Method and apparatus for observing subsurfaces of a target material
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- a light source that facilitates emitting a light signal;
a first polarizer incident with the light signal, wherein the first polarizer has a first polarization state that facilitates polarizing the light signal to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target;
a second polarizer incident with a first reflection of the polarized light signal emitted from a top surface of the target and incident with a second reflection of the polarized light signal emitted from subsurfaces of the target, wherein the second polarizer has a second polarization state, and wherein a combination of the first polarization state and the second polarization state creates a mixed polarization state for generating mixed polarized light signals from the first reflection and second reflection;
a mechanical control that facilitates adjusting the mixed polarization state to generate adjusted mixed polarized light signals;
a controller that performs operations comprising;
obtaining configuration information for adjusting the mixed polarization state according to a type of target; and
controlling the mechanical control to adjust the mixed polarization state according to the configuration information by performing a first sweep of wavelengths of light from the light source and a second sweep of mixed polarization states.
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Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for generating from a light source a light signal operating in a region of the light spectrum, modifying the light signal with a first polarization device having a first polarization state to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target, modifying a substantially specular reflection and a substantially diffused reflection of the polarized light signal generated from the target with a second polarization device having a second polarization state to generate mixed polarized light signals having a mixed polarization state, and adjusting the mixed polarization state to modify an observable range of subsurfaces of the target. Other embodiments are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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a light source that facilitates emitting a light signal; a first polarizer incident with the light signal, wherein the first polarizer has a first polarization state that facilitates polarizing the light signal to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target; a second polarizer incident with a first reflection of the polarized light signal emitted from a top surface of the target and incident with a second reflection of the polarized light signal emitted from subsurfaces of the target, wherein the second polarizer has a second polarization state, and wherein a combination of the first polarization state and the second polarization state creates a mixed polarization state for generating mixed polarized light signals from the first reflection and second reflection; a mechanical control that facilitates adjusting the mixed polarization state to generate adjusted mixed polarized light signals; a controller that performs operations comprising; obtaining configuration information for adjusting the mixed polarization state according to a type of target; and controlling the mechanical control to adjust the mixed polarization state according to the configuration information by performing a first sweep of wavelengths of light from the light source and a second sweep of mixed polarization states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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generating, by a device comprising a processor, from a light source a light signal; modifying, by the device, the light signal with a first polarizer having a first polarization state to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target; modifying, by the device, reflections of the polarized light signal generated from the target with a second polarizer having a second polarization state to generate mixed polarized light signals having a mixed polarization state; obtaining, by the device, configuration information according to a type of target; and adjusting, by the device, the mixed polarization state according to the configuration information by performing a first sweep of wavelengths of light from the light source and a second sweep of mixed polarization states, wherein the adjusting generates adjusted mixed polarized light signals that adjust an observable range of subsurfaces of the target; and generating, by the device, an image from the adjusted mixed polarized light signals. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions, which when executed by a circuit, cause the circuit to perform operations comprising:
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emitting a light signal from a light source, wherein the light signal is polarized by a first polarizer having a first polarization state to generate a polarized light signal directed to a target, and wherein a reflection of the polarized light signal generated from the target is modified with a second polarizer having a second polarization state to generate mixed polarized light signals having a mixed polarization state; and initiating a mechanical control according to configuration information associated with the target that performs a first sweep of wavelengths of light generated by the light source and a second sweep of mixed polarization states to generate adjusted mixed polarized light signals that adjust an observable range of subsurfaces of the target. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification