Prior-knowledge-based spectral unmixing methods

A method for calibrating a spectral detection system having a spectral response comprising contributions from a set of spectral sources, the method comprising:

• measuring the spectral response of the spectral detection system under a series of one or more current irradiation conditions to acquire current calibration data comprising a respective series of one or more current calibration spectra;
• modeling the current calibration data using a current endmember matrix and a current abundance matrix to be determined, wherein the current endmember matrix comprises a set of current endmember spectra respectively corresponding to the set of spectral sources, and wherein the current abundance matrix indicates an abundance of each current endmember spectrum in the or each current calibration spectrum;
• providing external prior calibration information comprising prior endmember information and prior abundance information, wherein the prior endmember information conveys at least partial prior knowledge about the current endmember matrix, and wherein the prior abundance information conveys at least partial prior knowledge about the current abundance matrix;
• and
• performing a spectral unmixing operation on the current calibration data to determine a solution for the current endmember matrix and the current abundance matrix, thereby calibrating the spectral detection system, wherein the spectral unmixing operation uses the external prior spectral information as input.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for calibrating a spectral detection system having a spectral response comprising contributions from a set of spectral sources, the method comprising:

• receiving current calibration data comprising a series of one or more current calibration spectra acquired by measuring the spectral response of the spectral detection system under a respective series of one or more current irradiation conditions;
• modeling the current calibration data using a current endmember matrix and a current abundance matrix to be determined, wherein the current endmember matrix comprises a set of current endmember spectra respectively corresponding to the set of spectral sources, and wherein the current abundance matrix indicates an abundance of each current endmember spectrum in the or each current calibration spectrum;
• providing external prior calibration information comprising prior endmember information and prior abundance information, wherein the prior endmember information conveys at least partial prior knowledge about the current endmember matrix, and wherein the prior abundance information conveys at least partial prior knowledge about the current abundance matrix;
• and
• performing a spectral unmixing operation on the current calibration data to determine a solution for the current endmember matrix and the current abundance matrix, thereby calibrating the spectral detection system, wherein the spectral unmixing operation uses the external prior spectral information as input.