Methods and systems for analyzing data

A method of searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences stored therein, the given sequence and each of the reference sequences including a plurality of types of elements, the method comprising:

• assigning a respective one data value to each of said plurality of types of elements;
• for each of the given and reference sequences, storing in a memory the data values assigned to each element of each of the given and reference sequences;
• generating a first light beam having a first frequency;
• generating a second light beam having a second frequency;
• modulating the first light beam with acoustical signals representing the data values assigned to the elements of the reference sequences;
• modulating the second light beam with acoustical signals representing the data values assigned to the elements of the given sequence;
• and
• generating a correlation signal representing the correlation of the modulated first and second light beams.

A method of searching a data base for an input sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences stored therein, the input sequence and each of the reference sequences having a respective number of each of a plurality of elements, the method comprising:

• identifying the reference sequences having the same numbers of each of the elements as the input sequence;
• generating reference patterns representing the identified reference sequences;
• generating an input pattern representing the input sequence;
• modulating a first light beam with the reference patterns;
• modulating a second light beam with the input pattern;
• and
• generating a correlation signal representing the correlation of the first and second modulated light beams.

A method of searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences stored therein, the method comprising:

• generating a coherent light beam;
• modulating the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• further modulating said formed modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• measuring an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and generating a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein the reference sequences include a plurality of types of elements, and the further modulating step includes the steps of
• i) assigning a respective one sine wave pattern to each of the types of elements,
• ii) for each of the reference sequences, forming in a first optical medium an optical diffraction pattern of the sine wave patterns assigned to the elements of the reference sequence, and
• iii) modulating said formed modulated signal beam with said optical diffracting patterns to form said multi-channel correlation beam.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the system comprising:

• means to generate a coherent light beam;
• means to modulate the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• means to further modulate the modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• means to measure an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and
• means to generate a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein the means to modulate the light beam includes a first optical medium having an optical diffraction pattern formed therein and representing the given sequence;
• and the means to further modulate the modulated signal beam includes
• i) a second optical medium having a multitude of reference optical diffraction patterns formed therein and representing the reference sequences, and
• ii) means to modulate the signal beam with the reference patterns, at a rate of one of the reference patterns at a time to form the multi-channel correlation beam.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the system comprising:

• means to generate a coherent light beam;
• means to modulate the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• means to further modulate the modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• means to measure an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and
• means to generate a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein:
• the means to modulate the light beam includes a first optical medium having an optical diffraction pattern formed therein and representing the given sequence;
• and
• the means to further modulate the modulated signal beam includes
• i) a second optical medium having a multitude of reference optical diffraction patterns formed therein and representing the reference sequences, and
• ii) means to modulate the signal beam simultaneously with a plurality of the reference patterns to form the multi-channel correlation beam.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the system comprising:

• means to generate a coherent light beam;
• means to modulate the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• means to further modulate the modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• means to measure an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and
• means to generate a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein:
• the means to modulate the light beam includes
• i) a first optical medium having a multitude of optical diffraction patterns formed therein, each of the optical diffraction patterns representing the given sequence, and
• ii) means to modulate the light beam with each of the optical diffraction patterns to form the signal beam with a multitude of channels;
• and
• the means to further modulate the modulated signal beam includes
• i) a second optical medium having a multitude of reference optical diffraction patterns formed therein, each of said reference patterns representing a respective one of the reference sequences, and
• ii) means to use each of the reference diffraction patterns to modulate a respective one of the channels of the signal beam.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the system comprising:

• means to generate a coherent light beam;
• means to modulate the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• means to further modulate the modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• means to measure an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and
• means to generate a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein the given sequence includes a plurality of types of elements, and a respective one sine wave pattern is associated with each one of the types of elements, and wherein:
• the means to modulate the light beam includes a first optical medium having an optical diffraction pattern formed therein, said optical diffraction pattern being formed from a sequence of the sine wave patterns associated with the elements of the given sequence.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the system comprising:

• means to generate a coherent light beam;
• means to modulate the light beam with a pattern representing the given sequence to form a modulated signal beam;
• means to further modulate the modulated signal beam with reference patterns representing the reference sequences to form a multi-channel correlation beam;
• means to measure an intensity of each channel of the correlation beam;
• and
• means to generate a signal when the intensity of one of the channels of the correlation beam is above a preset level to indicate that the given sequence correlates with one of the reference sequences;
• wherein each of the reference sequences includes a plurality of types of elements, and a respective one sine wave pattern is associated with each one of the types of elements, and wherein:
• the means to further modulate the modulated signal beam includes an optical medium having a multitude of optical diffraction patterns formed therein, each of the optical patterns representing a respective one of the reference sequences and being formed from a sequence of the sine wave patterns associated with one of the reference sequences.

A system for searching a data base for a given sequence, the data base having a multitude of reference sequences, the given sequence and each of the reference sequences including a plurality of types of elements, the system comprising:

• means to generate a first light beam having a first frequency;
• means to generate a second light beam having a second frequency;
• a memory bank holding a respective one data value for each element of the given sequence and for each element of each reference sequence;
• means to modulate the first light beam with acoustical signals representing the data values assigned to the elements of the reference sequences;
• means to modulate the second light beam with acoustical signals representing the data values assigned to the elements of the given sequence;
• and
• means to generate correlation signal representing the correlation of the modulated first and second light beams.