General Electric Assigned Patent

General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY, has been assigned a patent (8,238,217) developed by John Anderson Fergus Ross, Niskayuna, NY and Xiaolei Shi, Niskayuna, NY, for a "method and system for detection enhancement for optical data storage."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "The present techniques provide methods and systems for enhancing a data signal in reading optical discs, such as holographic data discs. The techniques involve adjusting the position of a detector, or multi-pixel detector, such that the reflection corresponding to a micro-hologram or micro-reflector is enhanced. For example, the detector position may be adjusted to a position where the surface reflection and the micro-hologram reflection constructively interfere, resulting in an amplified micro-hologram reflection signal. Other parameters such as disc reflectivity and detector pinhole size may be adjusted to increase signal enhancement. Furthermore, the detector position may be adjusted to a position where the phases of the surface reflection and the micro-hologram reflection result in a weaker cross term."

The patent application was filed on December 16, 2008 (12/336,414).