Spectrometry system with visible aiming beam

Abstract

A handheld spectrometer can be configured with a visible aiming beam to allow the user to determine the measured region of the object. When the visible aiming beam comprises the spectrometer measurement beam, the spectrometer measurement beam comprises sufficient energy for the user to see the measurement beam illuminating the object. When the visible aiming beam comprises a separate beam, the visible aiming beam comprises sufficient energy for the user to see a portion of the aiming beam reflected from the object. The visible aiming beam and measurement beam can be arranged to at least partially overlap on the sample, such that the user has an indication of the area of the sample being measured.

1 . An apparatus to measure spectra of a sample, comprising:
 a detector having a field of view to measure the spectra of the sample within the field of view;   a light source to direct an optical beam to the sample within the field of view, wherein a portion of the optical beam reflected from the sample is visible to a user.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the optical beam reflected from the sample visible to the user defines a measurement area of the sample. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a casing supported with the detector and the light source, the detector and the light source arranged to fit within the casing, the casing sized to fit within a hand of the user to allow the user to aim the spectrometer at the sample and measure the sample. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as in  claim 3 , further comprising a user input supported with the casing and arranged for the user to aim the spectrometer and measure the sample with the user input manipulated with the hand holding the spectrometer. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as in  claim 4 , further comprising circuitry coupled to the detector and the light source, the circuitry configured to transmit the optical beam in response to the user input with the hand holding the hand held spectrometer. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured in order to provide the optical beam incident on the sample with an illuminance (E v ) within a range from about 20 lux (lm/m 2 ) to about 100,000 lux (lm/m 2 ). 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to provide the optical beam incident on the sample with an irradiance within a range from about 0.1 mW/cm 2  to about 100 mW/cm 2 . 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , the portion of the optical beam visible to the user comprises a portion of a measurement beam to measure the spectra of the sample. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , the portion of the optical beam visible to the user comprises an aiming beam comprising one or more wavelengths corresponding to one or more colors visible to the user. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as in  claim 9 , wherein the one or more colors visible to the user comprises one or more of red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo or violet. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the beam visible to the user comprises a combination of visible wavelengths of light. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the optical beam comprises an aiming beam and a measurement beam arranged to illuminate the sample within the field of view of the detector. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as in  claim 12 , wherein the detector comprises one or more filters to inhibit transmission of the aiming beam and to transmit the measurement beam. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more filters comprises a plurality of optical filters to inhibit transmission of a portion of the aiming beam reflected from the sample and to transmit a portion of the measurement beam reflected from the sample. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as in  claim 14 , wherein the detector comprises a plurality of optical channels, each of the plurality of optical filters corresponding to an optical channel, each optical channel comprising a field of view 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the field of view comprises a plurality of overlapping fields of view of a plurality of optical channels and wherein the aiming beam and the measurement beam are arranged to overlap with the plurality of overlapping fields of view on the object. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising a second light source to direct a measurement beam toward the sample, the first light source comprising an aiming beam. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as in  claim 17 , wherein the measurement beam comprises an infrared beam and the aiming beam comprises a visible light beam. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more optics coupled to the light source to direct the optical beam toward the sample.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as in  claim 19 , wherein the one or more optics comprises one or more of a mirror, a beam splitter, a lens, a curved reflector, or a parabolic reflector to direct the optical beam toward the sample. 
     
     
         21 .- 130 . (canceled)