1. A spectral imaging system comprising:
an interferometer to generate an interference pattern from a first light beam emanating from a first scene; and
an optics sub-system to generate six or more responses from a second light beam formed by illumination of a second scene, wherein each of said six or more responses is a corresponding image of said second scene represented by different spectral content of said second light beam,
wherein said second light beam is a single beam formed by one illumination of said second scene.
2. The spectral imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a processing
block to process said interference pattern to generate a spectral signature of said first
scene such that said spectral imaging system operates as a spectrometer,
said processing block to also process said six or more responses to generate a hypercube by spectral reconstruction based on said six or more responses such that said spectral imaging system operates as a spectral camera,
wherein said hypercube contains, a plurality of values for each pixel of an image representing said second scene, wherein each value represents the magnitude of reflectance of the portion of the second scene corresponding to the pixel at a corresponding wavelength contained in said single illumination.
3. The spectral imaging system of claim 2, wherein said optic sub-system
comprises:
a filter to alter the intensity of one or more wavelengths from said second light beam;
a set of sensors to generate six responses from said filtered beam and said beam of light.
4. The spectral imaging system of claim 3, wherein said set of sensors comprise
a first sensor and a second sensor,

wherein each of said first sensor and said second sensor is a RGB (red, green and blue) sensor that generates three signal streams, with the first, second and third signal streams respectively representing only red, green, and blue colors.
5. The spectral imaging system of claim 4, further comprising:
a memory to store said spectral signature as representing a base characteristic of an object representing said first scene; and
wherein said processing block compares said spectral signature to characteristics represented by at least some of said plurality of values to determine whether said second scene deviates from said base characteristic.
6. The spectral imaging system of claim 3, further comprising:
a beam splitter to split said second beam of light from said scene into two beams, wherein a first beam of said two beams travels towards said first sensor; and
a prism to receive a second beam of said two beams and to deflect said second beam towards said second sensor.
7. The spectral imaging system of claim 6, further comprising:
a first focusing lens disposed between said beam splitter and said first sensor to focus said first beam in a first direction on to said first sensor; and
a second focusing lens disposed between said prism and said second sensor to focus said deflected second beam in a second direction on to said second sensor,
wherein said first direction is parallel to said second direction,
wherein said first sensor and said second sensor are juxtaposed along a same plane.
8. The spectral imaging system of 7, wherein said beam splitter is in the form of
a cube, said cube containing a diagonal partially-reflecting plane to cause part of said
beam of light to be reflected towards said prism in a third direction,
wherein a pair of surfaces in the combination of said beam splitter and said prism are designed to be partially reflecting surfaces to reflect at least respective portions of both of said first beam and said second beam,

wherein said respective portions are processed by said spectrometer to generate said spectral signature,
wherein other surfaces in said combination are designed not to be reflective surfaces.
9. The spectral imaging system of claim 8, wherein said interferometer
comprises:
a monochrome sensor to capture an interference pattern generated by said respective portions, wherein said processor processes said interference pattern to generate said spectral signature; and
a third focusing lens disposed between said beam splitter and said monochrome sensor to focus said respective portions onto said monochrome sensor.
10. The spectral imaging system of claim 1, wherein said interferometer and said optics sub-system are implemented using at least one common optic component.
11. The spectral imaging system of claim 1, wherein said spectrometer and said spectral camera are integrated into a mobile phone or a portable form factor.
12. A spectral camera system comprising:
an optics sub-system to form a plurality of beams of light from a single beam received by illumination of a scene, wherein each of said single beam and said plurality of beams represent said scene, wherein each of said plurality of beams contain different spectral content; and
a set of sensors, each sensor to receive corresponding one of said plurality of parallel beams and to generate a set of responses, wherein each response is a respective image of said scene in only a corresponding band of wavelengths.
13. The spectral camera system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of beams are
parallel to each other, said spectral camera system further comprising a processor to
generate a hypercube by spectral reconstruction based on said sets of responses,
wherein said hypercube contains a plurality of intensity values captured by each

pixel of an image sensor representing said scene, wherein each value corresponds to a wavelength present in the illumination.
14. The spectral camera of claim 13, wherein said set of sensors comprise two color sensors, each of said color sensor comprises an RGB sensor such that said processor processes six responses formed by said two sensors together, said six responses being contained in said set of responses.
15. The spectral camera of claim 13, wherein said plurality of parallel beams contain two beams having same spectral content, wherein said optics sub-system comprises:
a beam splitter and a prism to form said two beams from said single beam;
a filter to alter the intensity of one or more wavelengths in one of said two beams to generate a filtered beam; and
a pair of focusing lenses to focus said filtered beam and the other one of said two beams on respective ones of said set of sensors.
16. The spectral camera of claim 12, wherein a first beam of said plurality of
beams is orthogonal to a second beam of said plurality of beams.