Color image intensifier device and method for producing same

An image intensifier for producing a colored output image, comprising:

• (a) an evacuated envelope having an input window for receiving incident light from the environment into said intensifier and an output window through which an output image is projected from said intensifier;
• (b) input filter means affixed proximate said input window for filtering said incident light, a first of at least two portions of said input filter means passing light in a first selected range of wavelengths and a second portion passing light in a second selected range of wavelengths, said at least two portions of said input filter means each subdivided into a plurality of input filters interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said input window;
• (c) output coloring means affixed proximate said output window for coloring said output image, a first of at least two portions of said output coloring means providing light of one selected range of wavelengths and a second portion providing light of another selected range of wavelengths, said at least two portions of said output coloring means each subdivided into a plurality of coloring elements, interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said output window, said output coloring means and said input filter means being stationary with respect to said intensifier when producing said output image and having a spacial alignment relative to each other, said input filters of said first position of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said first portion of said output coloring means and said input filters of said second portion of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said second portion of said output coloring means, such that incident light passing through said first and second portions of said input filter means generates an output signal from said intensifier which is colorized by said first and second portions, respectively, of said output coloring means to represent the coloring of said incident light;
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• (d) conversion means contained within said envelope for converting said incident light passing through said input window and said input filter means into a photoelectron signal, amplifying means contained within said envelope for amplifying said photoelectron signal into an amplified signal and reconverting means contained within said envelope for reconverting said amplified signal into a visible light output image, said reconverting means being a phosphor layer deposited upon a surface of said output window interior to said envelope and said coloring elements being secondary output phosphors deposited upon a surface of said output window exterior to said envelope, said phosphor layer emitting electromagnetic radiation in a selected wavelength range when struck by said amplified signal, said radiation propagating through said output window and striking said secondary output phosphors causing said secondary output phosphors to fluoresce and colorize said output image.

An image intensifier for producing a colored output image, comprising:

• (a) an evacuated envelope having an input window for receiving incident light from the environment into said intensifier and an output window through which an output image is projected from said intensifier;
• (b) input filter means affixed proximate said input window for filtering said incident light, a first of at least two portions of said input filter means passing light in a first selected range of wavelengths and a second portion passing light in a second selected range of wavelengths said at least two portions of said input filter means each subdivided into a plurality of input filters interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said input window;
• (c) output coloring means affixed proximate said output window for coloring said output image, a first of at least two portions of said output coloring means providing light of one selected range of wavelengths and a second portion providing light of another selected range of wavelengths, said at least two portions of said output coloring means each subdivided into a plurality of coloring elements, interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said output window, said output coloring means and said input filter means being stationary with respect to said intensifier when producing said output image and having a spacial alignment relative to each other, said input filters of said first portion of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said first portion of said output coloring means and said input filters of said second portion of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said second portion of said output coloring means such that incident light passing through said first and second portions of said input filter means generates an output signal from said intensifier which is colorized by said first and second portions, respectively, of said output coloring means to represent the coloring of said incident light;
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• (d) conversion means contained within said envelope for converting said incident light passing through said input window and said input filter means into a photoelectron signal, amplifying means contained within said envelope for amplifying said photoelectron signal into an amplified signal and reconverting means contained within said envelope for reconverting said amplified signal into a visible light output image, said reconverting means being said coloring elements, said coloring elements being islands of phosphor deposited upon said output window interior of said envelope, said phosphor islands of said first and second portions of said output coloring means fluorescing light of said one and another selected ranges of wavelengths, respectively, when struck by said amplified signal, said light fluoresced by said phosphor islands being propagated through said output window to constitute a colored said output image.

An image intensifier for producing a colored output image, comprising:

• (a) an evacuated envelope having an input window for receiving incident light from the environment into said intensifier and an output window through which an output image is projected from said intensifier;
• (b) input filter means affixed proximate said input window for filtering said incident light, a first portion of said input filter means passing red light, a second portion passing green light, a third portion passing blue light and a fourth portion passing infrared radiation, said first, second, third and fourth portions of said input filter means each subdivided into a plurality of input filters interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said input window;
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• (c) output coloring means affixed proximate said output window for coloring said output image, first portion of said output coloring means providing red light, a second portion providing green light, a third portion providing blue light and a fourth portion providing light of a selected visible wavelength, said first, second, third and fourth portions of said output coloring means each subdivided into a plurality of coloring elements interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said output window, said output coloring means and said input filter means being stationary with respect to said intensifier when producing said output image and having a spacial alignment relative to each other, said input filters of said first, second, third and fourth portions of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said first, second, third and fourth portions of said output coloring means, such that incident light passing through said first, second, third and fourth portions of said input filter means generates an output signal from said intensifier which is colorized by said first, second, third and fourth portions, respectively, of said output coloring means.

