US5828066A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multisource infrared spectrometer
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1996-07-02
•
Granted: 1998-10-27
•
Expires: 2016-07-02
Abstract
Abstract A spectrometer having a source of broad band infrared energy, a relay mirror that focuses the infrared energy at an intercepting mirror, a first object mirror that collimates the infrared energy from the intercepting mirror, a spatial light modulator that receives the collimated infrared energy and reflects it back to the first object mirror, the spatial light modulator including deformable mirror elements, and a controller that deforms the mirror elements according to a predetermined pattern. Deformable mirror elements obtain needed spectra while reducing the mechanical complexity of the spectrometer.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert G. Messerschmidt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:42
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/02; G01J3/10; G01J3/12; G01J3/18; G01J3/28; G01J3/2823; G01J3/45; G01J3/0205; G01J3/021; G01J3/0229
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer, comprising a source of broad band infrared energy, a relay mirror that focuses the infrared energy at an intercepting mirror, a first object mirror that collimates the infrared energy from the intercepting mirror, a spatial light modulator that receives the collimated infrared energy and reflects it back to the first object mirror, the spatial light modulator including deformable mirror elements, and a controller that deforms the mirror elements according to a predetermined pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer, comprising a source of broad band infrared energy, a relay mirror that focuses the infrared energy at an intercepting mirror, a first object mirror that collimates the infrared energy from the intercepting mirror, a spatial light modulator that receives the collimated infrared energy and reflects it back to the first object mirror, the spatial light modulator including deformable mirror elements, and a controller that deforms the mirror elements according to a predetermined pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformable mirror elements comprise a linear array.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second object mirror to focus the collimated infrared energy at a spectrograph plane, a diffraction grating to disperse the constituent wavelengths of the infrared energy, and a transfer mirror to focus the infrared energy at a spectrograph plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the diffraction grating and transfer mirror are a holographic concave mirror.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
132 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a refractive beam splitter having first and second sides, each side of the refractive beam splitter reflecting part of the collimated beam of infrared energy from the first object mirror, at least first and second transfer mirrors that receive the infrared energy reflected from the first side of the refractive beam splitter and passing through the second side of the refractive beam splitter, respectively, each transfer mirror being positioned to reflect the collimated infrared energy to the other transfer mirror and back to a side of the refractive beam splitter opposite that from which the infrared energy came, and a second object mirror to focus infrared energy reflected from the second side of the refractive beam splitter at a field stop.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deformable mirror elements comprise a two dimensional array.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a second object mirror to focus the infrared energy at a field stop, a mask positioned at the field stop to delimit a measuring area, and a condenser to map the measuring area onto a specimen plane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an spectrograph for separating the broad band infrared energy into constituent wavelength components.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spectrograph comprises an interferometer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A multisource infrared spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a Hadamard transform.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2706253A
Cited
US3402001A
Cited
US3815090A
Cited
US3969699A
Cited
US3982227A
Cited
US4134134A
Cited
US4389673A
Cited
US4421985A
Cited
US4615619A
Cited
US4687926A
Cited
US5225678A
Cited
US5475221A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-10-26 | 2002-04-27 | 2002-10-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-10-26 | 2006-04-27 | 2006-10-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-10-26 | 2010-04-27 | 2010-10-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |