Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/21—Polarisation-affecting properties
  • G01N21/23—Bi-refringence
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
  • G01N21/27—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands using photo-electric detection ; circuits for computing concentration
  • G01N21/272—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands using photo-electric detection ; circuits for computing concentration for following a reaction, e.g. for determining photometrically a reaction rate (photometric cinetic analysis)
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/117—Identification of persons
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
  • G01J3/00—Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
  • G01J3/28—Investigating the spectrum
  • G01J3/2823—Imaging spectrometer
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
  • G01N21/27—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands using photo-electric detection ; circuits for computing concentration
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/30—Polarising elements
  • G02B5/3016—Polarising elements involving passive liquid crystal elements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
  • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
  • G06V10/10—Image acquisition
  • G06V10/12—Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
  • G06V10/14—Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
  • G06V10/143—Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
  • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
  • G06V10/10—Image acquisition
  • G06V10/12—Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
  • G06V10/14—Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
  • G06V10/147—Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W12/00—Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
  • H04W12/03—Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
  • H04W12/037—Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic

Definitions

• Friendly fire is typically an accidental attack by military forces on their own forces, allied forces, neutral forces, or civilians.
• Such friendly fire is a longstanding challenge for military forces but recently has become more severe in modern warfare with the proliferation of powerful ranged weapons including piloted aircraft, autonomous (drone) aircraft, artillery, rockets, missiles, and firearms.
• modern warfare also carries significant risk of friendly fire as more conflicts are fought unconventionally.
• War zones are increasingly ill-defined and include mixtures of regular armed forces, special operations forces, allied forces, local armor forces, irregular insurgent forces, and civilians, often in chaotic urban environments. All of these factors make target identification difficult and require improvements in equipment and techniques to avoid friendly fire.
• FFI devices and techniques that permit covert identification of friendly forces while remaining resilient and reconfigurable in the field.
• the FFI devices should remain undetectable to enemy broadband sensors such as NVDs and EO/IR sensors that are now available to regular and irregular military forces around the world.
• the disclosure describes a covert identification system and methods of covert identification.
• the covert identification system and methods are designed to permit friendly forces to locate and identify other friendly forces, neutral forces, and/or civilians and distinguish them from hostile forces.
• a covert identification system comprising: a marker that includes at least one of a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) and a conformal filter and which reflects interacted photons that have interacted with the LCTF or the conformal filter, a spectroscopic imaging device that includes at least one of a LCTF and a conformal filter and which is configured to receive the interacted photons, and wherein the LCTF or conformal filter of the spectroscopic imaging device operates in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of the LCTF or conformal filter in the marker so that the spectroscopic imaging device can accurately distinguish between light that has interacted with the conformal filter and light that has not interacted with the marker.
• LCTF liquid crystal tunable filter
• the covert identification system further comprises a light source that is configured to illuminate the marker.
• the light source for illuminating the marker emits spectrum selected from the group consisting of about 180-380 nm (UV), about 700-2500 nm (NIR), about 850-1800 nm (SWIR), about 650-1100 nm (MWIR), about 400-1100 nm (VIS- NIR), about 1200-2450 nm (LWIR), and combinations of the above ranges.
• the covert identification system does not include a light source for illuminating the marker, and during operation, the marker is illuminated by an external light source.
• the marker further includes a marker processor that is configured to control at least one of the LCTF or the conformal filter of the marker.
• the marker processor is configured to control at least one of the LCTF or the conformal filter of the marker to thereby encrypt the interacted photons.
• the spectroscopic imaging device further including a spectroscopic processor that is configured to control at least one LCTF or conformal filter of the spectroscopic imaging device.
• the spectroscopic processor is configured to control at least one of the LCTF or the conformal filter of the spectroscopic imaging device to thereby decrypt the interacted photons.
• the covert identification system further comprises a power source.
