Interleaving device

An interleaving device for processing energy signals between various logic devices having a first plurality of spaced energy carrying layer materials. Each of the first layer materials has a plurality of juxtaposed conduits for passing energy signals therethrough. Each of the conduits has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a diagonal of each of the first layers. A second plurality of energy carrying materials is arranged between adjacent ones of the spaced first layer materials. Each of the second layer materials has a plurality of juxtaposed conduits for passing the energy signals therethrough. Each of the conduits in the second layer has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a diagonal of each of the second layer materials and substantially perpendicular to the axes of the conduits of the first layer materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to interleaving devices and more 
particularly to interleaving devices for processing energy signals to 
various type logic devices. 
Interleaving devices, generally known as signal duplicating and combining 
devices, are used for processing energy signals, and particularly optical 
images. These devices have been used whenever signals are to be combined 
or duplicated such as is necessary in recording heads, in connecting 
various logic devices in computers and in forming various computer 
components. 
One prior art device utilizes layers of optical fibers which are fastened 
together by cement to form optical ribbons. These ribbons typically 
contain 128 optical fibers. The optical ribbons are cut at an angle with 
respect to the axis defined by the linearly arranged optical fibers. The 
preferred angle cut is about 12 degrees with respect to the axis of the 
fibers. The various cut ribbons are alternately stacked as odd and even 
layers where the odd layers are even layers flipped over. The result is a 
solid structure in the shape of a trapezoid. When two separate images are 
inputted to the wide end the two images will emerge as a combined image at 
the narrow end. Conversely, when a single image is inputted to the narrow 
end two separate images will emerge from the wide end. 
One disadvantage of the above prior art device is that when two separate 
images are inputted at the wide end a large portion of the transmitted 
images are lost out at the sloped or side faces of the trapezoidal 
structure. Thus, the combined image will not be as bright as the intensity 
of the two images when added together. 
Another disadvantage is that when one image is inputted at the narrow end 
only a portion of the optical fibers located at the wide end will carry 
the image. Thus, the overall efficiency of the interleaver is decreased. 
A further disadvantage is that the trapezoidal configuration makes 
combining interleavers with other interleavers or other image processing 
devices difficult thus necessitating costly and bulky interconnecting 
devices. 
In other similar prior art devices the individual layers are formed of a 
single piece material, such as glass or plastic, and are formed as 
trapezoidal structures. These structures are alternately layered to form a 
large trapezoidal structure or layered to form a block having a V-shaped 
cut on one surface. The energy inputted to the various faces are 
internally reflected by the sides of the individual side faces of each 
trapezoidal structure so they eventually emerge from another face area. 
One limitation of the above prior art device is that because a number of 
individual energy carrying conduits are not used in each layer structure a 
large energy loss occurs within the layers. Another shortcoming is the 
expense of making such interleavers because the sides must be accurately 
formed for total internal reflection. A further disadvantage is the 
difficulty of connecting several interleavers with other energy processing 
devices when configured in this manner. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, these and other disadvantages are overcome by providing an 
interleaving device having a first plurality of spaced energy carrying 
layers. Each first layer has a plurality of juxtaposed conduits for 
passing energy signals therethrough. Each conduit has a longitudinal axis 
approximately parallel to a diagonal of each first layer. A second 
plurality of energy carrying layers are arranged between adjacent ones of 
the first layers. Each of the second layers has a plurality of juxtaposed 
conduits for passing the energy signals therethrough. Each of the conduits 
in the second layers has a longitudinal axis approximately parallel to a 
diagonal of the second layers and substantially perpendicular to the axis 
of the conduits of the first layers. 
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved interleaving structure. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an interleaving structure 
that passes substantially all the energy to the combining surface when 
used as an energy combiner. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide an interleaving 
structure that uses substantially all its energy conduits to pass energy 
to the duplicating surface when used as a duplicator. 
A further object of this invention is to provide an interleaving structure 
that is easily connected to other energy processing devices. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide an interleaving 
structure where energy losses within the structure are minimal. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an interleaving structure 
that is easily and inexpensively made. 
