Optical scanning systems
AssigneeBarr & Stroud Limited
InventorsJohn Kenneth Houston, Andrew Simpson Winter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An infra-red scanning system with raster scan display unit operating in the visible spectrum, in which the image is scanned across a linear array of detector elements to provide a signal multiplexer with electrical signals related to the detected radiation pattern. The operation of the raster scan display unit is synchronised to the operation of the scanning system so that the horizontal time base integrator is gated according to the speed of the scanning system, and the vertical time base is gated to operate in synchronism with the multiplexer in order to minimise optical distortion in the display.
Claims6
An optical scanning system comprising a scanning head incorporating a linear array of radiation-detecting elements, a rotatable member arranged to scan radiation entering the head along a predetermined line of sight across the said array, and a visual display system coupled to the output of the array, said visual display system incorporating a signal multiplexer coupled sequentially to sample the signal outputs of the detecting elements in the array, and a scanned raster device having a spot-intensity modulator coupled to the output of the multiplexer, the raster for said device being generated by first and second time bases of which the first time base provides movement of the spot in a first direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the linear array of detecting elements and is gated to operate in synchronism with the signal multiplexer and the rotatable member cooperates with synchronizing means coupled to control the second time base to move the spot in a second direction at a rate determined by the speed of rotation of the rotatable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.