Polarization viewer

Abstract

A polarization viewer comprising a mechanism for forming a broadview image having a spectral width greater than 2 angstroms and 0.50° based on polarization information of a scene. The polarization viewer is also comprised of a mechanism for providing polarization information to the forming mechanism. The providing mechanism is in communication with the forming mechanism. In a first embodiment, the providing mechanism includes a camera mechanism in communication with the forming mechanism. The camera mechanism includes a fixed polarizer analyzer disposed such that electromagnetic radiation entering the camera mechanism passes through the polarizer analyzer. The providing mechanism can also include a mechanism for steering a polarization plane of the radiation. The steering mechanism is disposed such that radiation passing through the polarizer analyzer first passes through the steering mechanism. The steering mechanism preferably includes a first twist crystal and at least a second twist crystal aligned with the first twist crystal such that radiation passing through the first crystal then passes through the second crystal. Each crystal has a first state and a second state. The first state does not effect the polarization plane of the radiation as the radiation passes through the crystal. The second state rotates the polarization plane of the radiation as the radiation passes through the crystal.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A polarization viewer comprising: 
       a first CCD chip which produces a first signal, said first signal corresponding to a measurement of a first polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation the first CCD chip receives;  
       a first beamsplitter disposed such that radiation reflected by the first beamsplitter is received by the first CCD chip;  
       a second CCD chip which produces a second signal corresponding to a measurement of a second polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation the second CCD chip receives which is transmitted by the beamsplitter, said second CCD chip disposed such that the second CCD chip receives radiation transmitted by the beamsplitter;  
       a mechanism for creating polarization information corresponding to a polarization orientation different than that corresponding with the first or second CCD chip; and  
       a mechanism for forming a polarization image based on the first and second signals and the creating mechanism, said forming mechanism in communication with the first and second CCD chips and the generating mechanism.  
     
     
       2. A viewer as described in  claim 1  wherein the creating mechanism includes a twist crystal disposed adjacent to the first beamsplitter such that radiation received by the first beamsplitter first passes through the twist crystal. 
     
     
       3. A viewer as described in  claim 2  wherein the first beamsplitter is oriented at a 45° angle relative to radiation incident to the first beam splitter. 
     
     
       4. A viewer as described in  claim 3  wherein the twist crystal has a first state and a second state, said first state uneffecting the polarization plane of the radiation as radiation passes through the twist crystal, said second state rotating the polarization plane of the radiation as the radiation passes through the twist crystal. 
     
     
       5. A viewer as described in  claim 4  including a driver in communication with the crystal which controls the state of the crystal. 
     
     
       6. A viewer as described in  claim 5  wherein when the crystal is in the second state, the polarization plane of radiation passes therethrough is rotated 45°. 
     
     
       7. A viewer as described in  claim 6  wherein the first CCD chip receives radiation reflected 90° by the first beamsplitter. 
     
     
       8. A polarization viewer comprising: 
       a first CCD chip which produces a first signal, said first signal corresponding to a measurement of a first polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation the first CCD chip receives;  
       a first beamsplitter disposed such that radiation reflected by the first beamsplitter is received by the first CCD chip;  
       a second CCD chip which produces a second signal corresponding to a measurement of a second polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation the second CCD chip receives which is transmitted by the beamsplitter, said second CCD chip disposed such that the second CCD chip receives radiation transmitted by the beamsplitter; and  
       a mechanism for forming a polarization image based on the first and second signals, said forming mechanism in communication with the first and second CCD chips.  
     
     
       9. A viewer as described in  claim 8  wherein the first beamsplitter is oriented at a 45° angle relative to radiation incident to the first beam splitter. 
     
     
       10. A polarization viewer comprising: 
       a first CCD chip which produces a first signal, said first signal corresponding to a measurement of a first polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation receives;  
       a first beamsplitter disposed such that radiation reflected by the first beamsplitter is received by the first CCD chip;  
       a second CCD chip which produces a second signal corresponding to a measurement of a second polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation receives which is transmitted by the beamsplitter, said second CCD chip disposed such that receives radiation transmitted by the beamsplitter;  
       means for creating polarization information corresponding to a polarization orientation different than that corresponding with the first or second CCD chip; and  
       means for forming a polarization image based on the first and second signals and the creating means, said forming means in communication with the first and second CCD chips and the generating means.  
     