The above and further objects of this invention will appear more fully from 
the following detailed descriptions when read in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, a fiber optic ribbon, generally designated by numeral 
10, is illustrated as being formed of a plurality of individual fiber 
optic elements or conduits 12 in juxtaposition and coupled together in the 
conventional manner such as, for example, by using an adhesive material 
known to those skilled in the art. Although conduits 10 may be in any 
cross-sectional configuration it is preferably a square to facilitate 
stacking of a plurality of optic ribbons 10. 
Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of optical ribbons 10 are stacked on top 
of each other to form an interleaving device 14 whose faces form 
parallelograms. In the preferred configuration, of FIG. 2, interleaving 
device 14 has square faces so as to form a cube having faces designated A 
to F. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the manner of stacking optical fibers 10 
to form interleaving device 14. Specifically, FIG. 3A illustrates a top 
view of a first layer 16 of fiber optic ribbon 10 which is used in 
interleaving device 14 and is illustrated in a plane parallel to top 
surface E. Layer 16 is formed so that the longitudinal axis of conduits 12 
are arranged in parallel along axis 1 which lies along a diagonal of layer 
16. Axis 1 lies along the diagonal which joins the corner where surfaces A 
and B intersect with the corner where the surfaces C and D intersect. If 
the entire interleaver 14 were formed of layers 16, then an image 
projected onto surface A would be visible at surface D, and vice versa. 
Similarly, an image projected on surface B would be visible at surface C, 
and vice versa. Consequently, layers 16 are spaced apart from one another 
and an alternate second layer 18 as illustrated in FIG. 3B is located 
between adjacent layers 16. Layers 18 are formed so that the longitudinal 
axes of conduits 12 are parallel to a second axis 2 which is parallel to 
the diagonal which joins the corner formed by surfaces A and D with the 
corner formed by surfaces B and C. Accordingly, axis 2 is substantially 
perpendicular to axis 1 and similarly the longitudinal axes of conduits 12 
in layers 18 are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of 
conduits 12 in layers 16. If the entire interleaver 14 were formed of 
conduits 12 arranged as illustrated in FIG. 3B, then an image projected 
onto surface A, would appear at surface B, and vice versa, and similarly 
an image projected onto surface D would be visible at surface C and vice 
versa. 
As stated, the complete interleaver structure 14 is formed of a first and 
second plurality of layers of the type illustrated at 16 and 18 
respectively. This interleaver layer structure creates an image processing 
effect which is equivalent to the combined effects of the individual 
layers 16 and 18. That is, in a completed interleaver 14 of the type 
illustrated in FIG. 2, an image projected at surface A is duplicated at 
surfaces B and D. Similarly an image projected at B is duplicated at A and 
C, an image projected at surface C is duplicated at surfaces B and D and 
an image projected at surface D is duplicated at surfaces C and A. Thus, 
it will be apparent that interleaver 14, comprising a vertical stack of 
alternately oriented fiber optic layers 16 and 18 can be used as an image 
duplicator. It will, of course, be understood that in duplicating the 
image, the two image facsimiles have only one-half the light intensity of 
the originally projected image because that image is divided into two 
images by the previously described fiber optic arrangement. It will also 
be understood that the image duplicating operation can be reversed by 
projected images at two surfaces, such as B and D, with the result that 
the two projected images will be combined at the surface A and at the 
surface C. In this instance, the combined image will combine the light 
intensities of the two originally projected images without the loss of any 
light from the sides. 
Referring now to FIG. 4 wherein an image inverter 20 is illustrated as 
including mirrored or reflective coatings 22 and 24 on opposite active 
surfaces of interleaver 14 for reflecting images as indicated by the 
dashed arrows 26. In this device, an input image, illustrated as an 
upright arrow 28, is projected upon an input surface A of the interleaver 
14, and is projected along the lines illustrated by the dashed arrows 26 
to the surface D, where it is reflected by the mirror coating 22 and is 
again transmitted by conduits 12 along the lines indicated by the dashed 
arrows 26 to emerge at the surface C in the form of an inverted image as 
illustrated at 30. Reflection occurs on both mirrored surfaces 22 and 24 
in a complete device so that the output image has essentially all of the 
intensity of the input image. If one mirror surface is removed from the 
device as shown in FIG. 5, wherein only the mirror surface 22 is provided, 
two output images 30 and 32 are created, with image 30 being inverted and 
each at half the intensity of the input image. Thus, an additional output 
image 32 is illustrated in FIG. 5. 
