Patent Document ID: 5539543
Application ID: 08192476
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A system for providing dynamically programable optical interconnections comprising a spatial light modulator having a K.sub.1 .times.K.sub.1 array of areas of transmittance pixels, said pixels of each area being adapted to separately modify transmittance of light through each pixel thereof in response to a plurality of separate subholograms defined by a pattern of electrical signals, one subhologram for each area of said K.sub.1 .times.K.sub.1 array, means for producing a plurality of parallel light beams, including a single source of light and a multiple beam splitter for producing said plurality of parallel light beams, one light beam for each of a plurality of areas of said spatial light modulator, each area having a separate array of pixels, each light beam illuminating for transmittance a separate one of said K.sub.1 .times.K.sub.1 areas of said spatial light modulator, and an array of light detectors positioned to receive said light beams transmitted through said K.sub.1 .times.K.sub.1 areas of said spatial light modulator, whereby light detected at each of said light detectors provides conduction in response to light received, thereby providing many irregular interconnections in response to a plurality of light beams in patterns determined by said plurality of subholograms, a computer for generating said plurality of subholograms for producing rapid reconfigurable interconnections at said array of light detectors, and a binary spatial light filter positioned in the path of light through said spatial light modulator to impose a pattern of pixel spots of no light transmitted through said spatial light modulator, thereby increasing the number of patterns of irregular interconnections producible at said array of detectors.