초록 ▼

A portion of a first portion of light (13, 90, 90′) from a source of light (11) is masked by a mask (138), and the resulting masked first portion of light (90″) is combined using a beam splitter optic (136) with at least one second portion of the light (30) that had been subject to scattering by a m

A portion of a first portion of light (13, 90, 90′) from a source of light (11) is masked by a mask (138), and the resulting masked first portion of light (90″) is combined using a beam splitter optic (136) with at least one second portion of the light (30) that had been subject to scattering by a medium (20, 20′, 20″). The mask (138) is configured so that interference patterns (104, 47) generated from the first and at least one second portions of light are substantially mutually exclusive even though those interference patterns (104, 47) would otherwise overlap one another absent the mask (138).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of processing light, comprising: a. receiving a first portion of light from a source of said light;b. masking a portion of said first portion of said light so as to form a masked first portion of said light so as to prevent said portion of said first portion of said light from propagatin

1. A method of processing light, comprising: a. receiving a first portion of light from a source of said light;b. masking a portion of said first portion of said light so as to form a masked first portion of said light so as to prevent said portion of said first portion of said light from propagating with a remainder of said first portion of said light in said masked first portion of said light;c. receiving at least one second portion of said light, wherein said at least one second portion of said light is subject to scattering by a medium from a corresponding at least one interaction region of said medium, said at least one second portion of said light is generated by said source of said light prior to being subject to said scattering by said medium, and said first portion of said light is not subject to said scattering by said medium from said at least one interaction region of said medium;d. combining said masked first portion of said light with said at least one second portion of said light along a substantially common direction of propagation;e. generating a first interference pattern from said masked first portion of said light; andf. generating at least one second interference pattern from said at least one second portion of said light, wherein said masked first portion of said light is configured so that said first and said at least one second interference patterns are substantially mutually exclusive, and said first interference pattern would otherwise overlap said at least one second interference pattern if the operation of combining was performed absent the operation of masking said portion of said first portion of said light. 2. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising expanding said first portion of said light prior to the operation of masking said portion of said first portion of said light. 3. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising collimating said at least one second portion of said light prior to the operation of generating at least one second interference pattern from said at least one second portion of said light. 4. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising diffusing and expanding an angular diversity of said first portion of said light prior to the operation of masking said portion of said first portion of said light so as to form said masked first portion of said light. 5. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising forming at least one first beam of said light and projecting said at least one first beam of said light into said medium along at least one first axis, wherein the operation of receiving said at least one second portion of said light is along at least one second axis. 6. A method of processing light as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least one interaction region comprises a plurality of interaction regions located within a field of view of said at least one second axis, and the operation of generating said at least one second interference pattern comprises forming an image of said at least one second portion of said light through an interferometer. 7. A method of processing light as recited in claim 6, wherein different portions of said at least one second interference pattern correspond to different interaction regions of said plurality of interaction regions. 8. A method of processing light as recited in claim 7, wherein said interferometer comprises a Fabry-Perot interferometer, said image of said first interference pattern comprises at least a first fringe, said image of said at least one second interference pattern comprises a corresponding at least one second fringe, and each fringe of said at least one second fringe is associated with a different said at least one interaction region at a different range. 9. A method of processing light as recited in claim 7, wherein said interferometer comprises a Doppler Asymmeteric Spatinal Heterodyne (DASH) spectrometer, said image of said scattered light comprises at least one Fizeau fringe pattern, and each different section of said at least one Fizeau fringe pattern at a different location along a direction orthogonal to an optical path difference axis associated with said at least one Fizeau fringe pattern is associated a different said at least one interaction region at a different range. 10. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of generating said first interference pattern comprises forming an image of said first interference pattern from an interferometer. 11. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of generating said at least one second interference pattern comprises forming an image of said at least one second interference pattern from an interferometer. 12. A method of processing light as recited in claim 11, wherein the operation of generating said at least one second interference pattern comprises forming an image of said at least one second portion of said light through said interferometer. 13. A method of processing light as recited in claim 11, wherein said interferometer comprises a Fabry-Perot interferometer. 14. A method of processing light as recited in claim 13, wherein said image of said first interference pattern comprises at least one first fringe, said image of said at least one second interference pattern comprises a corresponding at least one second fringe, and each of said at least one first fringe and said at least one second fringe are arcuately shaped, further comprising azimuthally compressing said at least one first fringe and said at least one second fringe so as to form corresponding associated first and at least one second linear fringe patterns. 