Hybrid higher order optical symbolic recognition

Several new higher-order spatial symbol recognition methods for optical symbolic substitution-based calculations are presented. In case of logic processing, higher-order symbolic substitution (SS) rules can be applied to implement multi-variable logic functions. In binary arithmetical calculations requiring carry propagation, the simultaneous processing of a number of bits increases computational speed. Finally, using higher-order SS rules, image processing can be perform using larger windows. Both, multiplicative and additive techniques for a spatial symbol recognition are discussed. Four different optical architectures, a multi-reflecting technique using an optical cavity, a correlation, a phase conjugation and a content-addressable memory (CAM) techniques, are suggested. Optical either dual-rail (DR) or triple-rail (TR) spatial encoding is employed. Some preliminary experimental results are also included.