Patent ID: 8305575
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting specific properties of a radiance image of a scene in hardware using a spectrally encoding sensor system comprising: a spectrograph that forms a dispersed image comprising multiple spectral components displaced along a dispersion direction; a programmable spatial mask for encoding filter functions on the dispersed image where the filter functions select specific spectral pass bands and/or spatial locations; and optical elements that direct the encoded dispersed radiation onto a detector that records the intensity transmitted through each mask, the method comprising: successively encoding a series of two or more filter functions with the programmable spatial mask, to make two or more successive measurements that each measure the inner product of the filter function with the scene radiance spectrum, where the filter function contains a combination of spectral pass bands that emphasize one or more specific properties of a target or analyte that may be located within the scene; and comparing two or more measurements using linear operations such as subtraction and ratios, to produce a contrast signal indicative of the specific properties of the scene.