15. A method of processing light as recited in claim 14, wherein the operation of azimuthally compressing said at least one first fringe and said at least one second fringe comprises binning at least a portion of a plurality of associate detected signals of images of said at least one first fringe and said at least one second fringe. 16. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising: g. detecting said first interference pattern and generating at least one first detected signal responsive thereto;h. detecting said at least one second interference pattern and generating a corresponding at least one second detected signal responsive thereto; andi. processing said at least one first detected signal and said at least one second detected signal so as to determine at least one measure of said medium within said at least one interaction region. 17. A method of processing light as recited in claim 16, wherein the operations of detecting said first interference pattern and detecting said at least one second interference pattern comprise generating corresponding sets of image data responsive to corresponding intensities of said first interference pattern and said at least one second interference pattern. 18. A method of processing light as recited in claim 16, further comprising processing at least a first portion of said at least one second interference pattern so as to determine at least one measure of said medium within a first portion of said medium at a first range; and processing at least a second portion of said at least one second interference pattern so as to determine at least one measure of said medium within at least a second portion of said medium at least a second range, wherein said first portion of said medium is different from said at least said second portion of said medium, and said first range is different from said at least said second range. 19. A method of processing light as recited in claim 16, wherein said at least one measure of said medium comprises one of a velocity of said medium, a temperature of said medium, an aerosol to molecular ratio of said medium and a density of said medium. 20. A method of processing light as recited in claim 16, further comprising forming at least one first beam of said light and projecting said at least one first beam of said light into said medium along at least one first axis, wherein said medium comprises an atmosphere, said scattering is by said atmosphere, the operations of forming said at least one first beam of said light and receiving said at least one second portion of said light are performed from an air vehicle, and said at least one measure of said medium within said at least one interaction region of said medium provides for at least one of generating air data used for controlling said air vehicle, and monitoring said atmosphere. 21. A method of processing light as recited in claim 16, further comprising forming at least one first beam of said light and projecting said at least one first beam of said light into said medium along at least one first axis, wherein said medium comprises an atmosphere, said scattering is by said atmosphere, the operations of forming said at least one first beam of said light and receiving said at least one second portion of said light are performed from a stationary ground location, and said at least one measure of said medium within said at least one interaction region of said medium provides at least one of monitoring or predicting weather conditions in said atmosphere, and controlling a wind turbine. 22. A method of processing light as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. defining a first function comprising a model of an optical response of an associated interferometer underlying said first and at least one second interference patterns, wherein said first function incorporates at least one parameter responsive to said medium,b. defining at least one second function as a partial derivative of said first function with respect to a corresponding one said at least one parameter;c. processing at least one of said first interference pattern and said at least one second interference pattern in accordance with an integration and solving process on corresponding interference pattern data of either said first interference pattern or said at least one second interference pattern, corresponding to a corresponding portion of said medium, wherein said integration and solving process comprises: i. selectively integrating at least one portion of said corresponding interference pattern data, wherein said at least one portion is selected responsive to a value of said at least one second function in relation to a corresponding threshold, wherein said at least one second function corresponds to said corresponding one said at least one parameter, and the operation of selectively integrating said at least one portion of said corresponding interference pattern data provides for generating a corresponding integrated signal value;ii. repeating the operation of selectively integrating said at least one portion of said corresponding interference pattern data for each said at least one parameter to be identified so as to provide for generating a set of integrated signal values, wherein said set of integrated signal values comprises either a set of first and second complementary signals for each said at least one parameter to be identified or a combination of at least one of said first and second complementary signals corresponding to each one said at least one parameter and an integrated signal value resulting from an integration of an entirety of said corresponding interference pattern data, said first complementary signal corresponds to said corresponding integrated signal value for a first portion of said corresponding interference pattern data for which said at least one second function exceeds a first threshold, and said second complementary signal corresponds to said corresponding integrated signal value for a second portion of said corresponding interference pattern data for which said at least one second function is less than a second threshold; andiii. determining said at least one parameter of said first function associated with said corresponding interference pattern data from said set of integrated signal values, wherein at least one measure of said medium within said corresponding portion of said medium is responsive to said at least one parameter associated with said corresponding interference pattern data. 23. A method of processing light as recited in claim 22, wherein said medium comprises an atmosphere, and said first function is responsive to a number of photons responsive to scattering by aerosols in said atmosphere, a number of photons responsive to scattering by molecules in said atmosphere, a number of photons resulting from background radiation, a magnitude of a velocity of said atmosphere and a temperature of said atmosphere. 