises: a first means for scanning successively diffracted light beam sets in said one direction relative to the medium; and a second means for changing the position of said diffracted light beams relative to the medium in another direction..]. .[.5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said first and second systems include optical members rotatable in synchronism and in directions for recording parallel, spaced lines of information in a

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 43 words

predetermined area of said medium..]. .[.6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further comprising means for intermittently moving said medium through said recording station in a direction that is normal to said one direction after a predetermined number of said increments have been

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 197 words

recorded on said medium in said one direction..]. 7. A multiple-beam alphanumeric imaging system utilizing a single coherent-light source beam for the generation of characters having a predetermined number of parallel levels and receptive to control signals bearing said character information, comprising: means responsive to said control signals for generating a plurality of gate signals each corresponding to a respective one of said parallel character levels; a corresponding plurality of ultrasonic carrier signal sources each of a single discrete frequency different from those of the other carrier signals and all spaced in frequency from one another by a uniform equal interval; means for respectively applying said gate signals to said carrier signal sources for gating said carrier signals ON and OFF in accordance with said signal; a Bragg light-sound interaction cell interposed in the path of said source beam, and responsive to an applied driving signal to diffract at least part of said source beam into one or more discrete diffracted beams at diffraction angles dependent on the frequency components of said driving signal; and means for utilizing said gated carrier signals as said driving signal for said Bragg cell to generate a corresponding plurality of independently

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 197 words

recorded on said medium in said one direction..]. 7. A multiple-beam alphanumeric imaging system utilizing a single coherent-light source beam for the generation of characters having a predetermined number of parallel levels and receptive to control signals bearing said character information, comprising: means responsive to said control signals for generating a plurality of gate signals each corresponding to a respective one of said parallel character levels; a corresponding plurality of ultrasonic carrier signal sources each of a single discrete frequency different from those of the other carrier signals and all spaced in frequency from one another by a uniform equal interval; means for respectively applying said gate signals to said carrier signal sources for gating said carrier signals ON and OFF in accordance with said signal; a Bragg light-sound interaction cell interposed in the path of said source beam, and responsive to an applied driving signal to diffract at least part of said source beam into one or more discrete diffracted beams at diffraction angles dependent on the frequency components of said driving signal; and means for utilizing said gated carrier signals as said driving signal for said Bragg cell to generate a corresponding plurality of independently

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

gated light output beams. 8. An imaging system as in claim 7 which further includes: a computer output having a plurality of channels each of which supplies one

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 51 words

of said control signals. 9. An imaging system as in claim 8 in which said computer channels supply said control signals in a binary code, and in which said means for generating said gate signals decodes said binary code to supply said plurality of gate signals in accordance with said code.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 50 words

An imaging system as in claim 7 which further includes means for scanning said diffracted means in a direction transverse to that of the diffraction of said source beam by said Bragg cell at a rate in accordance with the rate of delivery of said character information by said control

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 239 words

signals to generate said characters. 11. .[.An imaging system as in claim 7 which further includes:.]. .Iadd.A multiple-beam alphanumeric imaging system utilizing a single coherent-light source beam for the generation of characters having a predetermined number of parallel levels and receptive to control signals bearing said character information, comprising: means responsive to said control signals for generating a plurality of gate signals each corresponding to a respective one of said parallel character levels; a corresponding plurality of ultrasonic carrier signal sources each of a single discrete frequency different from those of the other carrier signals and all spaced in frequency from one another by a uniform equal interval; means for respectively applying said gate signals to said carrier signal sources for gating said carrier signals ON and OFF in accordance with said signal; a Bragg light-sound interaction cell interposed in the path of said source beam, and responsive to an applied driving signal to diffract at least part of said source beam into one or more discrete diffracted beams at diffraction angles dependent on the frequency components of said driving signal; means for utilizing said gated carrier signals as said driving signal for said Bragg cell to generate a corresponding plurality of independently gated light output beams; and .Iaddend. means .Iadd.associated with said Bragg cell .Iaddend.for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams substantially independent of changes of intensity in the remaining ones of said diffracted beams.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