The device illustrated in FIG. 5 can be used to produce a cascaded logical 
image processing device of the type illustrated in FIG. 6. Specifically, 
the device illustrated is a four input OR function device 34 having 
individual interleavers 36, 38, 40 and 42. The first interleaver, 36, is a 
standard cubic interleaver block 14 as illustrated in FIG. 2, which does 
not have any mirrored surfaces. Interleavers 38, 40 and 42 are, on the 
other hand, substantially identical to the device illustrated in FIG. 5 
which has one mirrored surface. Thus the devices 38, 40 and 42 each have 
one mirrored surface 44, 46 and 48, respectively. The cubic interleaver 36 
is coupled to the cubic interleaver 38 by a REFORMATTER 50, and the cubic 
interleavers 38, 40 and 42 are, respectively, interconnected by OR 
function coupling devices 52 and 54, while an additional OR function 
device 56 is provided at the output of interleaver 42. The REFORMATTER 50 
and the OR function devices 52, 54 and 56 are two dimensional array or 
image processing devices which operate upon the light transmitted by the 
individual conduits 12 in interleavers 36, 38, 40, and 42. The OR function 
devices and REFORMATTERS which perform the various image processing 
functions are known as "TSE" logic devices and are fully described in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,996,455 entitled "Two-Dimensional Radiant Energy Array 
Computers and Computing Devices", the inventors being D. H. Schaefer and 
J. P. Strong and being assigned to the United States Government. Because 
these various logic devices are described in the Patent in a manner 
allowing one skilled in the art to make and use these devices there will 
be no further description of them. 
In operation, inputs A, B, C and D, designated by arrows are applied to the 
interleavers 36, 38, 40 and 42, respectively. REFORMATTER 50 supplies 
additional optical gain between interleavers 36 and 38 without performing 
any logical function. The OR function coupling devices 52, 54 and 56 
operate to provide a logical OR operation on the various inputs to provide 
the resultant or total OR function output. As previously described 
REFORMATTER 50 may be a standard "TSE" device which is used to increase 
the size of the light spot produced by each individual conduit 12 to a 
size sufficient for duplication. That is, when the output from one 
individual conduit 12 needs to be increased to a size equivalent to the 
output from two conduits 12, the "TSE" REFORMATTER provides the necessary 
gain, and also provides the necessary gain to overcome insertion loss 
caused by the light which is dissipated in conduits 12. Inputs A, B, C, 
and D travel through OR function device 34 as illustrated by the dashed 
arrows and are all outputted through OR function coupling element 56. 
Thus, four inputs A, B, C, and D can be logically combined together as a 
single output image. 
FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an interleaver structure, identified by the 
numeral 58 in which the side faces are in the shape of a rectangle and the 
end faces are in the shape of a square and having a length to width ratio 
of 2 to 1, and therefore being equivalent to two combined cubic 
interleavers 14 of the type described above. FIG. 7A shows a top view of 
the device illustrating the various layers 62 of conduits 12. FIGS. 8A, 8B 
and 8C illustrate the mode of operation of this rectangular interleaver 
58. In particular, as shown in FIG. 8A, an image projected on face B will 
be reproduced at surfaces A and C, as with a cubic interleaver. Similarly, 
as shown in FIG. 8B, and image projected at one end of surface A will be 
reproduced at surface B and at the opposite end of the device on surface 
C. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8C, if a mirror surface 64 is added on the 
face B, as in the previously described embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 
and 5, an image projected on the upper end of the surface C will be doubly 
reproduced at the surface A, inverted at the upper portion of the surface 
but with the same orientation as the originally projected image at the 
lower portion of the surface. 
One consideration in manufacturing rectangular interleaver 58, especially 
as illustrated in FIG. 8C, is the lack of spacing produced between the two 
duplicated images appearing on surface A. Proper connection of interleaver 
58 to a logic device as described in the above referenced patent, may 
require space for the coupling of the logic devices to interleaver 58. A 
modified rectangular interleaver as shown in FIG. 9, alleviates this 
problem. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 9 has its four corners bevelled 
as illustrated at 66-72. Furthermore, four additional bevelled surfaces 
74-80 are provided for separating the surface A into two subsurfaces A1 
and A2 and for separating the surface C into two surfaces C1 and C2. The 
two bevelled surfaces 74 and 76 form a V-shaped groove separating the 
surfaces A1 and A2, while the bevelled surfaces 78 and 80 form a similar 
V-shaped groove separating the surfaces C1 and C2. The bevelled areas do 
not receive input images and thus create image voids as illustrated by the 
dashed lines 82. Thus, the illustrated apparatus provides a suitable 
degree of image separation. 
