Optoelectronic computer graphics system and method

In combination;

• a digital computer providing digitally-stored graphics image data,
• an optoelectronic interface unit connected to said digital computer and operating to convert said digitally-stored graphics image data into light beam control means,
• an optoelectronic control unit having light sensitive input means and light beam output means, said control unit including a holographic ROY storing a plurality of hyperplane primitives, selected ones of said hyperplane primitives being logically combinable to form a selected graphics shape, and said control unit light sensitive input means being controlled by said light beam control means from said interface unit in accordance with said digitally-stored graphics image data to thereby select hyperplane primitives from said holographic ROM corresponding to said digitally-stored graphics image data and to provide said light beam output means in accordance therewith, and
• optoelectronic means controlled by said light beam output means from said control unit and operable to assemble said hyperplane images into a graphics shape by operation of optoelectronic exclusive-or logic, said graphics shape corresponding to said digitally-stored graphics image data.

In combination;

• a holographic ROM containing a plurality of N holograms arranged in a row, the physical location of each hologram within said row defining N columns that extend generally normal to said row, each individual hologram providing a different primitive image, selection and combination of a plurality of different primitive images from said ROM providing an output image having a desired geometric shape,
• light beam generator means having a plurality of individually operable light beam output means that are arranged in N columns and M rows, each column corresponding to one of said plurality of N holograms and said rows extending generally parallel to said row of holograms, operation of a given light beam output means in a given column operating to illuminate a given one of said holograms, and operation of said given light beam output means in a given row of said given column operating to illuminate said given one of said holograms from a given angle that is determined by the row in which said given light beam output means is located,
• controlling means connected in controlling relation to said light beam generator means and operable to sequentially provide light beams to illuminate a sequence of said holograms as said light beam sequentially moves from one column and a row in said one column to another column and a row in said another column, and
• combining means operable to combine said sequence of holograms that are sequentially illuminated by said sequential light beam movement.

A method providing visible polygon image from a digitally-stored polygon image data, comprising the steps of;

• providing a holographic ROM that contains a plurality of primitive hyperplane images, selected ones of said hyperplane images being logically combinable to form a visible polygon image that corresponds to said digitally-stored polygon image data,
• providing a hyperplane buffer,
• sequentially writing selected ones of said hyperplane images into said hyperplane buffer,
• providing a polygon buffer,
• writing the first of said sequence of hyperplane images from said hyperplane buffer into said polygon buffer, and ANDing the remainder of said sequence of hyperplane images in said hyperplane buffer with the image content of said polygon buffer and writing the result into said polygon buffer, and
• at the end of said sequence of hyperplane images, utilizing the image content of said polygon buffer to drive a visual display means.

In combination;

• a holographic ROM containing a plurality of N holograms arranged in an x-direction row, the physical location of each hologram within said row defining N y-direction columns, said row and columns defining an orthogonal coordinate system, each hologram providing a different primitive image, and logical combination of a plurality of different primitive images from said ROM operating to provide an output image geometric shape geometric shape,
• optical NOR gate means having a plurality of individual gates arranged to form N columns and M rows, each of said gates including light sensitive input means and light generating output means, and each of said gates operating to provide an output light beam from its output means only when no input light beam is present at its input means,
• an optical path providing a light beam output from said NOR gate means to said ROM,
• optical input means providing a optical hologram selection signal having x and y coordinates,
• x coordinate optical decode means receiving said optical input means and operating to decode said hologram selection signal by illuminating the inputs in all but one of said rows of said NOR gate means, and
• y coordinate optical decode means receiving said optical input means and operating to decode said hologram selection signal by illuminating the inputs of all but one of said columns of said NOR gate means.