.[. A system as in claim 11 in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for limiting the efficiency of said Bragg cell to

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

approximately 25 percent or less..]. 13. A system as in claim 11 in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for variably attenuating said diffracted beams in response to the attenuation of said carrier

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

signal sources. 14. A system as in claim 11 in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for variably attenuating the intensity of said beam at every moment in accordance with the number of

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 38 words

said carrier signal sources which are actuated at that moment. 15. A system as in claim 7, which further includes means positioned in the path of said light beam preceding said cell for causing said beam to be

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 163 words

collimated as it passes into said cell. 16. A multiple-beam information-translation system utilizing spatially coherent source light beam and responsive to a plurality of information signals each independently varying in amplitude with time, comprising: a plurality of carrier signal sources corresponding in number to said plurality of information signals, said carrier signals each being of frequency different from those of the other carriers; a corresponding plurality of modulators each amplitude-modulating one of said carrier signals in accordance with a respective one of said information signals; a Bragg light-sound interaction cell interposed in the path of said source beam, said cell being coupled to said plurality of modulators and responsive to said amplitude-modulated carrier signals to diffract at least part of said beam into a corresponding plurality of angularly discrete diffracted light beams, each intensity-modulated in accordance with a respective one of said modulated carriers; and means .Iadd.associated with said Bragg cell .Iaddend.for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams substantially independent

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 163 words

collimated as it passes into said cell. 16. A multiple-beam information-translation system utilizing spatially coherent source light beam and responsive to a plurality of information signals each independently varying in amplitude with time, comprising: a plurality of carrier signal sources corresponding in number to said plurality of information signals, said carrier signals each being of frequency different from those of the other carriers; a corresponding plurality of modulators each amplitude-modulating one of said carrier signals in accordance with a respective one of said information signals; a Bragg light-sound interaction cell interposed in the path of said source beam, said cell being coupled to said plurality of modulators and responsive to said amplitude-modulated carrier signals to diffract at least part of said beam into a corresponding plurality of angularly discrete diffracted light beams, each intensity-modulated in accordance with a respective one of said modulated carriers; and means .Iadd.associated with said Bragg cell .Iaddend.for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams substantially independent

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 77 words

of variations in the intensity of the remaining diffracted beams. 17. An information-translation system as in claim 16 wherein said plurality of information signals are together representative of image information; and which further includes means for scanning said diffracted beams in a direction transverse to that of the diffraction of said source beam by said Bragg cell at a rate in accordance with the rate of information delivery by said information signals to generate said image information.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 26 words

.[.18. A system as in claim 16 in which said means comprises means for limiting the efficiency of said Bragg cell to approximately 25 percent or

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 35 words

less..]. 19. A system as in claim 16 in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for attenuating the intensity of said diffracted beams at every moment in accordance with the number of said carrier signal

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 34 words

sources which are actuated at that moment. 20. A system as in claim 16, which further includes means positioned in the path of said light beam preceding said cell for collimating said .[.bean.]. .Iadd.beam

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

.Iaddend.before its passage into said cell. 21. A system as in claim 16, in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for adjusting the intensity of each of said diffracted beams in a first sense when the

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 34 words

total intensity of the remaining beams changes in the opposite sense. 22. A system as in claim 16, in which said intensity-maintaining means comprises means for attenuating each of said diffracted beams in response