FIG. 10A illustrates a logical set-reset flip-flop formed of optical 
interleavers which is equivalent to the logic diagram illustrated in FIG. 
10B. The logic block diagram includes an OR gate 84 and an AND gate 86. 
The OR gate 84 includes a set input terminal 88 and a conventional Q 
output terminal 90. The AND gate 86 has one of its two inputs coupled to 
the Q output 90 of the OR gate 84, and has the other input coupled to a 
reset input terminal 92. The output of the AND gate 86 is coupled to one 
of the two inputs of the OR gate to complete the circuit. 
The equivalent circuit formed from interleavers includes four cubic 
interleavers 94, 96, 98 and 100 arranged in a closed loop. Interleaver 94 
is coupled to interleaver 96 through OR function device 102. Interleaver 
96 is coupled to interleaver 98 through an AND function device 104. 
Interleaver 98 is coupled through REFORMATTER 106 to interleaver 100, 
which is is turn coupled through a second REFORMATTER 108 to interleaver 
94 to form the closed loop. In operation, the optical circuit of FIG. 10A 
requires a true input at input surface 109 to hold or store each picture 
element. An element is "set" or stored by supplying a true pulse or level 
to the set input at input surface 110. The circuit remains set until the 
corresponding picture element applied to the reset input surface 109 
becomes false or low, at which time the circuit memory is cleared. The 
optical set-reset flip-flop provides four image outputs 112-118 from 
external surfaces of the individual interleavers 94, 96 98, and 100 
orientated in different directions. If the illustrated flip-flop circuit 
is used as a portion of a larger register, each of these individuals 
outputs can be used to conduct four different operations on the stored 
information, each operation being carried out by equipment radiating away 
from the illustrated circuit in a different direction. 
The OR function device, AND function device, and REFORMATTERS used to 
interconnect the interleavers in the set-reset flip-flop and to 
interconnect the various interleavers and logic devices to be later 
described are fully desclosed in the afore-identified patent and therefore 
will not be described further. 
Referring now to FIG. 11, an image duplicator 120 is illustrated which is 
similar to OR function device 34 illustrated in FIG. 6 with the exception 
that it includes only REFORMATTORS coupling the various cubic 
interleavers. Specifically, the image duplicator 120 includes four 
interleavers 122, 124, 126 and 128, the first three of which include 
mirrored top surfaces 130, 132, and 134, respectively. The cubic 
interleavers are joined by REFORMATTORS 136, 138 and 140. In operation, an 
image applied to an input surface A of duplicator 122 is reproduced at 
output surfaces B1, B2, B3 and B4 of 122, 124, 126, and 128, respectively. 
The output images are inverted at alternate output surfaces. 
By combining linear OR function device 34 of FIG. 6 and linear duplicator 
device 120 of FIG. 11 with the reset flip-flop structure of FIG. 10A, a 
random access memory 142 with compact geometry may be constructed as shown 
in FIG. 12. Random access memory 142, includes a linear duplicator 144 
formed of a plurality of cubic interleavers 146, each joined by 
REFORMATTERS 148. Image duplicator 144 includes an input surface A and 
output surfaces B1 through B4. Similarly, linear OR function device 150 is 
positioned adjacent linear duplicator 144 and includes four cubic 
interleavers 152, the first two of which are joined to the others by 
REFORMATTER 156. A reset flip-flop 158 is provided for each of the four 
stages of the devices 144 and 150. Each of the flip-flops 158 (three of 
which are not shown) is arranged so that the set input is positioned over 
device 144 and the Q output is positioned over device 150. REFORMATTERS 
162 join various flip-flops 158 with devices 144 and 150. It is noted that 
linear OR function device 150 has input surfaces C1 through C4 and an 
output surface D from which memory information is retrieved. In operation, 
input information is supplied to input surface A of linear duplicator 144 
from which outputs emerge in the vertical direction through surfaces B1 
through B4, each being coupled into one of the set-reset flip-flops 158 
through a REFORMATTER 162. When power is applied to one of the 
REFORMATTERS, flip-flop 158 receives the image present at input surface A. 
