Systems using lattice arrays of interactive elements

An apparatus comprising:

• a lattice array of elements spaced from one another, the positions and spacings of said elements in said lattice being substantially determined by interactions between said elements,
• access means for accessing selected elements within said array, where said elements within said lattice array have different properties.

An information handling apparatus comprising:

• an array comprised of elements of diameter d spaced from one another by distances less than 3d and located with respect to each other in accordance with interactive forces existing between said spaced elements,
• means for controllably moving elements into said array while said interactive forces exist, and
• means for controllably removing elements from said array while said interactive forces exist.

An information handling apparatus comprising:

• an array comprised of elements spaced from one another and located with respect to each other in accordance with interactive forces existing between said spaced elements, where said elements within said array have different properties,
• means for controllably moving elements into said array, and
• means for controllably removing elements from said array.

An apparatus comprising:

• a lattice array of fixed size comprised of spaced elements having diameters d and spacings less than about 3d, wherein the positions and spacings of said elements within said lattice array are at least partially determined by interactive forces existing between said elements within said array, said spaced elements in said lattice forming a plurality of aligned rows of said elements,
• means for controllably moving elements at certain locations within said lattice array to other locations within said lattice array, said means including means for moving a row of said elements across said lattice array to occupy positions previously occupied by elements in at least two rows of said elements.

An apparatus comprising:

• a lattice array of spaced elements wherein the positions and spacings of said elements within said lattice array are at least partially determined by interactive forces existing between said elements within said array, said elements having different properties,
• means for controllably moving elements at certain locations within said lattice array to other locations within said lattice array.

An information handling apparatus, comprising:

• a lattice array of interactive elements having stray fields assoicated therewith and having different properties, the positions and spacings of said elements in said lattice array being substantially determined by interactive forces existing between said elements in said array,
• confinement means for retaining said elements within said lattice array,
• read means for detecting said different properties.

An information handling apparatus, comprising:

• a lattice array of interactive elements having stray fields associated therewith and having different properties, where said interactive elements are representative of said information, the positions and spacings of said elements in said lattice array being substantially determined by interactive forces existing between said elements in said array,
• confinement means for retaining said elements within said lattice array,
• read means for detecting said different properties.

A method of handling information, comprising:

• confining in a lattice array elements which interact with one another while separate from one another, the positions of said elements in said array being substantially determined by the interactions existing between said elements,
• controllably displacing said elements in said array in a single given direction to different positions in said array while maintaining substantially constant the spacing between said elements.

A method of handling information, comprising:

• selecting elements having different properties and having stray fields associated therewith, said different properties being representative of different information states,
• storing said elements in a region where the positions of said elements are substantially determined by interactive forces existing between said elements, said elements being arranged in a lattice in said region,
• detecting the different properties of said elements.

A method comprising the steps of:

• generating elements having diameters approximately d which interact with one another,
• bringing said elements into a region of substantial confinement to establish a lattice array in which said elements having spacings of less than approximately 3d and are substantially free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions in said region to establish a lattice array having a given density of said elements therein,
• controllably moving said elements within said region in a single direction while substantially maintaining the density of said elements in said lattice array.

A method comprising the steps of:

• generating elements having different properties which elements interact with one another,
• bringing said elements into a region of substantial confinement to establish a lattice array in which said elements are substantially free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions in said region,
• controllably moving said elements within said region.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating magnetic elements which can interact with one another,
• means for controllably confining said elements in a region where said elements are free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions within said region of confinement to establish a given density of said elements in said region, and
• manipulation means for controllably manipulating said magnetic elements in said of confinement while the size of said magnetic elements and said given density of elements are substantially maintained in said region.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating magnetic elements which can interact with one another,
• means for controllably confining said elements in a region where said elements are free to move with respect to one another to determine their equilibrium positions within said region of confinement to establish an array of said elements having a given density, where said means for confining includes means for producing magnetic fields, and
• manipulation means for controllably manipulating and magnetic elements in said region of confinement while the size of said elements and said given density are substantially maintained.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating magnetic bubble domains having different properties which can interact with one another,
• means for controllably confining said domains in a lattice array where said domains are free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions within said region of confinement, and
• manipulation means for controllably manipulating said magnetic domains in said region of confinement.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating magnetic bubble domains having different vertical Bloch line states in their bubble domain walls which can interact with one another,
• means for controllably confining said domains in a lattice array where said domains are free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions within said region of confinement, and
• manipulation means for controllably manipulating said magnetic domains in said region of confinement.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for generating magnetic bubble domains having different chiralities which can interact with one another,
• means for controllably confining said domains in a lattice array where said domains are free to move with respect to one another to determine their positions within said region of confinement, and
• manipulation means for controllably manipulating said magnetic domains in said region of confinement.

An apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic medium in which magnetic bubble domains can exist,
• confinement means for confining said domains in a region of said medium where the positions of said domains with respect to each other are substantially determined by interactions between said domains in said region,
• means for moving said domains into and out of said region of confinement while said confining occurs and said interactions are present.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for providing confinement forces which confine at least ten interactive elements in a region where said elements interact with one another and are spaced from one another, the positions and spacings of said interactive elements in said region being substantially determined by interactions between said elements, where said elements are coded to represent information,
• means for moving said interactive elements in said region, and
• means for placing elements into said region of confinement while said confinement forces are present.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for coding magnetic bubble domains in a magnetic medium in accordance with their individual magnetic properties,
• means for establishing a lattice array of said coded bubble domains where all positions of said lattice array are occupied by said domains,
• means for detecting said coded domains in accordance with said magnetic properties.

A device comprising:

• a supporting medium having elements therein which are capable of movement in said medium and which have stray fields associated therewith,
• means for substantially confining a plurality of said elements in a region of said medium including means for maintaining the density of said elements in said region, said elements being sufficiently close to each other that the stray fields of said elements interact to produce forces on said elements which cause said elements to move to positions corresponding to a plurality of spaced parallel rows of said elements to form a lattice arrangement of said plurality of elements, where adjacent rows are spaced from each other by distances a,
• manipulation means for manipulating selected elements in said lattice arrangements, said manipulation means including means for moving a selected row of said elements a distance at least 2a, while maintaining the parallel row arrangement and density of said lattice.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for providing confinement forces which confine at least ten interactive elements in a region where said elements interact with one another and are spaced from one another, the positions and spacings of said interactive elements in said region being substantially determined by interactions between said elements to produce an array of said elements having a given density,
• means for moving said interactive elements in said region while said given density is substantially maintained, and
• means for placing elements into said region of confinement while said confinement forces are present to provide an array of said elements having said given density.

An apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic medium in which magnetic bubble domains can exist,
• confinement means for confining said domains in a region of said medium where the positions of said domains with respect to each other are substantially determined by interactions between said domains in said region to produce an array of said domains having multiple rows of said domains,
• means for moving at least one row of domains within said region of confinement to positions corresponding to those occupied by domains which were initially spaced at least two rows from the domains in said at least one row, in said region of confinement.