Patent ID: 8018589

Claim:
A method for measuring spectral properties of a target material, the method comprising: generating an illumination light containing a desired variable spectral output and desired variable wavelength dependent intensity distribution from a computer-controlled illumination system comprising a tunable light source configured to emit the illumination light and a controller operably connected to the tunable light source and configured to vary the desired spectral output and desired wavelength dependent intensity distribution of the illumination light to provide the desired spectral output and desired wavelength dependent intensity distribution; directing the illumination light toward the target material; sensing light from the target material with a spectral measurement sensor; determining target spectral data that represents at least a spectral distribution and wavelength dependent intensity distribution of light emanating from the target material; transmitting the target spectral data to the controller, wherein the controller receives the target spectral data and incorporates the target spectral data to tune the tunable light source; wherein generating the illumination light comprises: emitting light from a light source; passing the light by a spectrum former optically connected to and downstream from the light source to provide a spectrum from the light emitted from the light source; passing the spectrum via a pixelated spatial light modulator (SLM) located downstream from and optically connected to the spectrum former, the pixelated SLM configured to pass substantially only the desired spectral output and wavelength dependent intensity distribution of the light from the light source to provide the illumination light; and wherein passing the spectrum via the pixelated SLM comprises reflecting the spectrum off the SLM to provide the desired spectral output and wavelength dependent intensity distribution of the illumination light.