Patent Document ID: 9341514
Application ID: 13799630
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A hyperspectral imaging system for providing a hyperspectral image of a two-dimensional area of a remote object, the hyperspectral imaging system comprising: at least one optic configured to receive light associated with the remote object; a drum with at least one slit formed in a surface thereof and a fold mirror located therein, where the rotating drum has an opening on one side thereof through which the light from the at least one optic passes and is reflected by the fold mirror towards an inner portion of the surface, and where the inner portion of the surface is positioned at an image plane of the at least one optic; an actuator that rotates the drum; a controller configured to control the actuator such that the drum is rotated so a first slit of the at least one slit is positioned to allow a first line of light associated with the remote object to pass there through; a spectrometer comprising at least a dispersion device configured to receive the first line of light and output a first dispersed line of light; a two-dimensional image sensor configured to receive the first dispersed line of light and provide a first two dimensional image of the first dispersed line of light; the controller configured to obtain the first two dimensional image and control the actuator such that the drum is rotated so the first slit of the at least one slit is positioned to allow a second line of light associated with the remote object to pass there through; the spectrometer comprising at least the dispersion device configured to receive the second line of light and output a second dispersed line of light; the two-dimensional image sensor configured to receive the second dispersed line of light and provide a second two dimensional image of the second dispersed line of light; the controller configured to obtain the second two dimensional image; the controller configured to repeatedly control the actuator such that the drum is rotated so the first slit of the at least one slit is positioned to allow different lines of light associated with the light of the remote object to pass there through while repeatedly obtaining two dimensional images of the different dispersed lines of light from the two-dimensional image sensor and combining the first and second two dimensional images and the different two dimensional images to provide the hyperspectral image of the two-dimensional area of the remote object; the first slit has a length that is equal to or larger than a width of an image of the remote object on the inner portion of the surface of the drum; and, the first slit has a width which dictates how many positions and times the first slit would have to be moved by rotating the drum to enable all the different lines of light to pass there through such that when all the lines of light are combined then the combined different lines of light encompass a height of the image of the remote object on the inner portion of the surface of the drum.