Imaging apparatus and operation method of the same

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a photoconductive target including a transparent electrode layer for transmitting incident light from outside and a photoconductive layer for generating and storing a signal charge in response to the incident light;
• a plurality of electron beam emitters disposed adjacent said photoconductive layer of said photoconductive target, each electron beam emitter capable of assuming alternatively an activated state, in which the electron beam emitter emits electrons, and an inactivated state;
• control means for temporarily changing over the state of said electron beam emitters to change the emitters which are emitting electrons from among said electron beam emitters such that at any point in time at least a first one with a second one of said electron beam emitters are emitting electrons and at an immediately subsequent point in time at least the second one and a third one of said electron beam emitters are emitting electrons;
• means for reading a signal charge stored in a portion of said photoconductive layer;
• and
• means for reading out signal charge of one pixel by using a plurality of electron beam emitters.

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a photoconductive target including a transparent electrode layer for transmitting incident light from outside and a photoconductive layer for generating and storing a signal charge in response to the incident light;
• a plurality of electron beam emitters disposed adjacent said photoconductive layer of said photoconductive target, each electron beam emitter capable of assuming alternatively an activated state, in which the electron beam emitter emits electrons, and an inactivated state;
• control means for temporarily changing over the state of said electron beam emitters to change the emitters which are emitting electrons from among said electron beam emitters;
• and
• means for reading signal charge stored in a portion of said photoconductive layer;
• wherein said transparent electrode layer comprises a plurality of electrically separated partial electrodes.

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of imaging devices;
• and
• means for combining outputs of said imaging devices to output a resultant video signal,
• each of said imaging devices including:
• a photoconductive target including a transparent electrode layer for transmitting incident light from outside and a photoconductive layer for generating and storing a signal charge in response to the incident light;
• a plurality of electron beam emitters disposed adjacent said photoconductive layer of said photoconductive target, each electron beam emitter capable of assuming alternatively an activated state, in which the electron beam emitter emits electrons, and an inactivated state;
• control means for temporarily changing over the state of said electron beam emitters to change the emitters which are emitting electrons from among said electron beam emitters;
• means for reading signal charge stored in a portion of said photoconductive layer;
• and
• gate electrodes for accelerating the emitted electrons from the activated electron beam emitters to transfer the electrons to said photoconductive target, said gate electrodes being disposed between said photoconductive target and said plurality of electron beam emitters.

An imaging method, utilizing an imaging apparatus including a photoconductive target having a transparent electrode layer for transmitting incident light from outside and a photoconductive layer for generating and storing signal charge in response to the incident light, and a plurality of electron beam emitters disposed adjacent said photoconductive layer of said photoconductive target, each electron beam emitter capable of assuming alternatively, an activated state, in which the electron beam emitter emits electrons, and an inactivated state, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) temporally changing over the state of said electron beam emitters to change the emitters which are emitting electrons from among said electron beam emitters;
• and
• (b) reading signal charge stored in a portion of said photoconductive layer;
• wherein step (a) includes emitting electrons from a plurality of electron beam emitters at each time point.