Method and apparatus for reference distribution aerial image formation
OwnerGreyson H. Gilsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coherent laser beam is divided into an illumination beam and a reference beam. A portion of the illumination beam is passed through, or reflected off of, a subject to create a subject distribution, and a portion of the reference beam is passed through a reference object, or reflected off a reference object reflector, to produce a reference distribution. An imaging system is used to form an aerial image of the subject distribution and the reference distribution. The resulting aerial image of the subject distribution exhibits improved resolution, depth of field and field size.
Claims13
A method for reference distribution aerial imaging of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
- dividing a coherent laser beam into an illumination beam and a reference beam;
- expanding and collimating the illumination beam;
- guiding at least a portion of the illumination beam to a subject in an object plane and there from forming a subject distribution;
- guiding a portion of the reference beam to a preformed reference object in the object plane and there from forming a reference distribution;
- and
- combining an aerial image of the subject distribution and an aerial image of the reference distribution on an image plane.
An apparatus for reference distribution aerial imaging of a subject, said apparatus comprising:
- means for dividing one coherent laser beam into an illumination beam and a reference beam;
- means for expanding and collimating the illumination beam;
- means for guiding a portion of the illumination beam to a subject in an object plane and there from forming a subject distribution;
- means for guiding a portion of the reference beam to a reference object in the object plane and there from forming a reference distribution;
- and
- means for combining an aerial image of the subject distribution and an aerial image of the reference distribution on an image plane.
An apparatus for reference distribution aerial imaging of a subject, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser producing a coherent light beam;
- a beam splitter to split the light beam into an illumination beam and a reference beam;
- an expanding lens and collimating lens through which a portion of the illumination beam is passed;
- a subject in an object plane to which said portion of the illumination beam is guided to there from form a subject distribution;
- a reference object in the object plane to which a portion of the reference beam is guided to there from form a reference distribution;
- an imaging system to combine an aerial image of both the subject distribution and the reference distribution on an image plane.
An apparatus for reference distribution aerial imaging of a subject, said apparatus comprising:
- a laser producing a coherent light beam;
- a wavefront dividing element to divide the light beam into an illumination beam and a reference beam;
- an expanding lens and collimating lens through which a portion of the illumination beam is passed;
- a subject in an object plane to which said portion of the illumination beam is guided to there from form a subject distribution;
- a reference object in the object plane to which a portion of the reference beam is guided to there from form a reference distribution;
- an imaging system to combine an aerial image of both the subject distribution and the reference distribution on an image plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.