Optical Imaging Systems And Methods Utilizing Nonlinear And/Or Spatially Varying Image Processing

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to form an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data having one or more image attributes that are dependent on characteristics of at least one of the phase modifying elements and the detector;
• and
• a digital signal processor for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• classifying the one or more data sets, based at least in part on the one or more image attributes, and
• independently processing each of the one or more data sets, based on results of classifying, to form processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes;
• and
• a digital signal processor configured for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• classifying the one or more data sets based at least on the image attributes, and
• independently processing the one or more data sets, based on results of the classifying, to form processed electronic data,
• wherein the digital signal processor is further configured for altering one or more of the image attributes to a degree that is independently adjustable for each of the one or more data sets, based on preset instructions.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to predeterministically affect an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data;
• a digital signal processor for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• classifying the data sets, based at least in part on a priori knowledge about how the phase modifying elements modify the wavefront phase, and
• independently processing each of the data sets, based on results of the classifying, to form processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to predeterministically affect an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data;
• a digital signal processor for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• independently processing each of the data sets, based on a priori knowledge about how the phase modifying elements modify the wavefront phase and on results of the classifying, to form processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics, including one or more phase modifying elements, that alter wavefront phase and produce an optical image with at least one known image attribute;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data that, while preserving the image attribute, is divisible into a plurality of data sets;
• and
• a digital signal processor that processes the data sets to modify the image attribute in a degree and manner that is independently adjustable for each one of the data sets, to generate processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes;
• and
• a digital signal processor for
• determining one or more characteristics of the electronic data, and
• providing nonlinear processing of the electronic data to modify the image attribute and to form processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes;
• and
• a digital signal processor for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• classifying the one or more data sets, based at least on the image attributes, and
• independently and nonlinearly processing the one or more data sets to form processed electronic data.

A method for generating processed electronic data, comprising

• modifying phase of a wavefront from an object to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image formed by an imaging system,
• converting the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes,
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• classifying the one or more data sets based at least on the one or more image attributes, and
• independently processing the one or more data sets to form processed electronic data.

A software product comprising instructions stored on computer-readable media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for processing electronic data generated by (a) modifying phase of a wavefront from an object to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image formed by an imaging system and (b) converting the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes, the instructions comprising:

• instructions for subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets;
• instructions for classifying the one or more data sets based at least on the one or more image attributes;
• and
• instructions for independently processing the one or more data sets to form the processed electronic data.

An imaging system, comprising

• optics having one or more phase modifying elements that modify wavefront phase to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image;
• a detector that converts the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes;
• and
• a digital signal processor for
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets,
• independently processing the one or more data sets in one or more subspaces to form processed electronic data.

A method for generating processed electronic data, comprising

• modifying phase of a wavefront from an object to introduce one or more image attributes into an optical image formed by an imaging system;
• converting the optical image to electronic data while maintaining the image attributes;
• subdividing the electronic data into one or more data sets;
• and
• independently processing the one or more data sets in one or more subspaces to form processed electronic data.