Inview Technology Corporation

Lenore McMackin

Robert F Bridge

Kevin F Kelly

Donna E Hewitt

Sujoy Chatterjee

Richard G Baraniuk

Tyler H Weston

James Merton Tidman

Byron Zollars

Matthew A Herman

Gary Woods

Richard G Barnaiuk

A method for designing a spectral sensing device. The method includes: (1) performing computational operations on a computer, wherein the computational operations determine the positions of diffracted orders of an optical system model that models at least an array of light modulating elements and a diffraction grating, wherein the diffracted orders correspond to respective spectral components of input light to the optical system model, wherein the positions of the diffracted orders are determined at a target plane of the optical system model; and (2) storing the positions of the diffracted orders in a memory, wherein the positions determine corresponding locations for light detectors in the spectral sensing device. The spectral sensing device may be assembled by modifying an existing single pixel camera, i.e., by adding the diffraction grating and adding the light detectors respectively at said positions of the diffracted orders.

Simplified compressive sensing spectral imager

A compressive imaging system and method for quickly detecting spectrally and spatially localized events (such as explosions or gun discharges) occurring within the field of view. An incident light stream is modulated with a temporal sequence of spatial patterns. The wavelength components in the modulated light stream are spatially separated, e.g., using a diffractive element. An array of photodetectors is used to convert subsets of the wavelength components into respective signals. An image representing the field of view may be reconstructed based on samples from some or all the signals. A selected subset of the signals are monitored to detect event occurrences, e.g., by detecting sudden changes in intensity. When the event is detected, sample data from the selected subset of signals may be analyzed to determine the event location within the field of view. The event location may be highlighted in an image being generated by the imaging system.

High-speed event detection using a compressive-sensing hyperspectral-imaging architecture

A mechanism for reconstructing sub-images based on measurement data acquired by an imaging system including an array of light modulating elements and an array of photodetectors. Each sub-image is reconstructed based on samples from a respective photodetector and a respective set of measurement patterns defined on a respective virtual sub-region on the modulating array. Each virtual sub-region is configured to include at least the light modulating elements that are able to send a non-trivial amount of light to the respective photodetector during a pattern application period. The virtual sub-regions overlap because many light modulating elements are capable of sending light to more than one photodetector. Whenever a measurement pattern of one virtual sub-region overlaps the measurement pattern of a neighboring virtual sub-region, the two measurement patterns agree by design. Thus, the measurement patterns for the collection of virtual sub-regions combine to form a pattern on the whole modulating array.

Overlap patterns and image stitching for multiple-detector compressive-sensing camera

A compressive imaging system for optimizing dynamic range during the acquisition of compressed images. A light modulator modulates incident light with spatial patterns to produced modulated light. A light sensing device generates an electrical signal representing intensity of the modulated light over time. The system amplifies a difference between the electrical signal and an adjustable baseline voltage and captures samples of the amplified signal. The adjustable baseline voltage is set to be approximately equal to the average value of the electrical signal. A compressive imaging system for identifying and correcting hot spot(s) in the incident light field. Search patterns are sent to the light modulator and the corresponding samples of the electrical signal are analyzed. Once the hot spot is located, the light modulating elements corresponding to the hot spot may be turned off or their duty cycle may be reduced.

Hot spot correction in a compressive imaging system

An imaging system and method that captures compressive sensing (CS) measurements of a received light stream, and also obtains samples of background light level (BGLL). The BGLL samples may be used to compensate the CS measurements for variations in the BGLL. The system includes: a light modulator to spatially modulate the received light stream with spatial patterns, and a lens to concentrate the modulated light stream onto a light detector. The samples of BGLL may be obtained in various ways: (a) injecting calibration patterns among the spatial patterns; (b) measuring complementary light reflected by digital micromirrors onto a secondary output path; (c) separating and measuring a portion of light from the optical input path; (d) low-pass filtering the CS measurements; and (e) employing a light power meter with its own separate input path. Also, the CS measurements may be high-pass filtered to attenuate background light variation.

Dedicated power meter to measure background light level in compressive imaging system

Mechanisms for increasing the rate of acquisition of compressed/encoded image representations are disclosed. An imaging system may deliver subsets of a modulated light stream onto respective light sensing devices. The light sensing devices may be sampled in parallel. Samples from each light sensing device may be used to construct a respective sub-image of a final image. The parallelism allows compressed images to be acquired at a higher rate. The number of light sensing devices and/or the number of pixels per image may be selected to achieve a target image acquisition rate. In another embodiment, spatial portions of the incident light stream are separated and delivered to separate light modulators. In yet another embodiment, the incident light stream is split into a plurality of beams, each of which retains the image present in the incident light stream and is delivered to a separate light modulator.

Decreasing image acquisition time for compressive imaging devices

Dual-port measurements of light reflected from micromirror array

A compressive imaging (CI) device including a light modulator and a light sensor (e.g., a single-element sensor or a sensor array). The CI device may support the focusing of light on the light modulator and/or on the light sensor in a number of ways: (1) determining a focus indicator value by analyzing a 1D or 2D image in the incident light field; (2) measuring light spillover between modulator regions and light sensing elements&#x2014;either at the level of voltage measurements or the level of reconstructed images; (3) measure noise in reconstructed sub-images; (4) measuring an amount high-frequency content in the incident light field; (5) incorporating a range finder to measure distance to the object being imaged; (6) incorporating an image sensor downstream from the modulator; and (7) splitting a portion of the incident light onto an image sensor, prior to the modulator.

Focusing mechanisms for compressive imaging device

A compressive imaging system including a light modulator, a light sensing device and a TIR prism. The TIR prism is configured to receive an incident light beam, to provide the incident light beam to the light modulator, to receive a modulated light beam MLB from the light modulator, and to direct the modulated light beam onto a sensing path. The light sensing device receives the modulated light beam (or at least a portion of the modulated light beam) and generates an electrical signal that represents intensity of the modulated light beam (or the 'at least a portion' of the modulated light beam). The TIR prism may reduce a distance required to separate the incident light beam from the modulated light beam.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Lenore McMackin