Digital control of number of effective rows of two-dimensional charge-transfer imager array
AssigneeRCA Corporation
InventorRodney L. Angle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Digital control means responsive to an applied digital signal controls which row or rows of an N row-Q column CCD imager are effective in transferring charge and which are not. Such digital control is suitable for use in providing variable gain for a time-delay integration (TDI) charge-transfer imager in accordance with the average brightness level of the light incident on the imager.
Claims9
In combination:
- a charge-transfer imager comprised of a two-dimensional array of picture-sampling stages arranged in N rows and Q columns, where N and Q are plural integers, and
- digital-control means coupled to said imager, said digital-control means being responsive to the value of an applied digital signal for selectively disabling charge-transfer by at least the picture sampling stages of the j'th row of said imager, where j may have any value, selected in accordance with said applied digital signal, between one and N.
In a time-delay integration (TDI) charge-transfer imager system incorporating a TDI imager comprised of a two-dimensional array of picture-sampling stages arranged in N rows and Q columns, where N and Q are plural integers, wherein said TDI imager is adapted to be exposed to linear light image extending in said row direction which image is moving at a given rate in said column direction from the first to the N'th rows, and wherein said imager system includes control means associated with each row and operated in synchronism with said moving image for transferring charges at substantially said given rate in said column direction from the picture-sampling stages of each row to the picture sampling stages of the next following row;
- the improvement:
- wherein said control means includes digitally-controlled means responsive to the value of an applied digital signal for selectively disabling at least the picture-sampling stages of the j'th row, out of the set of rows consisting of the first row to the j'th row, where j may have any value selected in accordance with said applied digital signal, between one and N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.