Datacopy Corporation

Charles A Lindberg

Lauren V Merritt

William R Maclay

Armin Miller

An electronic camera which focuses images of an object on the image plane by means of suitable lenses such as those employed in 35mm cameras. The optical system is held stationary while a self-scanning linear array, comprised of a row of light-sensitive devices, is moved a measured distance in the image plane. The linear array is continuously clocked as it is moved along the image plane. The resulting video signal output is a train of pulses, each proportional in magnitude to the light intensity falling on the corresponding light-sensitive device. An internal line-filament light source moves in synchronism with the linear array so that only the image slice being viewed by the array at any instant of time as it traverses the image field is being illuminated. The light source is directed onto the object plane through a beam splitter so that the light shines through the optical axis of the lens for maximum efficiency.

Electronic camera employing a solid-state image sensor

An electronic camera in which a linear array (10), comprised of a row of light-sensitive devices, is mechanically moved in the image plane while being electronically scanned orthogonally to the direction of movement to capture the image. The array (10) is held in the image plane of a lens by a carriage (14) onto which the array is attached. One end of a flexible band (18) is connected to one end (20) of the carriage (14). The flexible band (18) is partially wrapped around a capstan (30) and a turnaround idler wheel (32). The other end of the flexible band (18) is connected to other end (24) of the carriage (14). A motor (34) drives the capstan (30) through a reduction gear to cause the flexible band (18) to move and thereby cause relative motion between the array and the lens.

Electronic camera scanning mechanism

A disk drive that generates a smooth spiral during the recording of data so that the recording operation is continuous. A magnetic read/write head (2) is mounted on an arm (4) so that it can move generally along a radius of a disk (8). A rotary motor (12) is used to spin the disk and to drive a gear train. The output of the gear train is used to move the arm-mounted head across the disk. The pitch of the spiral generated is controlled by the relative gear ratio between the disk and the head mechanism. Rapid retrace of the head mechanism to its starting position is accomplished by placing a return spring (56) on the head mechanism and a clutch (42) in the gear train. The location of the clutch in the gear train is chosen so that the head mechanism, while being returned to the starting position under spring power, spins a neutral pitch fan (102). The energy dissipated by churning the air by the fan limits the peak velocity of the head mechanism. The clutch mechanism itself is designed to give essentially no sliding friction during the retrace operation so that the final position achieved is repeatable. The connection from the gear train to the head mechanism is made variable, under the control of a second motor (68, 74), so that the head can be made to follow the previously-recorded track for playback. The track following is done by dithering the head and using the demodulated head output as a steering signal.

Spiral track disk drive

A high-resolution, electronic camera with real-time storage capability. The image at the focal plane of a lens (5) is electronically scanned in one direction by a linear photodiode array (1), and in the orthogonal direction by a carriage (3), motor (17), and leadscrew (13) subassembly which mechanically moves the array with respect to the lens. The motion of the array is directly translated into comparable relative motion of a recording head (19) with respect to a recording media (21) so that scanned pixel information is recorded on the media (21) concurrently with its generation.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Charles A Lindberg