Patent ID: 7391570

Claim:
An optical image processing system, comprising: an image source adapted to provide an original source spatial light distribution; a first optical element adapted to receive said original source spatial light distribution; a first region defined as the distance between said image source and said first optical element, wherein said first region does not appreciably disturb light passing through said first region; a second optical element positioned relative to said first optical element to define an optical region therebetween, said optical region comprising a Fourier transform plane and at least one non-Fourier optical region separate from said Fourier transform plane; a plurality of controllable light modulator elements positioned within said optical region and separate from said Fourier transform plane, wherein said system operates on said original source spatial light distribution to produce a modified source spatial light distribution, and wherein the distance between adjacent modulator elements of the plurality of controllable light modulator elements individually define a region that does not appreciably disturb passing light; a second region defined as the distance between a first one of said plurality of controllable light modulator elements and said first optical element, wherein said second region does not appreciably disturb light passing through said second region; a third region defined as the distance between a second one of said plurality of controllable light modulator elements and said second optical element, wherein said third region does not appreciably disturb light passing through said third region; an image sensor adapted to receive said modified source spatial light distribution; and a fourth region defined as the distance between said sensor and said second optical element, wherein said fourth region does not appreciably disturb light passing through said fourth region.