Rca Inc.

Sidney L Bendell

Peter Alan Levine

Robert A Dischert

Theodore D Michaelis

Cydney A Johnson

A camera including a solid-state imager has a cooler for controlling cooling of the imager. A thermal servo regulates the cooling of the imager to a set point. A cooling control means changes the cooling set point in response to changes in the sensitivity of the camera.

Cooler control for a solid-state imager camera

A color television camera includes a plurality of solid-state imagers each of which is responsive to different spectral components. A thermal servo senses the temperature of an imager and controls its temperature so as to control thermally generated noise. The temperature sensor may be integral with the chip and further may be a component ordinarily used for other purposes. The other imagers may be uncooled or may be cooled in an open-loop fashion under the control of the thermal servo.

Television camera with solid-state imagers cooled by a thermal servo

A television camera includes a solid-state imager which forms a signal representative of the image during an integration interval. The integration interval is followed by a pull-down interval during which the integrated signal is transferred out of the photo-responsive region of the solid state imager. A shutter is provided which periodically prevents light from falling upon the photo-responsive region of the imager. The shutter is controllable for controlling the integration interval. Thus, by effectively adjusting the integration interval special effects such as 'true' stop motion may be provided from a television scene.

Exposure time control for a solid-state color camera

The apparent size of the image produced by a clocked solid-state television imager is controlled by the read clock rate. In a camera using such an imager the clock rate is adjusted to provide an effect similar to zoom. Where a plurality of imagers are used in a color camera, differential control of the clock rate as between the imagers allows compensation for lens chromatic aberration thereby providing for correction of misregistration. In the case where the optical system includes a variable focal length such as a zoom lens, the zoom control is coupled to the size clock control for compensating for the differences in optical power for different colors. The size adjustment may result in a second-order centering error. The centering error is reduced by a scheme for changing the time at which the read clock is gated to the imager in dependence upon the clock rate.

Solid-state color TV camera image size control

A color television camera includes a color splitting prism and solid-state imagers responsive to different colors. In order to enhance resolution, two offset green-responsive imagers are coupled to prism ports to which green light is propagated and their signals are combined. Because of the different power of the lens for different colors of light, the red and blue images focus at different distances. In order to allow correct focus for both the red and blue images, the red and blue light components are propagated to separate output ports to which individual red and blue-responsive imagers are coupled. The lengths of the red and blue light paths are adjusted to provide proper focus.

Color TV camera with four-port prism

Output signals are derived from two portions of a CCD imager. The first output signal is derived from a drain diffusion in the form of a signal current and applied to an amplifier with poor high frequency S/N due to needed high frequency peaking. The second output signal is derived from a floating diffusion (or floating gate) through an on-chip MOSFET amplifier which has a poor low frequency S/N due to 1/f noise. The first and second output signals are filtered through complementary LPF and HPF respectively and then combined together.

Low noise CCD output

In a tube/coil assembly of the type wherein the tube includes a gun for directing a beam of electrons to a target electrode and both focus and alignment coils are included within the assembly, the alignment coil is electrically energized with some portion of the current flowing through the focus coil to eliminate the need for an independent alignment coil current source.

Electron beam alignment in tube/coil assemblies

A suppression circuit processes the video signal from an anti-comet tail (ACT) image pickup tube and develops a control signal indicative of illumination highlights exceeding a predetermined level. The control signal is coupled through ACT pulsing circuits to the control elements of the ACT image pickup tube to automatically enable the beam control element pulsing so as to increase the beam current only in the presence of an illumination highlight to force the recharging of the target to cathode potential in the area of the highlight.

Image tube suppression circuit

A still image produced by a slide is converted into a television signal by a solid-state imager driven across the image.

Line-scan still image reproducer

An optical assembly for a color camera includes a prism for splitting light entering an entry port into color components of the light which appear at output ports. Each color component is applied to an individual solid-state imager. In order to minimize size and maximize rigidity and reliability, the imagers are bonded to the prism. In order to equalize the effective lengths of the light paths, spacers are interposed between the imagers and the prism.

Optical assembly for color television

The focusing system for a multi-pickup tube color television camera includes a main focus coil and a vernier focus coil about each pickup tube. The main focus coils are coupled in series to a common source and the vernier focus coils are independently controllable.

Focusing system for color TV camera

A suppression circuit processes the video signal from an image pickup tube and develops a control signal indicative of the time duration of the illumination highlights. The control signal is coupled to the normal beam current supply circuit to automatically increase the beam current in the presence of an illumination highlight to force the recharging of the target to cathode potential in the area of the highlight. In a color camera, only one of the three camera tube signals need be used for the highlight detection and generation of the control signal. The control signal may be used for increasing the beam current in each of the three tubes independently.

Video image tube highlight suppression circuit

A suppression circuit processes the video signal from an image pickup tube and develops a control signal indicative of the time duration of the illumination highlights. The control signal is coupled to the normal beam current supply circuit so as to automatically increase the beam current in the presence of an illumination highlight to force the recharging of the target in the area of the highlight. Additional signal processing of the control signal by delay means and waveshaping improves the feedback loop stability and reduces the transient effects of the control signal on beam current crosstalk in the video output signal from the image pickup tube. In a color camera, only one of the three camera tube signals need be used for the highlight detection and generation of the control signal. The control signal may be used for increasing the beam current in each of the three tubes independently.

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Riverton, NJ, United States of America

Sidney L Bendell