Patent ID: 7218430

Claim:
A combinatorial optical processor, comprising one or more optical modules; wherein at least one of the one or more optical modules includes N addressable optical elements, where N is an integer greater than 1, wherein each addressable optical element is characterized by a first state focal length when the addressable optical element is in a first state and a second state focal length when the addressable optical element is in a second state, wherein the first state focal lengths for all N addressable optical elements are the same, and wherein the second state focal lengths of the N addressable optical elements are unique and, except for a smallest second state focal length, each second state focal length is twice as large as another second state focal length, wherein the N addressable optical elements are configured such that, depending on a state of each addressable optical element, the combinatorial optical processor may provide at least 2 N addressable filter functions, wherein the N addressable optical elements are stacked in series such that light forming an image sequentially passes through all N addressable optical elements for all 2 N addressable filter functions, wherein each of the at least 2 N addressable filter functions produces a unique transform between an object and an image whereby there are at least 2 N unique transforms, wherein each unique transform produces an image of the object at a different image location, whereby there are 2 N different image locations.