Very fast time resolved imaging in multiparameter measurement space having means for separating reflected light to form plural beam images

• US 7,534,984 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arete Associates
• Original Assignee: Arete Associates
• Inventors: Gleckler, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US11/809,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/559.4, 250/216, 250/214.R, 250/214.VT, 250/207, 250/458.1, 250/459.1, 250/461.1, 382128-134, 382/154, 382173-175, 356/326, 356/419, 356/417, 356/318
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 11/00 Measuring the characteristics of individual optical pulses or of optical pulse trains
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0229 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators or spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0294 Multi-channel spectroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/04 Slit arrangements slit adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2889 Rapid scan spectrometers; Time resolved spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/447 Polarisation spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 4/00 Measuring polarisation of light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 9/00 Measuring optical phase difference devices or arrangements for controlling the phase of light beams G02F1/01; Determining degree of coherence; Measuring optical wavelength spectrometry G01J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6423 Spectral mapping, video display
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6408 with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 : Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/481 : Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 : relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 13/02 : using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 13/026 : Measuring duration of ultra-short light pulses, e.g. in the pico-second range; particular detecting devices therefor photometry, radiation pyrometry G01J1/00, G01J5/00; non-linear optics G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 43/00 : Secondary-emission tubes; Electron-multiplier tubes dynamic electron-multiplier tubes H01J25/76

Abstract

Plural electronic or optical images are provided in a streak optical system, as for instance by use of plural slits instead of the conventional single slit, to obtain a third, fourth etc. dimension—rather than only the conventional two, namely range or time and azimuth. Such additional dimension or dimensions are thereby incorporated into the optical information that is to be streaked and thereby time resolved. The added dimensions may take any of an extremely broad range of forms, including wavelength, polarization state, or one or more spatial dimensions—or indeed virtually any optical parameter that can be impressed upon a probe beam. Resulting capabilities remarkably include several new forms of lidar spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, polarimetry, spectropolarimetry, and combinations of these.

Claims

1. A spatial mapping system for mapping a region;

said system comprising;

a light source for emitting at least one thin, fan-shaped beam from a moving emission location toward such region, a thin dimension of the beam being oriented generally parallel to a direction of motion of the emission location;

an imaging device for receiving light reflected from such region and forming an image of the reflected light;

means for separating the reflected light to form plural reflected beam images representing different aspects of such region, respectively; and

an image-responsive element for receiving and responding to the plural beam images.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for discriminating between spatially different aspects of such region.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for discriminating between aspects of such region that are carried in portions of the beam received at different angles.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the discriminating means comprise means for forming discrete plural reflected beam images from portions of the beam received at different angular ranges, respectively.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for discriminating between aspects of such region that are carried in different polarization states of the beam.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for discriminating between aspects of such region that are carried in different spectral components of the beam.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for discriminating between combinations of two or more different aspects of such region that are carried in different characteristics of the beam, at least one of which characteristics is selected from among;

spatially different aspects of the beam,

different polarization states of the beam, and

different spectral components of the beam.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

at least two of said characteristics are selected from said spatial, polarization and spectral characteristics.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the emission location is selected from the group consisting of:

a spacecraft;

an aircraft;

another type of vehicle; and

another type of moving platform.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the emission location is a fixed light source cooperating with a scanning system to provide a moving image of the light source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises means for emitting the at least one beam into such medium that is a generally clear fluid above a generally hard surface.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises means for emitting the at least one beam into such medium that is a turbid medium, including but not limited to ocean water, wastewater, fog, clouds, smoke or other particulate suspensions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises means for emitting the at least one beam into such medium that is a diffuse medium, including but not limited to foliage at least partially obscuring a landscape.

14. A spatial mapping system for mapping a region;

said system comprising;

a light source for emitting a beam whose cross-section has an aspect ratio on the order of 1;

1, from a moving emission location toward such region;

an imaging device for receiving light reflected from such region and forming an image of the reflected light;

means for separating the reflected light to form plural reflected beam images representing different aspects of such region, respectively; and

an image-responsive element for receiving and responding to the plural beam images.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the imaging device comprises means for receiving the reflected light from such region as a reflected-beam whose cross-section has an aspect ratio on the order of 1;

1.

16. A spectrometric analytical system for analyzing a medium with any objects therein;

said system comprising;

a light source for emitting substantially at least one pencil beam toward such medium;

an imaging device for receiving light reflected from such medium and forming an image of the reflected light;

means for separating the reflected light along one dimension to form plural reflected beam images arrayed along said dimension and representing different aspects of the medium, respectively;

optical-dispersing means for forming a spectrum from at least one of the plural images, by dispersion of the at least one image along a dimension generally orthogonal to the said dimension; and

an image-responsive element for receiving and responding to the plural beam images.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the dispersing means comprise means for forming a spectrum from each of the plural images, respectively.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for separating the reflected light to form plural images representing spatially different aspects of the beam, respectively.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for separating the reflected light to form plural images representing different polarization states of the beam, respectively.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for separating the reflected light to form plural images representing different spectral constituents of the be am, respectively.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the separating means comprise means for separating the reflected light to form plural images representing combinations of two or more different aspects of such medium that are carried in different characteristics of the beam, at least one of which characteristics is selected from among;

spatially different aspects of the beam,

different polarization states of the beam, and

different spectral components of the beam.