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 176 words

to a diminution in the total intensity of the remaining beams. 23. Apparatus for generating diffracted light beams corresponding to coded information contained in a plurality of information signals; said apparatus comprising: means, responsive to said information signals, for producing a series of sets of electrical signals, each set of electrical signals having a plurality of concurrent electrical signals varying independently in accordance with the coded information of said information signals; plural frequency oscillator means, responsive to said electrical signal sets, for generating carrier signals having a plurality of different fixed frequencies, each fixed frequency corresponding to a different one of said concurrent electrical signals; .[.and.]. means, including a simultaneous multi-beam acoustooptical cell, responsive to said plural frequency carrier signals for simultaneously forming diffracted light beams corresponding in number to the number of said fixed frequencies, each of said diffracted light beams having a diffraction angle uniquely associated with one of said different fixed frequencies.Iadd.; and means associated with said acoustooptical cell for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams at a constant intensity.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 176 words

to a diminution in the total intensity of the remaining beams. 23. Apparatus for generating diffracted light beams corresponding to coded information contained in a plurality of information signals; said apparatus comprising: means, responsive to said information signals, for producing a series of sets of electrical signals, each set of electrical signals having a plurality of concurrent electrical signals varying independently in accordance with the coded information of said information signals; plural frequency oscillator means, responsive to said electrical signal sets, for generating carrier signals having a plurality of different fixed frequencies, each fixed frequency corresponding to a different one of said concurrent electrical signals; .[.and.]. means, including a simultaneous multi-beam acoustooptical cell, responsive to said plural frequency carrier signals for simultaneously forming diffracted light beams corresponding in number to the number of said fixed frequencies, each of said diffracted light beams having a diffraction angle uniquely associated with one of said different fixed frequencies.Iadd.; and means associated with said acoustooptical cell for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams at a constant intensity.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 22 words

.Iaddend. 24. Apparatus as defined in claim 23 further comprising a storage source having a plurality of outputs, each of said outputs

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 38 words

supplying one of said information signals. 25. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein: said storage source supplies said information signals in a binary code; and said means for producing said sets of electrical signals includes means for

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 69 words

decoding said binary code. 26. Apparatus as defined in claim 23 further comprising means for scanning said diffracted light beams in a direction transverse to that of the diffraction by said acoustooptical cell as a rate in accordance with the rate of delivery of said information by said information signals. .[.27. Apparatus as defined in claim 23 further comprising means for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 145 words

beams at a constant intensity..]. 28. Apparatus for use with a spatially coherent light beam and responsive to a series of sets of electrical signals, each set of electrical signals having a plurality of concurrent electrical signals varying independently; said apparatus comprising: plural frequency oscillator means, responsive to said electrical signal sets, for generating carrier signals having a plurality of different fixed frequencies, each of said fixed frequencies corresponding to a different one of said concurrent electrical signals; .[.and.]. means, including an acoustooptical cell interposed in the path of said light beam, responsive to said plural frequency carrier signals for diffracting at least part of said light beam into a plurality of angularly discrete diffracted light beams corresponding in number to said fixed frequencies.Iadd.; and means associated with said acoustooptical cell for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams at a constant intensity.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 145 words

beams at a constant intensity..]. 28. Apparatus for use with a spatially coherent light beam and responsive to a series of sets of electrical signals, each set of electrical signals having a plurality of concurrent electrical signals varying independently; said apparatus comprising: plural frequency oscillator means, responsive to said electrical signal sets, for generating carrier signals having a plurality of different fixed frequencies, each of said fixed frequencies corresponding to a different one of said concurrent electrical signals; .[.and.]. means, including an acoustooptical cell interposed in the path of said light beam, responsive to said plural frequency carrier signals for diffracting at least part of said light beam into a plurality of angularly discrete diffracted light beams corresponding in number to said fixed frequencies.Iadd.; and means associated with said acoustooptical cell for maintaining the intensity of each of said diffracted beams at a constant intensity.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 46 words

.Iaddend. 29. Apparatus as defined in claim 28 further comprising means for scanning said diffracted light beams in a direction transverse to that of the diffraction by said acoustooptical cell at a rate in accordance with the rate of delivery of said sets of electrical signals.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-08-01	1987-01-31	1987-08-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-08-01	1991-01-31	1991-08-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-08-01	1995-01-31	1995-08-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Acoustooptic scanner apparatus and method

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