Optical memory having a parallel read out
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsDonald J. Curry, Gordon R. Knight, Daniel C. Kowalski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The output beam of a read laser for an optical memory is diffracted to provide a plurality of read beams of substantially equal intensity for simultaneously scanning all of the data tracks of a selected data channel with a different one of the read beams, whereby each of the read beams is optically modulated in accordance with the data recorded on a respective one of the data tracks. The optically modulated read beams are applied to respective detectors, whereby the data recorded on the different data tracks is simultaneously converted into corresponding video electrical signals. Those signals are, in turn, output selectively or in parallel.
Claims8
In an optical memory having a recording medium with at least one band of tracks including a plurality of data tracks, a head containing a laser for supplying a beam of coherent radiation, and a plurality of detectors for generating individual video signals in response to radiation propogated from respective ones of said data tracks;
- the improvement comprising
- a diffraction grating disposed between said laser and said recording medium for dividing said beam into a plurality of discrete read beams of substantially equal intensity, and
- means disposed between said diffraction grating and said recording medium for simultaneously focusing said read beams onto respective ones of said data tracks, whereby said data tracks are read out in parallel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.