24. A method of processing light as recited in claim 23, wherein said associated interferometer comprises a Fabry-Perot interferometer, said first function is of the form I(phi)=A*H(phi,mA)+M*H(phi,mM)+B*T^2/(1−R^2), wherein I is an intensity of at least one portion of a circular fringe pattern responsive to phi, said circular fringe pattern is generated by said Fabry-Perot interferometer, phi is a function responsive to one said at least one parameter corresponding to a velocity of said molecules and aerosol particles in said atmosphere and responsive to said radial dimension of said at least one portion of said circular fringe pattern, A is one said at least one parameter representative of a number of photons scattered by aerosol particles in said atmosphere, mA is a molecular mass of said aerosol particles, M is one said at least one parameter representative of a number of photons scattered by molecules in said atmosphere, mM is a molecular mass of said molecules, B is one said at least one parameter representative of a number of background photons from said atmosphere, T is a transmissivity of a Fabry-Perot etalon of said Fabry-Perot interferometer, R is a reflectivity of said Fabry-Perot etalon, and H is a function responsive to at least one measure of defects of said Fabry-Perot etalon and responsive to one said at least one parameter responsive to a temperature of said atmosphere. 25. A system for processing light, comprising: a. a first mask, wherein said first mask provides for either absorbing or reflecting a portion of a first portion of light from a source of said light so as to provide for forming a masked first portion of said light from which is excluded said portion of said first portion of said light;b. a first beam splitter optic, wherein said first beam splitter optic is located in relation to said first mask so as to provide for combining along a substantially common direction of propagation said masked first portion of said light with at least one second portion of said light, said at least one second portion of said light is subject to scattering by a medium from a corresponding at least one interaction region of said medium, said at least one second portion of said light is generated by said source of said light prior to being subject to said scattering by said medium, and said first portion of said light is not subject to said scattering by said medium from said at least one interaction region of said medium; andc. an interferometer, wherein said interferometer is located so as to provide for receiving said masked first portion of said light and said at least one second portion of said light from said first beam splitter optic, said interferometer provides for generating a first interference pattern from said masked first portion of said light; and said interferometer provides for generating at least one second interference pattern from said at least one second portion of said light, wherein said first mask is configured so that said first and said at least one second interference patterns are substantially mutually exclusive, and said first interference pattern would otherwise overlap said at least one second interference pattern absent said first masklight. 26. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising a set of source optics that provides for forming said light into at least a first beam of light and that provides for projecting said at least said first beam of light into said medium along a corresponding at least a first axis. 27. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising a second beam splitter optic configured to receive said light prior to an interaction thereof with said medium, wherein said second beam splitter optic provides for extracting said first portion of said light from said light prior to said interaction with said medium. 28. A system for processing light as recited in claim 27, further comprising a fiber optic, wherein said light from said light extracted by said second beam splitter optic is directed through said fiber optic to a focal plane of a collimating lens so as to provide for said first portion of said light. 29. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, wherein said first mask comprises at least one opaque region on an otherwise transparent element. 30. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, wherein said first mask comprises a digital micromirror device (DMD), wherein a plurality of micromirrors of said digital micromirror device (DMD) are set to a first pixel-mirror rotational state so as to provide for reflecting said light towards said first beam splitter optic, and a remainder of said micromirrors of said digital micromirror device (DMD) illuminated by said first portion of said light are set to another pixel-mirror rotational state so as to reflect said light impinging thereon away from said first beam splitter optic. 31. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising a rotating diffuser in cooperation with an integrating sphere, wherein said first portion of said light is first transmitted through said rotating diffuser, and said first portion of said light is directed into said integrating sphere and reflected from an internal surface thereof, prior to an interaction with said first mask. 32. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising a second mask interposed between said medium and said first beam splitter optic, wherein said second mask is shaped so as to block said at least one second interference pattern from more than insubstantially overlapping said first interference pattern. 33. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising at least one collimating lens operatively associated with said interferometer and located so that at least one of said masked first portion of said light and said at least one second portion of said light received by said interferometer is first received by said at least one collimating lens prior to being received by said interferometer. 34. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising a bandpass filter in cooperation with said interferometer. 35. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, further comprising at least one of a set of receive optics and a set of imaging optics, wherein said at least one of said set of receive optics and said set of imaging optics comprises an optic axis along which said at least one second portion of said light is received, said set of receive optics if present is operative between said interferometer and said medium, said set of imaging optics is operatively associated with or a part of said interferometer, said set of imaging optics provides for generating an image of said first and at least one second interference patterns, wherein said image of said first and at least one second interference patterns is located at a focal plane of said set of imaging optics. 