Method and apparatus for non-line-of-sight imaging of a first area using photons detected from a second area

• US 8,373,107 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Meyers, Ronald Everett, Deacon, Keith Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US13/198,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20110284724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 2502033-2036, 250/221, 356/4.01, 356/141.1, 356/146, 356/147, 382106-123, 382190-216, 382274-278
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/003 Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics

Abstract

A system for imaging information comprising a spatial receiver, a chaotic photon light source comprising a first beam directed at a first predetermined area containing an object, and a second beam received by the spatial receiver and measured at specific intervals in time; the spatial receiver transmitting spatial information correlated to specific intervals of time to a processor; and a first receiver detecting the influence of the object on the first light beam; the first receiver not being in the line of sight with the first predetermined area and adapted to detect light from a second predetermined area spaced from the first predetermined area, the at least one processor operating to correlate the outputs of the first receiver with spatial information derived from the spatial receiver at correlating intervals of time to create an image of the object and a method for practicing the invention.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining an image of an object out of line of sight comprising:

directing a chaotic light beam at a first area containing the object;

measuring the light from the chaotic light beam at a plurality of instances in time;

using a photon detector, detecting light from a second area over a plurality of instances in time;

the photon detector not being in the line of sight with the first area but in line-of-sight with a second area;

using a processor, correlating the information received by the photon detector with the measurement of light from the chaotic light beam at specific instances in time; and

producing an image of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second areas are coplanar and located on a translucent material, and wherein light from the first area is reflected and scattered through the translucent material to the second area and is collected by the photon detector from light from the second area, and wherein the correlating of the information is based upon quantum wave function probability amplitudes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of directing a chaotic light beam at a first area comprises illuminating the first area with light from a chaotic laser and further comprising measuring light from the chaotic laser using a spatial light detector, detecting coincidences between light reflected from the second area and detected by the photon detector with light detected by the spatial light detector using at least one processor, and forming an image of the visual information contained in the first area using the at least one processor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the object is visual information and the step of directing a chaotic light beam at a first area comprises directing light from the chaotic laser into a beam splitter whereby the beam from the chaotic laser is split into a first beam which irradiates the first area and a second beam which is measured by the spatial light detector, the output of the spatial light detector being operatively connected to the at least one processor, the output of the photon detector being operatively connected to the at least one processor, the at least one processor operating to detect coincidences between the outputs of the spatial light detector and the photon detector, the at least one processor operating to form an image of the visual information contained in the first area.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the chaotic light beam is directed through turbulence.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the measuring of the light from the chaotic light beam at a plurality of instances in time is performed using a charge-coupled device.

7. A system for imaging information comprising;

a spatial receiver,

a chaotic photon light source for producing light;

the light comprising a first beam adapted to be directed at a first predetermined area containing an object, and a second beam which is received by the spatial receiver and measured at specific intervals in time;

at least one processor operatively connected to the spatial receiver, the spatial receiver operating to transmit spatial information correlated to specific intervals of time to the processor;

a first receiver operatively connected to the at least one processor and operative to detect the influence of the object on the first portion of the light beam;

the first receiver not being in the line of sight with the first predetermined area and adapted to detect light from a second predetermined area spaced from and coplanar with the first predetermined area, and

the at least one processor operating to correlate the outputs of the first receiver with spatial information derived from the spatial receiver at correlating intervals of time to create an image of the object.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising a beams splitter, the light from the chaotic photon light source being divided into the first and second beams by the beam splitter, the first beam being directed in a first direction towards the first predetermined area such that at least a portion of the first part is influenced by the object present at the first predetermined area and detected by the first detector by viewing light from a second predetermined area, the second beam being directed in a second direction absent the object and detected by the spatial receiver.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the spatial receiver is a charge-coupled device and wherein the first receiver is a nonspatial photon detector.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the chaotic light source comprises modulated light.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the modulated light is modulated by a thermalizing element.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the chaotic photon light source is directed into a beam splitter which splits the light into a first beam which irradiates the first predetermined area and a second beam which is measured by the spatial light detector, the at least one processor operating to detect coincidences between the outputs of the spatial light detector and the first receiver, the at least one processor operating to form an image of the second predetermined area, the image of the second predetermined area containing the visual information found at the first area the at least one processor operating to form an image of the object contained in the first predetermined area.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the object comprises visual information imprinted on translucent material, and wherein the second predetermined area is located on the translucent material, and wherein the visual information is transferred from the first predetermined area to the second predetermined area at least in part through the translucent material.

14. A method of imaging an object in a first area from a predetermined location not in the light of sight with the object comprising:

providing a beam of photons, at least a portion of the beam of photons being directed at a first area;

measuring the light from the beam of photons at a plurality of instances in time using a spatial receiver;

detecting light influenced by the object in the first area using a first detector at a predetermined location not in line of sight with the first area;

the first detector being directed to a second area spaced from the first area, and

producing an image of the object by correlating the outputs of the first detector and the spatial receiver using at least one processor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the beam of photons through a thermalized light source.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the generated beam of photons through a spatial light modulator.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising modulating the beam of photons using a modulator, the modulator being operatively connected to the at least one processor which monitors or records the modulation of the beam of photons, whereupon the processor determines image information based upon the output of the modulator and the outputs of the first detector and spatial receiver.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the beam of photons is a chaotic light beam that is directed through turbulence.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the measuring of the light from the chaotic light beam at a plurality of instances in time is performed using a charge-coupled device.