Real time optical correlation system
First Claim
1. An optical correlation unit for providing a correlation image from image data representing a first object and Fourier transform image data representing a second object, comprising:
- a first phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and means for receiving electronic input to each reflective element, wherein said electronic input represents a point of an input image and controls the phase modulation by said reflective;
element of light incident on its surface;
a coherent light source for illuminating the surface of said reflective elements of said first spatial light modulator;
a first Fourier transform lens for receiving light reflected from the surface of said first phase modulating spatial light modulator;
a second phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and having means for receiving electronic input to each reflective element, wherein said electronic input represents a point of an input image and that controls the phase modulation by said reflective element, and wherein said second phase modulating spatial light modulator is located at the Fourier image plane of said first Fourier transform lens;
means for directing light reflected from said second spatial light modulator to a second Fourier transform lens;
a second Fourier transform lens for receiving said light reflected from said second spatial light modulator; and
an image capture device located at the Fourier image plane of said second Fourier transform lens.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical correlation unit for correlating the images of an inspection object and a reference object. The unit uses two phase modulating reflective spatial light modulators. A first spatial light modulator receives electronic input in the form of image data representing the inspection object. It modulates incoming light with this input and reflects the modulated output to a first Fourier transform lens. This lens provides the optical input to a second spatial light modulator, whose electronic input is transform data representing the complex conjugate of the Fourier transform of the reference image. The electronic input modulates the optical input, resulting in the Fourier product of the two images, which is then transformed to provide correlation data.
319 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optical correlation unit for providing a correlation image from image data representing a first object and Fourier transform image data representing a second object, comprising:
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a first phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and means for receiving electronic input to each reflective element, wherein said electronic input represents a point of an input image and controls the phase modulation by said reflective;
element of light incident on its surface;a coherent light source for illuminating the surface of said reflective elements of said first spatial light modulator; a first Fourier transform lens for receiving light reflected from the surface of said first phase modulating spatial light modulator; a second phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and having means for receiving electronic input to each reflective element, wherein said electronic input represents a point of an input image and that controls the phase modulation by said reflective element, and wherein said second phase modulating spatial light modulator is located at the Fourier image plane of said first Fourier transform lens; means for directing light reflected from said second spatial light modulator to a second Fourier transform lens; a second Fourier transform lens for receiving said light reflected from said second spatial light modulator; and an image capture device located at the Fourier image plane of said second Fourier transform lens. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for correlating the image of a first object with the image of a second object, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a set of image data representing the image of a first object; obtaining a set of transform data representing the complex conjugate of the transform image of a second object; delivering said image data to the electronic input means of a first reflective phase modulating spatial light modulator; delivering said transform data to the electronic input means of a second reflective phase modulating spatial light modulator; illuminating the surface of said first spatial light modulator with incident light; using said first spatial light modulator to modulate said incident light such that a phase encoded version of said image data is reflected from its surface; directing light reflected from the surface of said first spatial light modulator through a first Fourier transform lens to said second spatial light modulator in the Fourier image plane of said first Fourier transform lens, resulting in a transform of said image data on the reflective surface of said second spatial light modulator; using said second spatial light modulator to modulate said transform of said image data; directing light reflected from said second spatial light modulator to a second Fourier transform lens; and capturing the correlation image from said second Fourier transform lens with an image capture device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical correlation system for providing a correlation image from image data representing a first object and Fourier transform image data representing a second object, comprising:
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an image capture unit for obtaining image data representing a first one of said objects; a transform image capture unit for obtaining transform image data representing a second one of said objects; a first phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and means for receiving said image data as electronic input to each element, which controls the phase modulation of said element; a coherent light source for illuminating the surface of said first spatial light modulator; a first Fourier transform lens for receiving light reflected from the surface of said first phase modulating spatial light modulator; a second phase modulating spatial light modulator, having an array of reflective elements and having means for receiving said transform data as electronic input to each reflective;
element for controlling the phase modulation by said element, wherein said second phase modulating spatial light modulator is located at the Fourier image plane of said first Fourier transform lens;means for directing light reflected from said second spatial light modulator to a Fourier transform lens; a second Fourier transform lens for receiving said light reflected from said second spatial light modulator; and an image capture device located at the Fourier image plane of said second Fourier transform lens. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification