Patent ID: 8237931

Claim:
An optoacoustic convolver comprising: a light source; a first acoustic waveguide filled with a light-transmissive first acoustic medium through which a first compressional wave based on a received signal is propagated; a second acoustic waveguide filled with a light-transmissive second acoustic medium through which a second compressional wave based on a predetermined reference signal is propagated; an optical system whereby light emitted from the light source is split into a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam entering the first acoustic waveguide in a direction crossing a direction of propagation of the first compressional wave, and the second light beam entering the second acoustic waveguide in a direction crossing a direction of propagation of the second compressional wave, thereby generating interference light between the first light beam having passed through the first acoustic waveguide and the second light beam having passed through the second acoustic waveguide; a light-receiving section for receiving the interference light and outputting an electric signal based on an intensity of the received light; and a correlation determination section for determining whether the received signal is correlated with the reference signal by observing the electric signal based on the interference light between the first light beam and the second light beam output from the light-receiving section.