MEMS microdisplay optical imaging and sensor systems for underwater and other scattering environments

US9019503B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Bing Ouyang · Vero Beach, US
• Fraser Dalgleish · Vero Beach, US
• Anni Dalgleish · Vero Beach, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 9, 2013
• Grant date: Apr 28, 2015
• Expiry date: Sep 9, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2201/0675
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A sensing system is provided that includes a transmitter assembly with a light source and a microdisplay device, wherein the transmitter assembly defines an optical beam transmission path to provide illumination of a substantially one-dimensional (1D) region of a target area, the microdisplay device comprising a plurality of controllable elements for causing the illumination to be a substantially 1D pattern of light along the 1D region. The system further includes a receiver assembly for defining a return optical signal transmission path from the 1D region and collecting return optical signals from the 1D region. The system also includes a processing component for generating sensor information associated with the 1D region by processing the return optical signals from the 1D region with return optical signals from adjacent 1D regions using a distributed compressive sensing (DCS) technique.