Method and system for three dimensional digital holographic aperture synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377724-A1
Application number	US-201615192119-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Laser 3D imaging techniques include splitting a laser temporally-modulated waveform of bandwidth B and duration D from a laser source into a reference beam and a target beam and directing the target beam onto a target. First data is collected, which indicates amplitude and phase of light relative to the reference beam received at each of a plurality of different times during a duration D at each optical detector of an array of one or more optical detectors perpendicular to the target beam. Steps are repeated for multiple sampling conditions, and the first data for the multiple sampling conditions are synthesized to form one or more synthesized sets. A 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set forms a digital model of the target for each synthesized set with a down-range resolution based on the bandwidth B.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
a) splitting a laser temporally-modulated waveform of bandwidth B and duration D from a laser source into a reference beam and a target beam; b) directing the target beam onto a target; c) collecting first data that indicates amplitude and phase of light relative to the reference beam received at each of a plurality of different times during a duration D at each optical detector of an array of one or more optical detectors in a plane perpendicular to the target beam; d) repeating steps a, b and c for a plurality of sampling conditions; e) synthesizing the first data for the plurality of sampling conditions to form one or more synthesized sets; f) performing a 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set to form a digital model of the target for each synthesized set with a down-range resolution based on the bandwidth B; and g) operating a display device based at least in part on at least a portion of the digital model of the target for at least one synthesized set.

2 . A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining an average range to the target based on a travel time of a laser pulse reflected from the target and providing a reference path length for the reference beam based on the average range to the target.

3 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the digital model is a point cloud and the display device is a system configured to render a surface from a point cloud.

4 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the display device is a system configured to identify an object based on the digital model.

5 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the display device is a system configured to operate on the target based on the digital model.

6 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sampling conditions are a plurality of different angles from the target to the array of one or more optical detectors.

7 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sampling conditions is a plurality of different times while the target is subjected to a change in environment.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more synthesized sets includes at least two synthesized sets and the step of operating the display device further comprises operating the display device to present second data that indicates a difference between at least two different digital models formed from the at least two synthesized sets.

9 . The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least two synthesized sets represent shape of an object for at least two different sampling conditions.

10 . A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sampling conditions are a plurality of different times while the target is subjected to a change in environment.

11 . The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the change in environment is a change in thermal conditions and the difference between the at least two different digital models indicates thermal expansion in response to the change in thermal conditions.

12 . The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the thermal expansion is in a range from about 1 micron to about 100 microns.

13 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein synthesizing the first data further comprises, for each synthesized set, selecting a plurality of subsets of the first data, synthesizing each subset separately to produce a synthesized subset and incoherently combining the plurality of synthesized subsets.

14 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein performing a 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set further comprises performing a one dimensional Fourier Transform of each dimension separately and combining results from all dimensions.

15 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the array of one or more optical detectors is a subset of pixels in a digital camera to allow a frame rate for the subset of pixels to be greater than a frame rate for all the pixels in the digital camera; and said step d of repeating steps a, b, and c for the plurality of sampling conditions further comprises repeating steps a, b, and c for a plurality of different subsets of the pixels in the digital camera.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
receiving, for a plurality of sampling conditions, first data that indicates amplitude and phase of light, relative to a reference beam, received from a target, illuminated by a target beam from a laser temporally-modulated waveform source for a duration D, at each of a plurality of different times during the duration D at each optical detector of an array of one or more optical detectors in a plane perpendicular to the target beam; synthesizing the first data for the plurality of sampling conditions to form one or more synthesized sets; performing a 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set to form a digital model of the target for each synthesized set; and presenting output data based at least in part on at least a portion of the digital model of the target for at least one synthesized set.

17 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including one or more sequences of instructions, the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
receiving, for a plurality of sampling conditions, first data that indicates amplitude and phase of light, relative to a reference beam, received from a target, illuminated by a target beam from a laser temporally-modulated waveform source for a duration D, at each of a plurality of different times during the duration D at each optical detector of an array of one or more optical detectors in a plane perpendicular to the target beam;
synthesizing the first data for the plurality of sampling conditions to form one or more synthesized sets;
performing a 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set to form a digital model of the target for each synthesized set; and
presenting output data based at least in part on at least a portion of the digital model of the target for at least one synthesized set.

18 . A system comprising:
a laser temporally-modulated waveform source configured to produce a target beam and a reference beam each with a bandwidth B and duration D; an array of one or more optical detectors in a plane perpendicular to the target beam; a display device; at least one processor; and at least one memory including one or more sequences of instructions, the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform at least the following,
collecting, for a plurality of sampling conditions, first data that indicates amplitude and phase of light relative to the reference beam received at each of a plurality of different times during the duration D at each optical detector of the array of one or more optical detectors;
synthesizing the first data for the plurality of sampling conditions to form one or more synthesized sets;
performing a 3D Fourier transform of each synthesized set to form a digital model of the target for each synthesized set; and
operating the display device based at least in part on at least a portion of the digital model of the target for at least one synthes

Assignees

• Blackmore Sensors And Analytics Inc
• Univ Montana State

Inventors

• Crouch Stephen C
• Kaylor Brant M
• Barber Zeb W
• Reibel Randy R

Classifications

• G03H2222/33

  Pulsed light beam · CPC title

• G03H1/0005

  Adaptation of holography to specific applications (holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042) · CPC title

• G03H2001/2655

  Time multiplexing, i.e. consecutive records wherein the period between records is pertinent per se · CPC title

• G01S17/34

  using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G03H1/0866 Primary

  Digital holographic imaging, i.e. synthesizing holobjects from holograms · CPC title