Patent ID: 8463838

Claim:
An optical calculation architecture that performs an arithmetic function on data from a digital data stream, comprising: a data converter configured to receive digital data point signals from the digital data stream and configured to convert the digital data point signals into analog optical signals; a plurality of coefficient converters configured to receive digital coefficient signals for the arithmetic function and configured to convert the digital coefficient signals into analog electric signals; an optical splitter connected to the data converter to receive the analog optical signals and split each received optical signal into a plurality of branches; multipliers connected to the optical splitter and to the coefficient converters to receive the branches and the analog electric signals, the multipliers being configured to multiply each branch by a respective one of the analog electric signals to create a plurality of partial optical products; a delay circuit connected to each of the multipliers except for the last one of the multipliers and configured to receive the partial optical product from the respective multiplier to which it is connected, each delay circuit configured to delay propagation of the partial optical product from the respective multiplier; an optical coupler connected to the last one of the multipliers and each delay circuit; and an optical to digital converter connected to the optical converter.