• a method of covert identification comprising: illuminating with photons a marker that includes at least one of a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) and a conformal filter so that the marker reflects interacted photons that have interacted with the LCTF or the conformal filter, receiving interacted photons with a spectroscopic imaging device, the spectroscopic imaging device including at least one of a LCTF and a conformal filter, and operating the LCTF or conformal filter of the spectroscopic imaging device in a pattern of the LCTF or conformal filter in the marker so that the spectroscopic imaging device can accurately distinguish between light that has interacted with the conformal filter and light that has not interacted with the marker.
• LCTF liquid crystal tunable filter
• the marker is illuminated with photons from a light source.
• the light source for illuminating the marker emits spectrum selected from the group consisting of about 180-380 nm (UV), about 700-2500 nm (NIR), about 850-1800 nm (SWIR), about 650-1100 nm (MWIR), about 400-1 100 nm (VIS- NIR), about 1200-2450 nm (LWIR), and combinations of the above ranges.
• the illuminating is performed with an external light source.
• the method of covert identification further comprises controlling the LCTF or the conformal filter of the marker with a marker processor.
• the method of covert identification further comprises encrypting the interacted photons with the marker.
• the method of covert identification further comprises controlling the LCTF or the conformal filter of the spectroscopic imaging device with a spectroscopic processor.
• the method of covert identification further comprises decrypting the interacted photons with the spectroscopic imaging device.
• the method of covert identification further comprises supplying power to at least one of the marker or the spectroscopic imaging device.
• the method of covert identification further comprises supplying power to at least one of the marker or the spectroscopic imaging device, and the light source.
• the method of covert identification further comprises identifying friendly persons, vehicles, or buildings based on the interacted photons that were distinguished from other photons that did not interact with the marker.
• a marker communicates one or more of force identification, force location, force status, target identification, target location, target status, and the like in a manner that is not revealed to broadband sensors.
• a spectroscopic imaging device detects the unique spectral profile communicated by the marker.
• a covert identification system includes at least a marker and a spectroscopic imaging device and can be utilized by armed forces to quickly and accurately distinguish friendly, neutral, and civilian forces from enemy or hostile forces.
• a method of covert identification includes interacting with incident photons using a marker to thereby emit a unique spectral profile and detecting the unique spectral profile with a spectroscopic imaging device.
• a marker interacts with emitted or incident electromagnetic radiation in order to identify various people and objects.
• the marker is designed to be compact, reliable, use little or no power, and be mounted on any person, vehicle, installation or other object that is to be identified as friendly, neutral, or enemy.
• the marker should also be low cost.
• the goal of the marker is to interact with and reflect incident light, but to do so in a way that renders the marker undetectable to conventional broadband sensors that are available on the market and which are used by enemy forces.
• the marker includes tunable filters that interact with incident light that strikes the marker.
• tunable filters are selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal tunable filter, an acousto tunable filter, a Lyot liquid crystal tunable filter, an Evans Split-Element liquid crystal tunable filter, a Sole liquid crystal tunable filter, a Ferroelectric liquid crystal tunable filter, a Fabry Perot liquid crystal tunable filter, a multi-conjugate filter (MCF), a conformal filter, and combinations thereof.
• MCF multi-conjugate filter
• the marker can interact with any spectrum of light including ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), long wave infrared (LWIR) w3 ⁇ 4velengths, and some overlapping ranges. These correspond to wavelengths of about 180-400 nm (UV), about 400-700 nm (VIS), about 700-2500 nm (NIR), about 850-1800 nm (SWIR), about 650-1100 nm (MWIR), about 400-1100 nm (VIS-NIR) and about 1200-2450 nm (LWIR).
• UV ultraviolet
• VIS visible
• NIR near infrared
• SWIR short-wave infrared
• MIR mid infrared
• LWIR long wave infrared
• the marker interacts with light that is not visible to the human eye so as to remain covert.
