Repetitive absorptive thresholding optical quantizer
US6160504A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/38
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical quantizer (10) that employs a chain of optical thresholding devices (16) positioned in the propagation path of an optical input beam (12) to be quantized. Each optical thresholding device (16) saturates and turns transparent if the intensity of the optical beam (12) that impinges it is above a predetermined threshold level designed into the device (16). If the input beam (12) saturates the optical thresholding device (16), the device (16) outputs an indicator signal (22) identifying the saturation. The input beam (12) propagates through the optical thresholding device (16) with some attenuation caused by the saturation, and impinges subsequent optical thresholding devices (16) in the chain. Eventually, the attenuation of the input beam (12) caused by the multiple saturations will decrease the beam intensity below the threshold level of the next optical thresholding device (16). The number of indicator signals (22) gives an indication of the intensity of the input beam (12). The optical thresholding devices (16) can provide optical or electrical indicator signals (22) depending on the type of thresholding device (16) used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.