Hologram image-space scalling

Claim 2

A process of analyzing a hologram, which process comprises: producing a diffraction-point hologram of a diffraction point at a known distance from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram; and cross-correlating the diffraction-point hologram with the hologram being analyzed to form a cross-correlation image plane that contains an image when the diffraction point depicted in the diffraction-point hologram is spaced from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram as a diffraction point on the object of the hologram being analyzed is spaced from the plane of the hologram being analyzed.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein an image is reconstructed from the hologram being analyzed with respect to the portion of the object of the hologram being analyzed that is spaced from the plane of that hologram as the diffraction point is spaced from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram, by forming a virtual image of the image that is contained on the image plane of the cross-correlation.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, wherein a plurality of said virtual images are formed in order to form a composite three-dimensional reconstruced image of a plurality of portions of the object of the hologram being analyzed.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3, wherein: said composite reconstructed image is recorded on means for recording the intensity distribution of light diffracted from said image; and the light diffracted from said image is mixed with a reference beam of the coherent light used to reconstruct said image in order to form a hologram of said image on said recording means.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4, wherein the hologram being analyzed is one in which the reference wave was parallel to the plane on which the hologram was formed and the hologram that is formed on said recording means depicts the same object in a hologram from which the reconstructed image is formed on an axis divergent from that of the zeroth order image.

Claim 7

The process of claim 2, wherein the coordinates of said virtual images are adjusted with respect to variations in the refractive indexes of materials between the object and the plane of formation of the hologram being analyzed to locate said virtual images substantially linearly with respect to said plane of formation.

Claim 8

An optical method for analyzing a hologram, comprising: producing a hologram of a diffraction-point at a known distance from the plane along which the hologram was formed; diffracting coherent light from a diffraction-point hologram and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; mixing the focused light that forms a transform of a diffraction-point hologram with a reference beam of the coherent light that was diffracted from that hologram and visibly displaying the intensity distribution of the mixture of light to form a holographic matched filter; diffracting coherent light from the hologram being processed and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; and diffracting the focused light that forms the transform of the hologram being processed from a holographic matched filter and focusing the diffracted light to form a cross-correlation of the hologram and the filter.

Claim 9

An optical method for analyzing a hologram, comprising: producing a hologram of a diffraction-point at a known distance from the plane along which the hologram was formed; diffracting coherent light from a diffraction-point hologram and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; mixing the focused light that forms a transform of a diffraction-point hologram with a reference beam of the coherent light that was diffracted from that hologram and visibly displaying the intensity distribution of the mixture of light to form a holographic matched filter; diffracting coherent light from the hologram being processed and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; and diffracting the focused light that forms the transform of the hologram being processed from a holographic matched filter and focusing the diffracted light to form a cross-correlation of the hologram and the filter.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7, wherein: holographic matched filters are formed from each of a series of holograms of diffraction-points at different distances from the planes along which their holograms were formed; and cross-correlations are formed between the hologram being processed and each of a plurality of holographic matched filters.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7, wherein: a holographic matched filter is formed from a hologram of a diffraction-point at a distance from the plane of hologram formation that is intermediate the range of corresponding distances relative to diffraction-points in the hologram being processed; and variable-focus focusing means are utilized to form cross-correlations between the holographic matched filter and the hologram being processed at each of a plurality of magnifications.

Claim 12

The process of claim 7, wherein: the focused diffracted light that forms a cross-correlation is focused to form a virtual image of the image formed in the image plane of the cross-correlations; and a visible record is formed of the virtual image.

Claim 13

The process of claim 7, wherein the hologram being processed was formed from radiant energy having a wavelength that is long relative to a wavelength of visible light.

Claim 14

The process of claim 7, wherein the hologram being processed was formed from seismic energy.

Claim 15

The process of claim 7, wherein the hologram being processed is one in which the reference wave from which the hologram is formed was substantially parallel to the plane on which the hologram was formed.

Claim 16

The process of claim 13, wherein at least one substantially circularly-symmetrical diffraction-point hologram is used to form a holographic matched filter.

Claim 17

A process of analyzing a hologram, which process comprises: producing a diffraction-point hologram of a diffraction point at a known distance from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram; and performing a convolution of the diffraction-point hologram with the hologram being analyzed to form a convolution image plane that contains an image when the diffraction point depicted in the diffraction-point hologram is spaced from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram as a diffraction point on the object of the hologram being analyzed is spaced from the plane of the hologram being analyzed.