Linear OR function device 150 has its input connected to an output of each 
of the flip-flop 158 through a REFORMATTER 162, so that information enters 
linear OR function device 150 through input surfaces C1 through C4. When 
power is applied to one of these connecting REFORMATTERS 162, the image in 
the appropriate flip-flop 158 appears at output surface D of linear OR 
function device 150. 
By adding a row of cubic interleavers and AND function devices between the 
row of flip-flops 158 and linear duplicator 144 and linear OR function 
devices 150 in the device illustrated in FIG. 12, instruction images can 
mask individual picture elements of images entering and leaving each 
flip-flop 158. Such a device is illustrated in FIG. 13. 
Referring particularly to FIG. 13, the above-described image masking memory 
is referenced generally by the numeral 164. This device is similar to 
random access memory 142 illustrated in FIG. 12 in that it includes a 
linear duplicator 144 positioned adjacent a linear OR function device 150 
and includes a flip-flop 158 for each stage of devices 144 and 150. 
However, an additional row of cubic interleavers 166 is positioned between 
flip-flops 158 and devices 144 and 150 to provide a coupling apparatus. 
Devices 166 includes mirrored sufaces 168 on the interior facing thereof, 
and are coupled to flip-flop 158 by means of an AND function device 170 
and a REFORMATTER 171, and are similarly coupled to devices 144 and 150 by 
REFORMATTER 172 and AND function device 173, respectively. Input or 
instructional images are applied to the new row of cubic interleavers by 
introducing image 174 onto surface 175. It will, of course, be understood 
that devices of the type illustrated may be grouped together to form large 
conglomerate memory units. 
A multiple image 176 constructed in a manner similar to rectangular 
interleaver 58 illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8A, B and C is illustrated 
in FIG. 14. Image duplicator 176 differs from that of FIG. 11 in that it 
is formed of a single continuous block of interleaver material and does 
not include the REFORMATTERS used in the FIG. 11 device. Image duplicator 
176 therefore does not include the propagation delays of duplicator 120 
shown in FIG. 11, and in effect, provides a method of propagating an image 
along a buss at the speed of light in selected optical material while 
allowing small quantities of the transmitted light to escape at ports 
along the buss. Image duplicator 176, has a length to width ratio of four, 
and is thus twice as long as the device of FIGS. 7 and 8. Naturally, image 
duplicator 176 may be further extended to any length as long as 
transmission losses are not so severe that the transmitted image 
disappears. Mirrored surfaces 178 and 180 are provided on opposite sides 
of device 176 so that transmitted images are reflected along image 
duplicator 176 from the interior sides of mirrored surfaces 178 and 180, 
whereby transmission along image duplicator 176 is achieved. Mirrored 
surfaces 178 and 180 may be removed entirely or made only partially 
reflective along the length of image duplicator 176 so that the 
transmitted image can be taken out from image duplicator 176 along its 
length to be supplied to other image processing equipment. 
Image duplicator 176 may be modified to produce an apparatus which is 
equivalent to an electronic shift register. This device, which is 
characterized as a slider, is illustrated in FIG. 15, and is designated 
generally by the reference numeral 182. Slider 182 includes a central body 
184 which is preferably formed of a single continuous piece of material. 
The material is the same as that from which cubic interleavers and 
duplicators, such as that shown in FIG. 14, are formed. However, slider 
182 is somewhat more complex inform then previously described devices, 
since its dimensions vary along its length. To describe these variations, 
the central body of slider 182 has been divided into length units 186-200, 
each of which has the length of a cubic interleaver. The first length unit 
186 has the dimensions of a cubic interleaver. Second length 188 is 
identical in length to unit 186, but is slightly longer from top to bottom 
than the conventional cubic interleaver. Specifically, length unit 188 has 
one additional step of optical fiber layer 201 (i.e. the minimum 
incremental unit of length in the context of the present invention). 
Similarly, length units 190, 192 and 194 are identical in size with the 
length unit 188. Furthermore, length units 188-194 have a mirrored bottom 
surface 202. Sixth length unit 196 includes a downward step 204 at which 
the height of central body 184 is again increased. Specifically, step 204 
includes another unit increase in the height of central body 184. A second 
step 206 in the height of central body 184 is increased by two additional 
fiber optic layers or minimal integral units. The progression of increased 
thickness could, of course, be continued, it being understood that the 
thickness progression is binary. It is also noted that a mirrored surface 
208 is provided on length units 196 and 198 and a mirrored surface 210 is 
provided on length unit 200. 
