Optical correlator having a dye amplifier for amplifying correlating portions of signals

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 in which: said organic dye material amplifies each portion of said second signal by an amount proportional to the degree of correlation between said first image and the portion of said second image represented by said each portion of said second signal.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 in which: said wave energy signal providing means transmit said first and second signals to said organic dye material at substantially the same instant; and said organic dye material simultaneously amplifies all portions of said second signal representing portions of said second image correlating with portions of said first image to thereby rapidly provide an output indicating the correlation between all portions of said first and second images.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 further including filter means for blocking any first frequency signals propagating from said organic dye material.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 in which said wave energy signal providing means include means for providing an interference signal pattern representing said first image and means for providing a Fourier transform signal representing said second image.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 in which: said wave energy signal providing means include: means for directing a first beam of coherent wave energy having a first frequency to strike and be modulated by said first image; means for directing a reference beam of coherent wave energy having a frequency substantially identical to that of said first beam to interfere with said modulated first beam to provide an interference pattern representing said first image; means for directing a second beam of wave energy having a frequency different from that of said first beam to strike and be modulated by said second image; and means for forming the Fourier transform of said modulated second beam, said Fourier transformed beam being directed to be superimposed on said interference pattern; and said amplifying organic dye is positioned to receive said interference pattern and said superimposed, Fourier transformed beam, said organic dye absorbing energy form the beams forming said interference pattern and utilizing said absorbed energy to amplify each portion of said Fourier transformed beam by an amOunt proportional to the energy of the portion of said interference pattern on which said each portion of said Fourier transformed beam is superimposed.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6 further including: means for forming the Fourier transform of said modulated first beam to provide a Fourier transform holographic interference pattern; and means for forming the Fourier transform of at least a portion of the amplified signal provided by said organic dye solution to provide an output signal comprising an intensity distribution in which the intensity of each portion of said output distribution indicates the correlation between a predetermined portion of said first image and the portion of said second image corresponding to said each portion of said output distribution.

Claim 9

The device of claim 6 in which said means for directing a second beam of wave energy having a frequency different from that of said first beam include: means for focusing a beam of coherent wave energy having a frequency equal to said first frequency, said focused beam defining a line; a sufficient quantity of organic dye material to receive said focused beam to absorb energy from said received beam, and to provide an output signal having a lower frequency and longer wavelength than that of said first beam; and a pair of mirrors for repeatedly reflecting said output signal through said organic dye material to thereby intensify said output signal, one of said mirrors being only partially reflective and partially transparent and thereby permitting a portion of said intensified signal to strike and be modulated by said second image.