Claim 18

A process of analyzing a hologram, which process comprises: producing a diffraction-point hologram of a diffraction point at a known distance from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram; and performing a convolution of the diffraction-point hologram with the hologram being analyzed to form a convolution image plane that contains an image when the diffraction point depicted in the diffraction-point hologram is spaced from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram as a diffraction point on the object of the hologram being analyzed is spaced from the plane of the hologram being analyzed.

Claim 19

The process of claim 15, wherein an image is reconstructed from the hologram being analyzed with respect to the portion of the object of the hologram being analyzed that is spaced from the plane of that hologram as the diffraction point is spaced from the plane of the diffraction-point hologram, by forming the virtual image of the image that is contained on the image plane of the convolution.

Claim 20

The process of claim 16 wherein a plurality of said virtual images are formed in order to form a composite three-dimensional reconstructed image of a plurality of portions of the object of the hologram being analyzed.

Claim 21

The process of claim 17, wherein: said composite reconstructed image is recorded on means for recording the intensity distribution of light diffracted from said image; and the light diffracted from said image is mixed with a reference beam of the coherent light used to reconstruct said image in order to form a hologram of said image on said recording means.

Claim 22

The process of claim 18, wherein the hologram being analyzed is one in which the reference wave was parallel to the plane on which the hologram was formed and the hologram that is formed on said recording means depicts the same object in a hologram from which the reconstructed image is formed on an axis divergent from that of the zeroth order image.

Claim 23

The process of claim 16 wherein the coordinate of said virtual images are adjusted with respect to variations in the refractive indexes of materials between the object and the plane of formation of the hologRam being analyzed to locate said virtual images substantially linearly with respect to said plane of formation.

Claim 24

An optical method for analyzing a hologram, comprising: producing a hologram of a diffraction-point at a known distance from the plane along which the hologram was formed; diffracting coherent light from a diffraction-point hologram and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; mixing the focused light that forms a transform of a diffraction-point hologram with a reference beam of the coherent light that was diffracted from that hologram and visibly displaying the intensity distribution of the mixture of light to form a holographic matched filter; diffracting coherent light from the hologram being processed and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; and diffracting the focused light that forms the transform of the hologram being processed from a holographic matched filter and focusing the diffracted light to form a convolution of the hologram and the filter.

Claim 25

An optical method for analyzing a hologram, comprising: producing a hologram of a diffraction-point at a known distance from the plane along which the hologram was formed; diffracting coherent light from a diffraction-point hologram and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; mixing the focused light that forms a transform of a diffraction-point hologram with a reference beam of the coherent light that was diffracted from that hologram and visibly displaying the intensity distribution of the mixture of light to form a holographic matched filter; diffracting coherent light from the hologram being processed and focusing the diffracted light to form a two-dimensional Fourier transform; and diffracting the focused light that forms the transform of the hologram being processed from a holographic matched filter and focusing the diffracted light to form a convolution of the hologram and the filter.

Claim 26

The process of claim 21 wherein: holographic matched filters are formed from each of a series of holograms of diffraction-point at different distances from the planes along which their holograms were formed; and convolutions are formed between the hologram being processed and each of a plurality of holographic matched filters.

Claim 27

The process of claim 21 wherein: a holographic matched filter is formed from a hologram of a diffraction-point at a distance from the plane of hologram formation that is intermediate the range of corresponding distances relative to diffraction-points in the hologram being processed; and variable-focus focusing means are utilized to form convolutions between the holographic matched filter and the hologram being processed at each of a plurality of magnifications.

Claim 28

The process of claim 21 wherein: the focused diffracted light that forms a convolution is focused to form a virtual image of the image formed in the image plane of the convolution; and a visible record is formed of the virtual image.

Claim 29

The process of claim 21, wherein the hologram being processed was formed from radiant energy having a wavelength that is long relative to a wavelength of visible light.

Claim 30

The process of claim 21, wherein the hologram being processed was formed from seismic energy.

Claim 31

The process of claim 21 wherein the hologram being processed is one in which the reference wave from which the hologram is formed was substantially parallel to the plane on which the hologram was formed.

Claim 32

The process of claim 27, wherein a least one substantially circularly-symmetrical diffraction-point hologram is used to form a holographic matched filter.