On the top surface of slider 182 an input interleaver 212 is provided which 
acts as an input image duplicator. The structure of this device is not 
cubic, but includes one sloped surface 214 in the fashion of the prior art 
device previously described. An input image applied to an input surface 
216 is duplicated at the bottom or output surface 218 of image duplicator 
212 as designated by the letters A and A' and their associated arrow 
images. Images A and A' are coupled through REFORMATTERS 220 and 222 to 
length units 186 and 188, respectively. Along the remaining top surface of 
slider 182 are alternately positioned totally reflective mirrored surfaces 
224 and REFORMATTERS 226 are positioned over partially reflective mirrored 
surfaces 225, the latter providing selectively energizable outputs 
labelled C, D, and E. 
In operation, the gradually increased thickness of central body 184 
provided by steps 201, 204, and 206 of slider 182 results in a longer 
travel path between reflections for each image. This in turn results in a 
"phase shifting" or sliding of the image toward the right in FIG. 15. To 
illustrate this effect, the left edge of image A is traced by a dashed 
line 228 and the left edge of image A' is traced by dotted line 230. As 
can be seen, images A and A' gradually become more and more out of phase 
with respect to individual length units 186-200 as they are reflected 
along slider 182. However, since the images A and A' are completely 
identical (having been produced by an image duplicator) observation of any 
of the output ports C, D and E reveals complementary portions of images A 
and A' which appear to the viewer at the output as simply a single image 
identical to the input image but displaced in position toward the right 
side of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 15. Accordingly, a "sliding" 
effect is produced which is similar to the shifting of information in an 
electronic shift register. The image sliding occurs in a continuous 
manner, so that the sliding information is available at all outputs. Thus 
the illustrated device is essentially equivalent to a recirculating shift 
register. 
Another way of explaining the operation of slider 182 is to visualize 
identical images A and A' traveling down slider 182 in an edge-to-edge 
fashion, one edge of each image being traced by the lines 228 and 230. If 
the slider 182 had no steps, i.e., if all of length units 186-200 were 
perfect cubic interleavers, then image A' would be available at the output 
ports C, D and E. However, because steps 201 204 and 206 lengthen the 
distance that each image must travel, each appearance of image A' is moved 
(slid) further to the right while adjoining image A fills in the void 
caused by the sliding of image A'. It will be apparent that the heights of 
steps 201, 204 and 206 can be chosen to provide successive sliding 
increments at the output ports of 1, 2, 4, 8 . . . picture elements (that 
is, a binary progression), as shown in the Figure. Similarly, if step 201 
is the only step the sliding effect is a linear one, that is 1, 2, 3, 4 . 
. . picture elements. It will also be apparent that slider 182 can be 
extended to substantially any length by the same techniques as disclosed 
and illustrated. 
Slider 182 of FIG. 15 may be coupled to a modified duplicator for providing 
combined output information, as shown in FIG. 16 wherein the combiner is 
generally indicated by the reference numeral 232. Combiner 232 is 
structured essentially the same as duplicator 174 (see FIG. 14) operating 
in reverse, with the exception that it includes a mirrored top surface 234 
and mirrored bottom surface elements 236 which are positioned between 
REFORMATTERS 226 which themselves are mounted on mirrored surfaces thereby 
coupling combiner 232 with slider 182. Combiner 232 receives as inputs the 
outputs through an output surface 238. By selective energization of 
individual REFORMATTERS 226, the output of a particular stage or length 
unit 192, and 200 (of FIG. 15) can be selected for projection through 
output surface 238 of combiner 232. 
It is to be noted that the operation of slider 182 of FIG. 15 and combiner 
232 of FIG. 16 are governed by control of power lines to the various 
REFORMATTERS since images are only transmitted provided the individual 
REFORMATTERS are energized. Thus a non-cyclically sliding image can be 
produced by de-energizing one of the REFORMATTERS which projects either 
image A or image A' (FIG. 15) so that only one image propagates along 
slider 182. 
