Spectral discrimination using temporal mapping of light pulses through optical filters
US5225894A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 5, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 5, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J2003/1265
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An incriment optical signal from a potential enemy threat is captured by an array of apertures which are connected to a number of broadband filters. The broadband filters have overlapping band pass regions to cover the wavelength spectrum of potential threats, but not with the spectral resolution of a larger number of narrowband filters. To further increase resolution without adding additional filters, each broadband filter is connected to an optical delay line which converts wavelength into a time delay. To enable measurement of the time delay, additional optical lines with no relative delay are connected directly from the apertures. The time difference between when a signal arrives over optical delay lines from the filters and when a signal arrives over optical lines directly from the array of apertures is then reconverted to wavelength to a high degree of resolution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.