36. A system for processing light as recited in claim 35, wherein said interferometer comprises a Fabry-Perot etalon in cooperation with said set of imaging optics, said set of imaging optics are located between said Fabry-Perot etalon and an operative surface of an associated detection system, and said detection system comprises at least one detector. 37. A system for processing light as recited in claim 36, wherein said Fabry-Perot etalon comprises a plurality of partially reflective surfaces separated by a gap, and a size of said gap is controllable responsive to a processor. 38. A system for processing light as recited in claim 35, further comprising: a. a set of source optics provides for forming said light into at least one first beam of light and that provides for projecting said at least one first beam of light into said medium along a first axis; andb. at least one collimating lens operatively associated with said interferometer and located so that at least one of said masked first portion of said light and said at least one second portion of said light received by said interferometer is first received by said at least one collimating lens prior to being received by said interferometer, wherein said optic axis of said set of imaging optics is skewed relative to said first axis, said set of receive optics is located so that said at least one second portion of said light received by said interferometer is first received by said set of receive optics, said set of receive optics and said at least one collimating lens are configured in relation to one another so as to provide for an intermediate image plane therebetween, said set of receive optics is configured to form an intermediate image of said at least one second portion of said light in said intermediate image plane, and said at least one collimating lens in cooperation with said set of imaging optics is configured to form an image of said intermediate image in said focal plane of said set of imaging optics substantially coincident with an operative surface of an associated detection system. 39. A system for processing light as recited in claim 38, wherein said set of receive optics are configured in relation to said at least one collimating lens so as to satisfy a Scheimpflug condition in respect of said intermediate image plane. 40. A system for processing light as recited in claim 38, wherein said detection system comprises at least one detector operatively associated with said set of imaging optics, wherein said at least one detector provides for detecting said image of said first interference pattern, said at least one detector provides for detecting said image of said at least one second interference pattern, and different portions of said at least one second interference pattern are associated with different portions of said medium along said at least one first beam of light. 41. A system for processing light as recited in claim 40, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to said at least one detector, wherein said processor provides for determining at least at least one measure of said medium within a first portion of said medium responsive to a detection of a first portion of said image of said at least one second interference pattern by said at least one detector, and said processor provides for determining at least at least one measure of said medium within a second portion of said medium responsive to a detection of a second portion of said image of said at least one second interference pattern by said at least one detector. 42. A system for processing light as recited in claim 35, further comprising at least one detector operatively associated with said set of imaging optics, wherein said at least one detector provides for detecting said image of said first interference pattern, said at least one detector provides for detecting said image of said at least one second interference pattern, wherein said at least one detector comprises at least one photodetector of an associated detection system, and said detection system further comprises a digital micromirror device (DMD), wherein said digital micromirror device (DMD) comprises a plurality of micromirrors, each micromirror of said plurality of micromirrors comprises a reflective surface, the plurality of micromirrors comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces that are located substantially coincident with said image from said interferometer, each micromirror is positionable into any of a plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states, and said digital micromirror device (DMD) is configured in relation to said at least one detector so that each said micromirror of said plurality of micro mirrors in at least one of said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states provides for reflecting light of said image to a corresponding one said at least one photodetector. 43. A system for processing light as recited in claim 42, further comprising a light block, wherein said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states comprises at least two pixel-mirror rotational states, each said micromirror of said plurality of micromirrors in a first of said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states provides for reflecting said light of said image to said corresponding one said at least one photo detector, and each said micromirror of said plurality of micromirrors in a second of said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states provides for reflecting said light of said image to said light block. 44. A system for processing light as recited in claim 43, wherein said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states comprises at least three pixel-mirror rotational states, and each said micromirror of said plurality of micromirrors in a third of said plurality of pixel-mirror rotational states provides for reflecting said light of said image to another said at least one photodetector. 45. A system for processing light as recited in claim 25, wherein said at least one second portion of said light comprises a plurality of second portions of said light, and said plurality of second portions of said light are processed by a common said interferometer that provides for generating a plurality of said second interference patterns. 46. A system for processing light as recited in claim 45, further comprising a pyramidal reflector comprising a plurality of different reflective surfaces on different sides of said pyramidal reflector, wherein each reflective surface of said plurality of different reflective surfaces reflects a different said second portion of said light toward said interferometer.