Content-based fused off-axis object illumination direct-to-digital holography

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recording a content-based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, comprising: calculating an illumination angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a focusing lens as a function of data representing a Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram; reflecting a reference beam from a reference mirror at a non-normal angle; reflecting an object beam from an object, the object beam incident upon the object at the illumination angle; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form the content-based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; and digitally recording the content based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Fourier analyzing the recorded content based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes by transforming axes of the recorded content based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined as an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; applying a digital filter to cut off signals around an original origin; and then performing an inverse Fourier transform.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising fusing the Fourier analyzed content based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram with at least one Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram to compute a single composite image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram includes a composite image.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising replaying the single composite image.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the single composite image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the illumination angle with respect to the optical axis defined by the focusing lens as the function of data representing the Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram includes selecting a feature of interest from the Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of digitally recording includes detecting the beams with a CCD camera that defines pixels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the feature of interest is defined by data that indicates a variation in at least one member selected from the group consisting of amplitude and phase across at least two pixels.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to record another content based spatially heterodyne hologram.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising recording the another content based spatially heterodyne hologram.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: Fourier analyzing the recorded another content based spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes by transforming axes of the another recorded content based spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined as an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; applying a digital filter around an original origin; and then performing an inverse Fourier transform.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising fusing the Fourier analyzed another content based spatially heterodyne hologram with at least one Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram to compute a single composite image.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the content based spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis as digital data.

15. An apparatus operable to digitally record a content-based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, comprising: an illumination source; a beamsplitter optically coupled to the illumination source; a reference beam mirror optically coupled to the beamsplitter; a focusing lens; a digital recorder coupled to the focusing lens; and a computer that controls an illumination angle with respect to an optical axis defined by the focusing lens as a function of data representing a Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram, performs a Fourier transform, applies a digital filter, and performs an inverse Fourier transform, wherein a reference beam is incident upon the reference beam mirror at a non-normal angle, an object beam is incident upon an object at an angle with respect to an optical axis defined by the focusing lens, the reference beam and the object beam are focused by the focusing lens at a focal plane of the digital recorder to form the content-based off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis which are recorded by the digital recorder, and the computer transforms axes of the recorded off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined by an angle between the reference beam and the object beam and cuts off signals around an original origin before performing the inverse Fourier transform.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an object objective optically coupled between the beamsplitter and the object.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the illumination source includes a laser.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the digital recorder includes a CCD camera that defines pixels.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the angle between the reference beam and the object beam, and a magnification provided by the focusing lens, are selected in order that the digital recorder may resolve features of the off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis and two fringes, each having two pixels per fringe, are provided.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the illumination source is moveable relative to the beamsplitter.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the beamsplitter, the reference beam mirror and the digital recorder define a Michelson geometry.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the beamsplitter, the reference beam mirror and the digital recorder define a Mach-Zehner geometry.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a digital storage medium coupled to the computer for performing a Fourier transform, applying a digital filter, and performing an inverse Fourier transform.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer calculates the illumination angle with respect to the optical axis defined by the focusing lens as the function of data representing the Fourier analyzed spatially heterodyne hologram.