• Such wavelengths include ultraviolet (UV), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths, and some overlapping ranges. These correspond to wavelengths of about 180-380 nm (UV), about 700-2500 nm (NIR), about 850-1800 nm (SWIR), about 650-1100 nm (MWIR), and about 1200-2450 nm (LWIR).
• the marker may interact with each of these wavelength ranges individually or in combination of more than one of the listed wavelength ranges.
• the marker can utilize visible light.
• the interaction of the marker with one or more of the above wa velengths may result in the reflection of a subset of the light that was incident on the marker.
• incident SWIR light is processed by the tunable filter of the marker and reflected as a narrow band of light with a wavelength of about 1340-1350 nm. Similar behavior may be achieved for any other light wavelength range.
• the marker only interacts with selected wavelength ranges. In one embodiment, the marker only interacts with VIS light. In another embodiment, the marker only interacts with NIR light. In another embodiment, the marker only interacts with SWIR light. In another embodiment, the marker only interacts with LWIR light. In another embodiment, the marker interacts only interacts with VIS-NIR light. In some embodiments, at least one of the ranges in the foregoing paragraph are combined, for example, VIS-NIR light and LWIR light.
• the marker is controlled by a marker processor that operates the marker using wavelength hopping techniques in order to present a unique spectral profile.
• the marker processor controls the marker’s emission of light spectrum so that it rapidly switches the signal carrier, or band, among multiple wavelengths of light.
• the switching of the signals among multiple wavelengths of light is performed according to a sequence that is known only to the members and equipment of friendly forces.
• a pattern of wavelength switching is performed via a pseudorandom sequence that is designed to appear random or“noisy” to enemy sensors and equipment.
• the optical wavelengths may be used to communicate an encrypted signal.
• the encrypted signal may obscure information that is being carried by the emissions from the marker, such as the identity or status of the personnel that are wearing the marker.
• the encryption algorithm employed is not limited and may include one or more of Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES), Twofish, Rivest-Shamir- Adi eman (RSA), and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
• the disclosure contemplates that it may be symmetric encryption where the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt the information and/or asymmetric encryption, where a mixture of public and private keys are used to encrypt and decrypt the information.
• the encrypted signal is generated when the marker processor controls the behavior of at least one of the LCTF and the conformal filter to alter the optical wavelengths.
• the marker itself includes no independent powered lighting, and is only visible when illuminated externally, such as by sunlight, moonlight, artificial lighting, or combinations of the above.
• the marker itself includes internal lighting which can be activated automatically by the marker processor, manually by user intervention, or by a combination of the above.
• ⁇ illumination is controlled by the marker processor to coincide with, or be synchronized with wavelength hopping capabilities and/or the encryption algorithm.
• powered lighting may be of any design including incandescent lamp, halogen lamp, light emitting diode (LED), chemical laser, solid state laser, organic light emitting diode (OLED), electroluminescent device, fluorescent lamp, gas discharge lamp, metal halide lamp, xenon ark lamp, induction lamp, or any combination of these light sources.
• the illumination may be any useful spectrum including ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths, and any overlapping ranges.
• UV 180-380 nm
• VIS 380-700 nm
• NIR 700-2500 nm
• SWIR 850-1800 nm
• MWIR 650-1100 nm
• VIS -NIR nm
• LWIR 1200-2450 nm
• the marker receives electrical power from an external or internal power source.
• the external or internal pow3 ⁇ 4r source is not limited and may be an electrical system of a vehicle, an electrochemical cell or battery of cells, an electrochemical fuel cell or battery of fuel cells, a mechanical generator, a photovoltaic cell, a thermoelectric generator, or any combinations of the above.
• the electrochemical cells or bateries of cells may be selected from any chemistry including nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, lithium ion, lithium polymer, lithium, alkaline, silver oxide, hydrogen fuel cell, direct methanol fuel cell, or any combination of the above.
• the above electrochemical cells may be primary cells, secondary cells, fuel cells, or any combinations of the above.
• the marker can be applied to or used by any person, structure, vehicle, materiel (supplies), targets, friendly forces, neutral forces, enemy targets, or civilians, though this list is not limiting and other categories of people and objects both in theaters of war and/or in peacetime scenarios are contemplated here. It is contemplated that the marker is small enough to be included as a patch on a person’s clothing or uniform, and that it can be mounted on buildings, installations, vehicles, bags, pallets, packs, and the like.
• the spectral profile of the marker can be configured to present a wide range of information.
• the spectral profile provides information about the identity of the holder of the marker, such as friendly forces, neutral forces, coalition partners, civilians, enemy forces, friendly structure, or enemy structure.
• the spectral profile provides information about the status of the holder, such as whether the holder has been injured or is incapacitated, whether the holder is ready to advance, or whether the holder requires assistance.
• At least one spectroscopic imaging device is designed to function in concert with the above-described markers in order to locate and identify various other forces in the theater of war and/or in peacetime scenarios.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is a hyperspectral imaging device that permits images to be collected at various wavelengths.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF).
• LCTF uses birefringent retarders to distribute the light energy of an input light signal over a range of polarization states. The polarization state of light emerging at the output of the LCTF is caused to vary as a function of wavelength due to differential retardation of orthogonal components of the light contributed by the birefringent retarders.
• the LCTF discriminates for wavelength-specific polarization using a polarizing filter at the output.
• the polarizing filter passes the light components in the output that are rotationally aligned to the polarizing filter.
• the LCTF is tuned by adjusting the birefringence of the retarders so that a specific discrimination wavelength emerges in a plane polarized state, aligned to the output polarizing filter. Other wavelengths that emerge in other polarization states and/or alignments are attenuated.
• tunable filters include an aeousto tunable filter, a Lyot liquid crystal tunable filter, an Evans Split-Element liquid crystal tunable filter, a Sole liquid crystal tunable filter, a Ferroelectric liquid crystal tunable filter, a Fabry Perot liquid crystal tunable filter, a multi-conjugate filter (MCF) and combinations thereof.
• MCF multi-conjugate filter
• the spectroscopic imaging device includes a conformal filter.
• Conformal filters may include tunable filters, which are traditionally intended for single bandpass transmission, and are designed to enable tuning to a plurality of different configurations. This is particularly useful when detecting the wavelength hopping spectral profile is described throughout the specification.
• U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2014/0198315 to Treado et al., filed January 15, 2014 assigned to Chemlmage Corporation and entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING ANALYTES USING CONFORMAL FILTERS AND DUAL POLARIZATION discloses the use of conformal filters in a dual polarization configuration as discussed above and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
• the filters of the spectroscopic imaging device are provided in combination with a detector that detects photons that pass through the filters.
• the detector or combination of detectors must accurately identify photons of a wide variety of wavelengths.
• the wavelengths that are to be identified include ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths, and some overlapping ranges.
• One more detectors may be included to detect one or more of the above listed wavelengths.
• the spectroscopic imaging device only interacts with selected wavelength ranges.
• the marker only interacts with VIS light.
• the marker only interacts with NIR light.
• the marker only interacts with SWIR light.
• the marker only interacts with LWIR light.
• the marker interacts only interacts with VIS -NIR light.
• at least one of the ranges in the foregoing paragraph are combined, for example, VIS -NIR light and LWIR light.
• the detector is selected from a group consisting of a charged coupled device (CCD) detector, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector, an indrum gallium arsenide (InGaAs) detector, a platinum silicide (PtSi) detector, a mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) detector, a colloidal quantum dot (CQD) detector, an indium antimomde (InSb) detectorand combinations thereof.
• CCD charged coupled device
• CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor
• InGaAs indrum gallium arsenide
• PtSi platinum silicide
• HgCdTe mercury cadmium telluride
• CQD colloidal quantum dot
• InSb indium antimomde
• the spectroscopic imaging device includes a spectroscopic processor in communication with the detector and the filters.
• the spectroscopic processor simultaneously receives a signal from the detector and controls the tunable filter so that the two act in concert with respect to receiving an optical signature from at least one marker. Because the marker employs various techniques to hide its location and identity from enemy forces, such as wavelength hopping and encryption, the spectroscopic processor in conjunction with the detector and the filters must be configured to synchronize with the marker in order to properly detect the presence of the marker.
• the spectroscopic processor in addition to processing the signal from the detector and controlling the tunable filter, is configured to integrate the information from the detector into an image generated by other optical devices.
• the spectroscopic processor may integrate information from the spectroscopic device with the information from a night vision device. The combination of useful, real-time information about the user’s surroundings as well as the identity and other information about other users of the marker device results in a useful enhancement on war theater visual information.
• the spectroscopic processor operates the spectroscopic imaging device so that the spectroscopic imaging device uses wavelength hopping techniques in synchronization with the marker. This enables the spectroscopic device to detect the unique spectral profile that is generated by the marker.
• the spectroscopic processor controls the detector, the tunable or conformal filters, or other components of the spectroscopic imaging device so that it can detect the switching of signals that are known only to the members and equipment of friendly forces.
• a pattern of wavelength switching is performed via a pseudorandom sequence that is designed to appear random or“noisy” to enemy sensors and equipment. Even though the marker presents a pseudorandom sequence for the wavelength hopping operations, this spectral profile is still easily recognized by the spectroscopic imaging device.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is capable of decrypting an encrypted signal.
• the decryption is performed by the spectroscopic processor, typically after the signal has been processed from the optical signal hopping described above.
• the decryption of the signal results in the spectroscopic imaging device and the spectroscopic processor identifying the location, identity, or other information associated with the marker, even in difficult conditions such as low light.
• the encryption algorithm that is decrypted by the spectroscopic processor is not limited and may include one or more of Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES), Twofish, Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA), and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
• the selected encryption algorithm may be symmetric encryption algorithm, where the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt the information and/or an asymmetric encryption, where a mixture of public and private keys are used to encrypt and decrypt the information.
• the decrypting of the encrypted signal is performed when the spectroscopic imaging processor controls the behavior of at least one of the LCTF and the conformal filter to alter the optical wavelengths.
• the spectroscopic imaging device receives electrical power from an external or internal power source.
• the external or internal power source is not limited and may be an electrical system of a vehicle, an electrochemical cell or battery of cells, an electrochemical fuel cell or batter of fuel cells, a mechanical generator, a photovoltaic cell, a thermoelectric generator, or any combinations of the above.
• the electrochemical cells or batteries of cells may be selected from any chemistry including nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, lithium ion, lithium polymer, lithium, alkaline, silver oxide, hydrogen fuel cell, direct methanol fuel cell, or any combination of the above.
• the above electrochemical cells may be primary cells, secondary cells, fuel cells, or any combinations of the above.
• the spectroscopic imaging device includes no independent powered lighting, and thus can only passively observe objects that are illuminated externally, such as by sunlight, moonlight, artificial lighting, and combinations of the above.
• the spectroscopic imaging device includes or is closely associated or closely mounted with lighting that can be activated automatically by the spectroscopic processor, manually by user intervention, or combinations of the above.
• the illumination is controlled by the spectroscopic processor to coincide with, or be synchronized with, wavelength hopping capabilities and/or the encryption algorithm.
• powered lighting may be of any design including incandescent lamp, halogen lamp, light emitting diode (LED), chemical laser, solid state laser, organic light emitting diode (OLED), electroluminescent device, fluorescent lamp, gas discharge lamp, metal halide lamp, xenon ark lamp, induction lamp, or any combination of these light sources.
• the powered lighting may emit ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths, and any overlapping ranges.
• UV ultraviolet
• VIS visible
• NIR near infrared
• SWIR short-wave infrared
• MIR mid infrared
• LWIR long wave infrared
• UV 180-380 nm
• VIS 380-700 ran
• NIR 700-2500 nm
• SWIR 850-1800 nm
• MWIR 650-1100 nm
• VIS -NIR nm
• LWIR 1200-2450 nm
• the spectroscopic imaging device can be mounted on or used by any person, structure, vehicle, or weapons system so that the identity, location, status, and other information being transmitted by the markers can be identified.
• the physical size of the spectroscopic imaging device is not limited, but small sizes are particularly useful so that portability and space savings are enhanced.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is in the form of a prismatoid, parallelepiped, cuboid, rectangular prism, or cube with each side being about 0.5 inches to about 5 inches in length.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is a prismatoid, rectangular prism, or cube where each side is about 1 inch in length.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is associated with a display, goggles, or other eyepiece that is designed to show the images discerned by the spectroscopic imaging device.
• the marker or the spectroscopic imaging device is associated with a network interface that permits communication between groups of markers and/or groups of spectroscopic imaging devices, as well as wider military communications networks and all devices attached to such networks.
• the spectroscopic imaging device is associated with night imaging equipment that permits the information discerned by the spectroscopic imaging device to be integrated or combined with other critical visual information, such as night vision imagery and thermal imagery.
• a non-limiting Example was constructed to demonstrate one embodiment of the disclosure and is shown schematically in the Figure.
• an optical breadboard (not shown) was constructed for mounting and positioning the various components to form a covert imaging system 1.
• an infrared light source 2 was placed comprising an infrared filtered flashlight (i.e., the flashlight emits infrared radiation by filtering out other spectra).
• the infrared filtered flashlight was pointed towards a section of camouflaged cloth 3 representing the uniform of friendly forces.
• the section of camouflaged cloth 3 contained a cutout exposing a conformal filter placed in front of a reflector, where the combination of the cutout, conformal filter, and reflector collectively form the marker 4.
• the marker 4 was configured to emit a unique spectral profile by way of reflecting and interacting with the photons from the infrared light source 2.
• the optical breadboard and covert imaging system 1 also includes first decoding conformal filter 5 and second decoding conformal filter 6 that receive the reflected light 7 through a beam splitter 8 and associated optical components such as lenses and mirrors.
• first decoding conformal filter 5 and second decoding conformal filter 6 produces respective images 9 and 10.
• the respective images 9 and 10 are analyzed using image math by a processor (not shown) to yield a final detected image 11 which clearly shows the location of the marker 4 on the camouflaged cloth 3 (the location is shown in the drawing as a white square).
• the overall covert imaging system is capable of real time detection, with frame rates greater than about 10 frames per second when a dual polarization optical subsystem is selected.
• the reflection from the marker 4 is only detectable by applying image math to the first and second images 9 and 10.
• a conventional broadband sensor (not shown) cannot detect the presence of the marker 4 because conventional broadband sensors are unable to detect the fine level of contrast present between light that is attributed to the marker 4 and light that is attributed to the camouflaged cloth 3 when such sensors image the reflected light.
• covert imaging system 1 by using the first decoding conformal filter 5 and the second decoding conformal filter 6, quickly and accurately distinguishes between light reflected by the marker 4 and by the camouflaged cloth 3.
• the marker 4 was configured to reflect the light from the infrared light source 2 in a pre-determined multi-band waveform, which results in an encrypted signal.
• the encrypted signal is then decrypted when the processor performs image math and controls the conformal filters 5 and 6 winch results in the final detected image 9. Again, this results in a final detected image 9 that is achievable only via the covert identification system of the disclosure.
• compositions, methods, and devices are described in terms of “comprising” various components or steps (interpreted as meaning“including, but not limited to”), the compositions, methods, and devices can also“consist essentially of’ or“consist of’ the various components and steps, and such terminology should be interpreted as defining essentially closed-member groups. It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present.
• a range includes each individual member.
• a group having 1 -3 cells refers to groups having 1 , 2, or 3 cells.
• a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth.

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