Radiation conditioning system

Abstract

A radiation conditioning system is presented as comprising a radiation source for generating radiation, a spatial light modulator receptive of the radiation from the radiation source, a control signal for addressing the spatial light modulator, and a radiation conditioning device of the radiation field from the spatial light modulator for conditioning the radiation field.

1 - 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A radiation conditioning system comprising: 
 a radiation source for generating radiation;    a spatial light modulator receptive of the radiation from the radiation source and a control signal for addressing the spatial light modulator, thereby projecting a radiation field from the spatial light modulator; and    a radiation conditioning device receptive of the radiation field from the spatial light modulator for conditioning the radiation field;    wherein the radiation conditioning device includes a plurality of radiation conditioning regions.    
   
   
       28 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 27  wherein the radiation conditioning device comprises a diffractive optical element.  
   
   
       29 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 28  wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a diffraction grating.  
   
   
       30 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 29  wherein the diffraction grating comprises a set of basis fringes.  
   
   
       31 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 29  wherein the diffraction grating comprises grating pattern having a spatial frequency defined by the mathematical equation:  
         f=A  sin(θ)+ B    
     wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is scaling factor that determines the ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, θ is a spatial dimension and B is a carrier frequency offset factor.  
   
   
       32 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 30  wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a disc.  
   
   
       33 . The radiation conditioning system as set forth in  claim 28  wherein the diffractive optical element comprises an acousto-optic modulator.  
   
   
       34 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 27  wherein the radiation conditioning device comprises a set of lenslets.  
   
   
       35 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 27  wherein the set of lenslets comprise an array.  
   
   
       36 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 27  wherein the set of lenslets are arranged in a rectangular host.  
   
   
       37 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 27  wherein the rectangular host is in reciprocating motion.  
   
   
       38 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 27  wherein the radiation conditioning device comprises a spatial light modulator.  
   
   
       39 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 38  wherein the spatial light modulator comprises an optically addressable spatial light modulator.  
   
   
       40 . The radiation conditioning system set forth in  claim 39  wherein the optically addressable spatial light modulator includes a material having properties depending upon a first illumination frequency and is read out at a second frequency.  
   
   
       41 . A radiation conditioning device comprising: 
 a diffractive optical element including a diffraction grating comprising a set of basis fringes.    
   
   
       42 . The radiation conditioning device as set forth in  claim 41  wherein the diffraction grating comprises grating pattern having a spatial frequency defined by the mathematical equation:  
         f=A  sin(θ)+ B    
     wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is scaling factor that determines the ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, θ is a spatial dimension and B is a carrier frequency offset factor.  
   
   
       43 . A method of conditioning a radiation field, the method comprising: 
 conditioning the radiation field by scanning the radiation field with a radiation conditioning device comprising a set of basis fringes.    
   
   
       44 . The method as set forth in  claim 43  further comprising decomposing the radiation field into a set of components.  
   
   
       45 . The method as set forth in  claim 43  wherein the radiation conditioning device comprises a diffractive optical element.  
   
   
       46 . The method as set forth in  claim 43  wherein conditioning the radiation field comprises scanning the radiation field with a diffraction grating having a grating pattern defined by the mathematical equation:  
         f=A  sin(θ)+ B    
     wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is scaling factor that determines the ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, θ is a spatial dimension and B is a carrier frequency offset factor.  
   
   
       47 . The method as set forth in  claim 45  wherein scanning the radiation field comprises rotating the radiation conditioning device through a prescribed angular distance.  
   
   
       48 . The method as set forth in  claim 45  wherein scanning the radiation field comprises rotating the diffraction grating through a prescribed angular distance.  
   
   
       49 . A method of conditioning a radiation field, the method comprising: 
 conditioning the radiation field by scanning the radiation field with a radiation conditioning device having time varying properties.    
   
   
       50 . A radiation conditioning system comprising: 
 a radiation projector for projecting a radiation field; and    a radiation conditioning device receptive of the radiation field from the radiation projector for conditioning the radiation field;    wherein the radiation conditioning device includes a plurality of radiation conditioning regions.    
   
   
       51 . The system as set forth in  claim 50  wherein the radiation conditioning device comprises a set of basis fringes.  
   
   
       52 . A radiation conditioning device comprising: 
 a diffractive optical element comprising a diffraction grating comprising a set of basis fringes;    wherein the diffraction grating comprises a grating pattern having a spatial frequency defined by the mathematical equation:        f=A  sin(θ)+ B      and wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is a scaling factor that determines a ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, θ is a spatial dimension and B is a carrier frequency offset factor.