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US 4,788,426 AGranted
Interactive image recording method and means
OwnerManfred R. Kuehnleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic read/write or microscope-camera system which can receive and store very low energy optical and equivalent electronic signals on a special optoelectronic tape or medium as varying charge density distributions over the imaged frame. Images are retrieved from the tape or medium by scanning the tape or medium with a focused electron beam which causes the tape or medium to emit secondary electrons as a charge density modulated return beam current. The electrons in the return beam are collected and amplified to develop an electrical signal representative of the image stored on the tape or medium. A method of applying images to and retrieving them from the tape or medium is also disclosed.
Claims31
An electronic read/write system comprising
- A. a housing;
- B. lens means mounted in a wall of the housing for imaging a field of view at a focal plane in the housing;
- C. means in the housing for positioning a wholly inorganic plural-layer optoelectronic medium in said plane;
- and
- D. electron generating means mounted in said housing and spaced opposite said plane, said electron generating means including
- (1) means for producing a cloud of electrons from a first source to controllably charge an optoelectronic medium in said plane while the medium is simultaneously exposed to a light image in the field of view of said lens means whereby an electronic latent image of the field of view is generated and stored in the medium,
- (2) means for producing a finely focused electron beam for scanning the medium so as to sweep out a raster on the medium whereby to produce a return beam of secondary electrons which is then modulated by the number of exposure generated charges representing said electronic image on the medium, and
- (3) means for collecting said secondary electrons to produce an electrical signal representative of the electronic image stored on the medium.
5 more elements
An electronic microscope and/or camera system comprising
- A. a housing;
- B. means defining a compartment in said housing;
- C. lens means removably mounted in a wall of the housing for projecting an image of a field of view along an axis to a focal plane in said compartment;
- D. tape transport means positioned in said compartment and for moving optoelectronic tape between said spools along said plane;
- E. electron generating means in said housing, said generating means including means positioned in said compartment opposite said plane and controllably emitting a cloud of electrons in proportion to the light intensity and contrast in the projected image to charge the tape portion in said plane which is exposed to the projected image thereby recording an equivalent electronic image in said tape portion;
- F. electron beam generating means in said housing for scanning the tape portion with a focused electron beam so as to sweep out a raster on the tape portion whereby to produce a return beam of secondary electrons which is modulated by the varying charge densities representing picture elements within said electronic image on said tape portion;
- and
- G. means for collecting and amplifying the return beam to produce an electrical signal representative of the electronic image stored on the tape portion.
5 more elements
The system defined in claim and further including
- A. means for sensing the intensity and brightness contrast of the projected image and producing intensity and contrast signals in response thereto;
- and
- B. means responsive to said signals for controlling the charging of said tape portion by said electron generating means.
An electronic read/write system comprising
- A. a housing;
- B. a lens system mounted in a wall of the housing for projecting a field of view to a focal plane in the housing;
- C. means in the housing for positioning a plural-layer optoelectronic tape in said plane, said tape including a conductive layer, a photoconductive layer and a dual-material dielectric storage layer;
- D. means in said housing for applying a voltage to the photoconductive layer;
- E. means in said housing for applying electrons in a cloud to the exposed surface of the storage layer;
- and
- F. means for controlling the voltage applying means and electron applying means to apply a voltage momentarily to the photoconductive layer while the tape is exposed to a light image projected by said lens system that is dependent upon the intensity of the light in, and brightness contrast of, the projected image whereby a perfectly exposed electronic image of the projected image is acquired by the photoconductive layer and stored in the storage layer as a distribution of charge densities;
- G. means for storing the electronic image by allowing the photogenerated charges to tunnel through one component of the dual-material dielectric layer and be pinn ed in an anisotropic storage position in the other component of said layer, whereas said one storage layer component will inhibit charges generated as a result of heat from reaching the photogenerated charges in said other storage layer component after the exposure of the tape and the application of said voltage are terminated.
5 more elements
A method of taking pictures electronically comprising the steps of
- A. forming a wholly inorganic, plural layer electronic tape with a photoconductive layer sandwiched between a conductive layer and a dual-material dielectric storage layer;
- B. positioning the tape so that a segment thereof is located in the focal plane of a lens system;
- C. applying a voltage to the photoconductive layer and electrons to the exposed surface of the dielectric layer in said segment that are dependent upon the light intensity of and contrast of a light image projected to said tape segment so that an electronic image of the projected image is acguired by the photoconductive layer and stored in the dual-material dielectric storage layer of said tape segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.