An image intensifier for producing a colored output image, comprising:

• (a) an evacuated envelope having an input window for receiving incident light from the environment into said intensifier and an output window through which an output image is projected from said intensifier;
• (b) input filter means affixed proximate said input window for filtering said incident light, a first of at least two portions of said input filter means passing light in a first selected range of wavelengths and a second portion passing light in a second selected range of wavelengths said at least two portions of said input filter means each subdivided into a plurality of input filters interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said input window;
• (c) output coloring means affixed proximate said output window for coloring said input image, a first of at least two portions of said output coloring means providing light of one selected range of wavelengths and a second portion providing light of another selected range of wavelengths, said at least two portions of said output coloring means each subdivided into a plurality of coloring elements interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said output window, said output coloring means and said input filter means being stationary with respect to said intensifier when producing said output image and having a spatial alignment relative to each other, said input filters of said first portion of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said first portion of said output coloring means and said input filters of said second portion of said input filter means have an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said second portion of said output coloring means such that incident light passing through said first and second portions of said input filter means generates an output signal from said intensifier which is colorized by said first and second portions, respectively, of said output coloring means to represent the coloring of said incident light;
• and
• (d) conversion means contained within said envelope for converting said incident light passing through said input window and said input filter means into a photoelectron signal, amplifying means contained within said envelope for amplifying said photoelectron signal into an amplified signal and reconverting means contained within said envelope for reconverting said amplified signal into a visible light output image,
• said reconverting means being a phosphor layer deposited upon a surface of said output window interior to said envelope and said coloring elements being color output filters formed from photographic film and positioned proximate said output window exterior to said envelope, said phosphor layer emitting several wavelengths of light in the visible region approximating white light when struck by said amplified signal, said several wavelengths of light propagating through said output window and said output filters, said output image being colorized, said at least two portions of said input filter means being three in number, a first passing red light, a second passing green light and a third passing blue light and wherein said at least two portions of said output coloring means are three in number, a first passing red light, a second passing green light and a third passing blue light, said output image attributable to incident light passing through red, green and blue input filters being colorized by red, green and blue output filters, respectively, each of said three portions of said output coloring means being borne upon an independent photographic film, said independent films having said red, green and blue output filters, respectively distributed over clear areas of said films such that when said films are stacked in a predetermined relative orientation, an RGB matrix is formed.

An image intensifier for producing a colored output image, comprising:

• (a) an evacuated envelope having an input window for receiving incident light from the environment into said intensifier and an output window through which and output image is projected from said intensifier;
• (b) input filter means affixed proximate said input window for filtering said incident light, a first of at least two portions of said input filter means passing light in a first selected range of wavelengths and a second portion passing light in a second selected range of wavelengths said at least two portions of said input filter means each subdivided into a plurality of input filters interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said input window;
• (c) output coloring means affixed proximate said output window for coloring said output image, a first of at least two portions of said output coloring means providing light of one selected range of wavelengths and a second portion providing light of another selected range of wavelengths, said at least tow portions of said output coloring means each subdivided into a plurality of coloring elements interspersed and distributed in a generally planar configuration parallel to said output window, said output coloring means and said input filter means being stationary with respect to said intensifier when producing said output image and having a spatial alignment relative to each other, said input filters of said first portion of said input filter means having an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said first portion of said output coloring means and said input filters of said second portion of said input filter means have an approximate one-to-one correspondence with said coloring elements of said second portion of said output coloring means such that incident light passing through said first and second portions of said input filter means generates an output signal from said intensifier which is colorized by said first and second portions, respectively, of said output coloring means to represent the coloring of said incident light;
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• (d) conversion means contained within said envelope for converting said incident light passing through said input window and said input filter means into a photoelectron signal, amplifying means contained within said envelope for amplifying said photoelectron signal into an amplified signal and reconverting means contained within said envelope for reconverting said amplified signal into a visible light output image,
• said reconverting means being a phosphor layer deposited upon a surface of said output window interior to said envelope and said coloring elements being color output filters formed from photographic film and positioned proximate said output window exterior to said envelope, said phosphor layer emitting several wavelengths of light in the visible region approximating white light when struck by said amplified signal, said several wavelengths of light propagating through said output window and said output filters, said output image being colorized, said at least two portions of said input filter means being three in number, a first passing red light, a second passing green light and a third passing blue light and wherein said at least two portions of said output coloring means are three in number, a first passing red light, a second passing green light and a third passing blue light, said output image attributable to incident light passing through red, green and blue input filters being colorized by red, green and blue output filters, respectively, each of said three portions of said output coloring means being borne upon a single positive color transparency photographic film having said red, green and blue output filters distributed thereover within a black matrix, such that said photographic film constitutes an RGB matrix.