Patent ID: 7546208

Claim:
A method of signal processing for use in spectrometry, comprising: obtaining a sample time domain waveform of a sample signal and a reference time domain waveform of a reference signal; obtaining a sample apodization waveform for application to the sample time domain waveform and a reference apodization waveform for application to the reference time domain waveform, each of the apodization waveforms comprising a first segment and a second segment extending from an end of the first segment, the first segment of the sample and reference apodization waveforms being substantially coextensive in length and comprising magnitudes representing a substantially same constant non-zero weight profile, the second segment of the sample and reference apodization waveforms each comprising magnitudes representing a non-linear decaying weight profile; applying the sample and reference apodization waveforms to the sample and reference time domain waveforms, such that the substantially same constant non-zero weight profile is applied to corresponding substantially coextensive regions of the sample and reference time domain waveforms, resulting in apodized sample and reference time domain waveforms; transforming the apodized sample and reference time domain waveforms into corresponding sample and reference frequency domain spectral waveforms; and generating a referenced spectral analysis waveform as a ratio of the sample spectral waveform to the reference spectral waveform, the spectral analysis waveform substantially excluding frequencies associated with the corresponding coextensive regions of the apodized sample and reference time domain waveforms.