FIG. 17 illustrates a combiner structure used as an all channel image 
distributor. Specifically, a combiner structure 232 is equipped with input 
REFORMATTERS 240 having partially reflective surfaces 241 along a lower 
surface thereof and output REFORMATTERS 242 along an upper surface thereof 
having partially reflective surfaces 243. A plurality of input image 
duplicators 216 are secured to input REFORMATTERS 240 and input images 244 
may be applied thereto. If input images 244 are applied to all of input 
devices 216 and all REFORMATTERS 240 and 242 are energized, all input 
images 244 will appear at all of the output channels. However, by 
selective energization of the input and output REFORMATTERS, an input 
image 244 can be made to appear at any one of the selected output 
channels. A combination of the devices described above and illustrated in 
FIGS. 15-17 is shown in FIG. 18 and may be characterized as a fast slider, 
referenced generally by the numeral 246. Fast slider 246 may provide any 
integral number of slides from 1 to the largest coordinate of a matrix 
which can be formed by combining the devices of FIGS. 15-17. Fast slider 
246 has a minimum of three REFORMATTER delay periods. In fast slider 246 
an input image 244 is applied to an input image duplicator 248, passed 
through input REFORMATTERS 250 and propagated down a linear slider 252 for 
producing output images A-D which are respectively slid 4, 3, 2 and 1 
units respectively. Output REFORMATTERS 254 couple these output images 
through image duplicators 256 to input REFORMATTERS 258 of a combiner 260. 
Combiner 260 is equipped with a row of output REFORMATTERS 262 which 
permit selective coupling to a second combiner 264 having an output 
surface 266 from which any selected image can be outputted. 
The output images A-D may be further slid by combiner 260. That is, 
combiner 260 illustrated in FIG. 18 is a second slider 182 of the type 
shown in FIG. 15 to further slide the images by units of 4, 8, 12 and 16. 
In the processing of image B, for example, this image is slid by three 
units in slider 252, then projected into a second combiner 260 where it 
may be slid by 4, 8, 12 or 16 units and be outputted through one of the 
output REFORMATTERS 262 to combiner 264. 
FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate the production of interleavers, the basic 
elements in the previously described structures. FIG. 19 illustrates a 
simple method of making a 90.degree. corner between two rectangular 
conduits 268 and 270. First, 45.degree. angles are cut on the ends of 
conduits 268 and 270 and the surfaces of those cuts are finished to 
produce total internal reflection, either by polishing or metalizing. The 
appropriate conduits are then coupled together by conventional techniques 
to produce a geometry of the type illustrated in FIG. 20. This technique 
requires very precise cutting of conduits 268 and 270 which are preferably 
optical fibers. 
As an alternative to the above-described method, a block of appropriate 
conduit material such as fiber optic material, may be machined to produce 
the required 45.degree. angled end surfaces for producing total internal 
reflection. Smoothing of a cut surface may be achieved by passing a high 
temperature torch over the cut area to melt the surface quickly and to 
permit it to flow slightly and then reharden into a smooth surface. Again, 
however, these steps require considerable precision. 
Another approach for providing reflection at the ends of the conduits is to 
use prisms positioned at the ends of the conduits. Prisms may be produced 
in the manner of defraction gratings, where a ruling machine cuts linear 
prisms in metal, and these are reproduced in epoxy (or an equivalent 
suitable material) with an index of refraction of plastic optical fibers, 
i.e., polystyrene cores. A number of conventional techniques are possible 
for producing the prims and attaching them to the interleaver materials 
for producing the required reflection. 
The above-preferred description sets forth the invention as it relates to 
the preferred fiber optic image processing. It should be understood, 
however, that the various structures and devices are not limited to fiber 
optics but may be used with and constructed from other signal transporting 
mediums. For example, the interleaver, rather than being constructed of 
optical fibers, may be constructed of layers of parallel electrical 
conducting wires for the processing of electrical signals. Consequently, 
the various OR and AND devices, REFORMATTERS, duplicators, combiners, and 
sliders used in conjunction with the interleavers would all be devices 
responsive to electrical signals. Further, the interleaver may be 
constructed of layers of parallel radiant energy waveguids, such as for 
the processing of microwave energy signals. 
Obviously, numerous additional modifications and variations of the present 
invention are possible in light of the present teachings. It is therefore 
to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the 
invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein 
.