SNAPSHOT SPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging system for obtaining snapshot images of an object in a number of different wavelength bands S, comprising:
- a. an image sensor having a plurality of sensor pixels in a sensor plane;
b. an optical block having a disperser, the disperser providing at the sensor plane a light dispersion with a complete lateral dispersive shift Δ
d such that Δ
d matches a featuresize Δ
of a spatial feature Φ
of a non-dispersed image of the object formed at the sensor plane; and
c. a mechanism for extracting from the light dispersion spectral-spatial data that can be converted into S images of the object in, correspondingly, S different wavelength bands.
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Abstract
Digital cameras for spectrally imaging an object or scene comprise an imaging component, a fixed one-dimensional disperser and an image sensor having sensor pixels, the disperser and image sensor arranged with matching optical parameters and in a predetermined spatial relationship. Each sensor pixel detects multiplexed spectral information from at least two adjacent object points and the spectral information detected by each sensor pixel is demultiplexed and processed into spectral-spatial data to provide spectral images.
71 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An imaging system for obtaining snapshot images of an object in a number of different wavelength bands S, comprising:
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a. an image sensor having a plurality of sensor pixels in a sensor plane; b. an optical block having a disperser, the disperser providing at the sensor plane a light dispersion with a complete lateral dispersive shift Δ
d such that Δ
d matches a featuresize Δ
of a spatial feature Φ
of a non-dispersed image of the object formed at the sensor plane; andc. a mechanism for extracting from the light dispersion spectral-spatial data that can be converted into S images of the object in, correspondingly, S different wavelength bands. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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2-4. -4. (canceled)
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8-11. -11. (canceled)
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12. A method for obtaining snapshot images of an object in a number of different wavelength bands S using a digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. adding a disperser to the digital camera; b. using the disperser to obtain, at a camera image sensor plane, a light dispersion with a complete lateral dispersive shift Δ
d such that Δ
d matches a featuresize Δ
of a spatial feature Φ
of a non-dispersed image of the object formed at the sensor plane; andc. extracting from the light dispersion spectral-spatial data that can be converted into S images of the object in, correspondingly, S different wavelength bands. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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13-15. -15. (canceled)
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18. An imaging system for spectrally imaging an object comprising:
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a. an optical block including a lens and a one-dimensional disperser; b. an image sensor having sensor pixels at a sensor plane, wherein the optical block provides, at each sensor pixel, spectral information multiplexed from at least two object points; and c. a mechanism for de-multiplexing and processing the de-multiplexed spectral information into spectral images of the object; whereby the imaging system functions as a snapshot spectral imager. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A method for obtaining snapshot images of an object in a number of different wavelength bands S using a digital camera that has an image sensor with a plurality of sensor pixels at a sensor plane, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. at each sensor pixel, obtaining multiplexed spectral information originating from at least two different object points; b. de-multiplexing the spectral information to obtain a spatial-spectral data cube; and c. from the data cube, obtaining S images of the object in, correspondingly, S different wavelength bands. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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38-40. -40. (canceled)
Specification