US4976542A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital array scanned interferometer
Assignee: Washington University in St. Louis
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Filing: 1988-07-25
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Granted: 1990-12-11
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Expires: 2008-07-25
Abstract
Abstract An interferometer with a cylindrical lens which produces an interferogram imaging the field of view in the redundant coordinate onto a photon noise limited detector comprising a charge-coupled device or CCD having pixels aligned along two dimensions to provide spatial resolution in that dimension of the light source as well as spectral resolution. The CCD is also characterized by greater dynamic range, lower pixel response variation, and is photon noise limited, all of which enhances its use as a detector for a spectrometer.
Inventors
- 👤 William H. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:13
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/28; G01J3/45; G01J3/453
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
In an interferometer having means to process light from a light source to produce a fringe pattern of interfering light (interferogram) in a focal plane, the improvement comprising optic means to image the field of view onto a detector, the detector comprising a two-dimensional, semi-conductor array detector, said detector having means to detect the light intensity of said interferogram along both axes of said two-dimensional array.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
In an interferometer having means to process light from a light source to produce a fringe pattern of interfering light (interferogram) in a focal plane, the improvement comprising optic means to image the field of view onto a detector, the detector comprising a two-dimensional, semi-conductor array detector, said detector having means to detect the light intensity of said interferogram along both axes of said two-dimensional array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 1 wherein the imaging means has means to image the field of view in only one axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device of claim 2 wherein said imaging means comprises a cylindrical optical element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device of claim 1 further comprising a data processing means associated with said detector, said data processing means having means to determine the spectral content of said detected light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 4 wherein the data processing means has means to determine the spatial distribution of said detected light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
In an interferometer having means to process light from a light source to produce a fringe pattern of interfering light (interferogram) in a focal plane, and a detector positioned at an image plane having means to detect the varying intensity of the interferogram, the improvement comprising optic means to image the field of view in one dimension onto the detector to thereby preserve the spatial information of the field of view in said one dimension.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
In an interferometer having means to process light from a light source to produce a fringe pattern of interfering light (interferogram) in a focal plane, and a detector positioned at an image plane having means to detect the varying intensity of the interferogram, the improvement comprising optic means to image the field of view in one dimension onto the detector to thereby preserve the spatial information of the field of view in said one dimension.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 6 wherein said optic imaging means comprises a cylindrical optical element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 7 wherein said optical element comprises a cylindrical lens.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 7 wherein said optical element comprises a cylindrical mirror.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The device of claim 6 wherein the detector has means to detect multiplexed spectral and spatial information from the light source.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The device of claim 6 wherein the detector is photon noise limited.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device of claim 6 further comprising means to spectrally resolve the detector output to thereby determine the frequency components of the interferogram.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device of claim 12 further comprising means to resolve the detector output to thereby determine the relative spatial distribution of light along said one dimension in the source producing said interferogram.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device of claim 13 wherein the spatial resolving means has means to determine the relative physical location of different portions of the interferogram, and the spectral resolving means has means to determine the spectral content of said different portions to thereby provide information relating spectral content data to relative physical position in the interferogram.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The device of claim 14 wherein the spatial resolving means and the spectral resolving means includes a data processing means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4523846A
Cited
US4750834A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-12-10 | 1994-06-11 | 1994-12-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-12-10 | 1998-06-11 | 1998-12-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-12-10 | 2002-06-11 | 2002-12-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |