Single-Pixel Electromagnetic Wave Detection Using Spatial Light Modulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional technologies face difficulties in manufacturing imaging devices with multiple pixels that can determine electromagnetic wave frequencies, making it challenging to acquire signals with both phase and amplitude information regardless of the wave frequency.

Innovation Solution

An electromagnetic wave determining device that includes a machine learning unit for processing post-modulation electromagnetic wave intensities, an identification unit for imaging targets, and a generation unit that generates complex amplitude information using sparsity-constrained operations, allowing for the determination of phase and amplitude across various frequencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If an imaging device including a plurality of pixels is manufactured to determine electromagnetic wave frequencies, then phase and amplitude information can be acquired, but manufacturing difficulty increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephase and amplitude information acquisitionVSAvoidimaging device manufacturing
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the physical multi-pixel imaging device with a computational approach using a single pixel detector. Instead of using multiple physical pixels to capture electromagnetic wave information simultaneously, the system uses a single pixel combined with spatial light modulators and compressive sampling algorithms to reconstruct phase and amplitude information computationally. This substitution of mechanical/optical complexity with computational processing resolves the manufacturing difficulty while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces spatial light modulators as intermediary components between the electromagnetic wave source and the single pixel detector. These modulators encode spatial information into the electromagnetic waves through various patterns, allowing a single pixel to gather information that would traditionally require multiple pixels. The intermediary modulators enable the single pixel to effectively perform the function of multiple pixels through computational reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If conventional single pixel detection is used, then device complexity is reduced, but phase and amplitude information cannot be simultaneously determined

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimaging device structureVSAvoidphase and amplitude information
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary modulation actions to the electromagnetic waves before detection. Spatial light modulators pre-encode the electromagnetic waves with specific patterns (such as Hadamard patterns or random patterns) that carry spatial information. This preliminary encoding allows the single pixel detector to capture information that can be later decoded to retrieve both phase and amplitude information, preventing information loss while maintaining simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic modulation of the electromagnetic waves through the spatial light modulators. By systematically varying the modulation patterns over multiple measurement cycles (using different patterns in sequence), the system accumulates information that enables reconstruction of both phase and amplitude. This periodic action allows the single pixel to gather sufficient information over time to determine both parameters without requiring simultaneous multi-pixel detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the acquisition of signals with both phase and amplitude information of electromagnetic waves regardless of their frequency, enhancing the capability of imaging devices to handle diverse electromagnetic wave frequencies.

Implementation Method 1

a first electromagnetic wave modulating unit configured to modulate one or both of a phase and an amplitude of the electromagnetic waves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic wave modulation: Phase Modulation

Implementation Method 2

a post-modulation electromagnetic wave intensity detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of post-modulation electromagnetic waves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic detection: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3584564B1Electromagnetic wave detection device, flow cytometer, electromagnetic wave detection method, and electromagnetic wave detection program
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 OSAKA UNIVERSITY
  • EP3584564B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3584564B1 patent drawingFigure 2~2(b)
  • EP3584564B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electromagnetic wave detecting device comprising: an emission unit configured to emit electromagnetic waves having coherence; an electromagnetic wave modulating unit configured to modulate one or both of a phase and an amplitude of the emitted electromagnetic waves and to change a state of the modulation relative to an imaging target; and a post-modulation electromagnetic wave intensity detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of post-modulation electromagnetic waves, which are the modulated electromagnetic waves acquired by modulating the electromagnetic waves emitted from the emission unit using the imaging target and the electromagnetic wave modulating unit, using one pixel.