     
       11. A polarization viewer comprising: 
       a first CCD chip which produces a first signal, said first signal corresponding to a measurement of a first polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation receives;  
       a first beamsplitter disposed such that radiation reflected by the first beamsplitter is received by the first CCD chip;  
       a second CCD chip which produces a second signal corresponding to a measurement of a second polarization component based on electromagnetic radiation receives which is transmitted by the beamsplitter, said second CCD chip disposed such that receives radiation transmitted by the beamsplitter; and  
       means for forming a polarization image based on the first and second signals, said forming means in communication with the first and second CCD chips.  
     
     
       12. A polarization viewer, comprising: 
       
         a filtering mechanism which includes a mechanically fixed array of linear polarizing optical elements for receiving electromagnetic radiation from a scene to be imaged and producing corresponding filtered radiation having polarization components;  
       
       
         a sensor responsive to electromagnetic radiation and including a plurality of sensing elements for receiving said filtered radiation, each said polarizing optical element passing radiation of a predetermined polarization orientation to a corresponding sensing element of said sensor, said sensing elements producing output signals corresponding to at least a part of a transmitted radiance sinusoid for each of a set of elements of said scene; and  
       
       
         image forming means responsive to said output signals to produce an image corresponding to said elements of said scene. 
       
     
     
       13. The polarization viewer of  claim 12 , wherein said filtering mechanism includes a beamsplitter direction received radiation to said array. 
     
     
       14. The polarization viewer of  claim 13 , wherein said sensing elements comprise a CCD array. 
     
     
       15. The polarization viewer of  claim 14 , wherein said CCD array comprises first and second CCD chips and wherein said beamsplitter reflects a first portion of said radiation having polarization components to said first CCD chip and transmits a second portion of said radiation having polarization components to said second CCD chip. 
     
     
       16. The polarization viewer of  claim 15 , wherein said first CCD chip produces first output signals corresponding to a measurement of a first polarization component received by said first CCD chip, and said second CCD chip produces second output signals corresponding to a measurement of a second polarization component received by said second CCD chip said first and second output signals corresponding to at least a part of said transmitted radiance sinusoid. 
     
     
       17. The polarization viewer of  claim 16 , further including a steering mechanism which cooperates with said beam splitter to create additional polarization components received by said first CCD chip and second CCD chip. 
     
     
       18. The polarization viewer of  claim 17 , wherein said image forming means is responsive to said first and second output signals to produce a polarization image. 
     
     
       19. The polarization of  claim 12  wherein said filtering mechanism further includes an array of wavelength sensitive optical elements positioned to pass radiation of only a predetermined wavelength spectrum to a corresponding sensing element of said sensor, said wavelength sensitive optical elements cooperating with said linear polarizing optical elements to pass radiation to each sensing element at a predetermined polarization orientation only over a corresponding wavelength spectrum. 
     
     
       20. The polarization viewer of  claim 12 , wherein said array of linear polarizing optical elements consists of a repetitive sequence of a predetermined polarization orientation pattern, said pattern consisting of a spatial arrangement of linear polarizing optical elements corresponding to sensor elements each individual optical element in said pattern passing radiation of a prescribed polarization orientation to provide a unit pattern, at least part of a transmitted radiance sinusoid being determinable from each said unit pattern in conjunction with corresponding sensor elements. 
     
     
       21. The polarization viewer of  claim 20  wherein said unit consists of a horizontal or vertical adjacent spatial arrangement of linear polarizing optical elements, each optical element passing radiation of a different prescribed polarization orientation within the unit pattern, such that the repeated sequence of said unit pattern, forms columns or rows, respectively, of optical elements passing radiation with the same polarization orientation. 
     
     
       22. The polarization viewer of  claim 21  wherein said unit pattern of horizontal or vertical adjacent spatial arrangements of linear polarizing optical elements consists of three optical elements having horizontal  0  degree polarization orientation, diagonal  45  degree polarization orientation, and vertical  90  degree polarization orientation, respectively. 
     
     
       23. The polarization viewer of  claim 21 , wherein said filtering means further includes an array of wavelength sensitive optical elements, each said wavelength sensitive optical element passing radiation of a only predetermined wavelength spectrum to reach each sensing element, such that for a unit pattern of horizontal or vertical adjacent spatial arrangement of polarization orientations said wavelength sensitive optical elements are arranged in a repetitive sequence of respective vertical or horizontal adjacent elements, each said wavelength sensitive element passing a different wavelength spectrum within a sequence, at least part of a transmitted radiance sinusoid being determinable from each said unit pattern in conjunction with corresponding sensor elements, over a corresponding wavelength spectrum. 
     
