Imaging system and device having a simplified electrode design
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsJohn E. Potts, Owen L. Nelson, Naoum Araj
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A simplified layered imaging stack capable of bearing a latent photostatic image comprising only a single segmented electrode on one side of the stack, rather than plate electrodes on each side of the stack. Appropriate sizing of the segmented electrodes enables individual electrodes to serve at different times as either the ground reference formerly provided by the electrode on the other side of the stack, or the collector of charge carriers representing the latent photostatic image. The imaging stack may be used with a variety of types of imaging systems, and in flat or cylindrical configurations.
Claims24
A system for producing an image created by radiation incident upon an imaging device, comprising:
- (a) an imaging device comprising, in this order, a photoconductive insulative layer having a certain thickness, an electrically blocking layer, and a single conductive layer which consists essentially of a segmented array of at least one group of elongated, striped, conductive electrodes lying in a first direction;
- (b) means for charging a first surface of the photoconductive insulative layer such that first charge carriers created in the imaging device by first incident radiation are subsequently separated to create a first current, resulting in the formation of a latent electrostatic image near the charged first surface of the photoconductive insulative layer;
- (c) a scanner which, in a first time-ordered pattern, utilizes a second incident radiation to initiate a second current, comprising second charge carriers, within the imaging device;
- and
- (d) detection electronics connected to, and sensitive to motion of the second charge carriers in, each electrode;
- in which:
- (e) the scanner scans the array in a second direction;
- and
- (f) each conductive electrode of a group is addressed in a second, time-ordered pattern such that only one electrode in a group is monitored at one time for motion of the charge carriers, while adjacent electrodes of that group are held at a voltage level representing a virtual ground as measured relative to the monitored electrode, and the detection electronics interprets a coincidence of the first and second patterns as a pixel of the image created by the radiation.
An imaging device for use in a system for producing an image created by a first incident radiation, the system including:
- (a) means for charging the imaging device;
- (b) a scanner which, in a first time-ordered pattern, produces a second radiation incident upon the imaging device;
- and
- (c) detection electronics connected to, and sensitive to motion of charge carriers in, an electrode attached to the imaging device;
- in which the first incident radiation is incident upon a first surface of a photoconductive insulative layer such that first charge carriers created in the imaging device by first incident radiation are subsequently separated to create a first current, resulting in the formation of a latent electrostatic image near the charged first surface of the photoconductive insulative layer, and the second incident radiation initiates a second current, comprising second charge carriers, within the imaging device;
- the imaging device being characterized by comprising, in this order, a photoconductive insulative layer having a certain thickness, an electrically blocking layer, and a single conductive layer which consists essentially of a segmented array of at least one group of elongated, striped, conductive electrodes lying in a first direction;
- and further characterized in that when each conductive electrode of a group is addressed by detection electronics in a second, time-ordered pattern, such that the detection electronics addresses one electrode of a group at a time to monitor for motion of charge carriers, while adjacent electrodes of that group are held at a voltage level representing a virtual ground as measured relative to each addressed electrode, then a coincidence of the first and second patterns may be interpreted by the detection electronics as a pixel of the image created by the radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.