Terahertz spectral imaging system and security surveillance system employing the same

US10234383B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KONICA MINOLTA LABORATORY U.S.A., INC. · US

Inventors

• Leiming Wang · Beijing, CN
• Jun Amano · Hillsborough, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 20, 2017
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2019
• Expiry date: Jun 20, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06V2201/05
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A terahertz (THz) spectral imaging system includes a THz 2D imaging camera, a tunable THz bandpass filter before the THz camera, and a broadband THz light source. The tunable THz bandpass filter includes a visible or infrared laser source, a spatial light modulator modulating the light to generate a spatially structured light pattern, and a semiconductor plate onto which the light pattern is projected. The light pattern generates carriers in the semiconductor plate to turn it into a metamaterial THz bandpass filter, which is tunable by changing the light patterns. A controller controls the light patterns and the THz camera in a timing sequence to acquire multiple 2D THz images at different THz frequencies. Such THz spectral image data can be further combined with visible images and LiDAR images in a security surveillance system to automatically detect security threats using image fusion and deep learning techniques.