     
       24. The polarization viewer of  claim 23 , wherein said unit pattern of horizontal or vertical adjacent spatial arrangement of linear polarizing optical elements consists of three optical elements respectively having horizontal  0  degree polarizing orientation diagonal  45  degree polarization orientation, and vertical  90  degree polarization orientation, said wavelength sensitive optical elements being arranged in a repetitive sequence of respective vertical or horizontal adjacent elements, each said wavelength sensitive element passing red, green, or blue within a sequence. 
     
     
       25. The polarization viewer of  claim 20 , wherein said array of optical elements is deposited on or placed adjacent to said plurality of sensing elements. 
     
     
       26. The polarization viewer of  claim 25 , wherein said filtering means further includes means allowing radiation of a predetermined wavelength spectrum to pass to each of said sensing elements corresponding to said different spatial patterns of polarization orientation, with a different wavelength corresponding to each of said different spatial patterns. 
     
     
       27. The polarization viewer of  claim 20 , wherein said filtering mechanism further includes an array consisting of a repetitive sequence of a predetermined wavelength spectrum pattern, said spectrum pattern consisting of a spatial arrangement of wavelength sensitive optical elements each wavelength sensitive optical element being optically aligned with a unit pattern of said linear polarizing optical elements, whereby at least part of a transmitted radiation sinusoid can be determined at the same prescribed wavelength spectrum in conjunction with corresponding sensor elements. 
     
     
       28. The polarization viewer of  claim 27 , wherein said optical elements are deposited on or placed adjacent to corresponding sensing elements. 
     
     
       29. The polarization viewer of  claim 20 , wherein said filtering mechanism further includes a plurality of wavelength sensitive optical elements each corresponding to one of said unit pattern of linear polarizing optical elements, whereby the transmitted radiance sinusoid determinable from a unit pattern is determined at a prescribed wavelength spectrum. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said filtering mechanism includes a beamsplitter for directing said filtered radiation along first and second paths, and wherein said sensing elements include first and second arrays of pixels for receiving radiation from said first and second paths, respectively. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said filtering mechanism includes a controllable steering mechanism for varying the plane of polarization of said electromagnetic radiation, radiation from said steering mechanism being directed through said linear polarizer to said sensor. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said filtering mechanism includes an array of linear polarizing optical elements incorporating a repetitive sequence of elements having predetermined spatial patterns of polarization orientations. 
     
     
       33. A polarization viewer, comprising: 
       
         a mechanically fixed linear polarizing element for receiving electromagnetic radiation from a scene and producing corresponding radiation having polarization components;  
       
       
         a steering mechanism for varying the orientation of polarization components of said electromagnetic radiation from a scene, said steering mechanism being so located that said radiation from a scene passes through said steering mechanism before passing through said linear polarizing element;  
       
       
         a sensor responsive to said corresponding radiation to produce output signals corresponding to at least part of a transmitted radiance sinusoid for each of a set of elements of said scene;  
       
       
         image forming means responsive to said output signals to produce an image corresponding to said elements of said scene; and  
       
       
         means to control said steering mechanism to vary said orientation of said polarization components, said steering mechanism in conjunction with said linear polarizing element producing the corresponding radiation received by said sensor. 
       
     
     
       34. Polarization viewer of  claim 33 , wherein said means to control said steering mechanism is in communication with said sensor to synchronize the control means with the sensor. 
     
     
       35. The polarization viewer of  claim 33 , wherein said steering mechanism includes at least one twisted nematic liquid crystal with a twist angle of m 1 , said- crystal being electrically switchable by said control means to produce a steering angle of  0  degrees or m 1 , degrees.   
     
     
       36. The viewer of  claim 35 , wherein said steering mechanism includes a plurality of twisted nematic liquid crystals having twist angles and arranged in series along the optical path for the electromagnetic radiation, each said crystal being switchable by said control means to produce selected steering angles. 
     
     
       37. The polarization viewer of  claim 35 , wherein said steering mechanism includes a first crystal having a twist angle of  45  degrees and a second crystal having a twist angle of  90  degrees, said crystals being selectively switchable by said control means to produce steering angles of  0  degrees,  45  degrees  90  degrees and  135  degrees for radiation reaching said linear polarizer. 
     
     
       38. The polarization viewer of  claim 37 , wherein said image forming means produces a visual representation of image polarization. 
     
     
       39. The polarization viewer of  claim 38 , wherein said sensor includes a plurality of pixels each responsive to received electromagnetic radiation to produce said output signals. 
     
     
       40. The polarization viewer of  claim 12  or  33 , connected to a pair of wearable goggles over the eyes of a user such that said image forming means produces a visual representation of image polarization within the view of the user. 
     
     
       41. The polarization viewer of  claim 12  or  33 , connected to a pair of wearable goggles over the eyes of a user such that said image forming means produces individual polarization components within the view of the user.