The Rank Organisation Plc

The Rank Organization Limited

William T Moore

David George Demaine

Hugh Andrew Pincherle

George Heftman

Michael T Sweeney

William Gordon Freer

Peter F Stillwell

An optical scanning device is provided of the kind having optical elements which are rotated and/or oscillated to scan incident light across a detector array. By arranging for successive scans of a plurality of rows of detector elements to overlap, each line of picture information of a scene under surveillance is scanned at least twice during a complete monitoring of the scene, the corresponding detector array output signals being summed to assemble a plurality of summed signals in which there is coherent addition of picture information and incoherent addition of noise. The summed signals are processed into television format for display.

Thermal scanning devices

This relates generally to optical systems, and one application of the invention is for reducing deleterious effects produced by surface reflections on lenses in thermal imaging systems.

Optical scanning system with unwanted reflections controlled

In optical scanning systems loss in spatial resolution can result in coupling systems incorporating off axis concave mirrors by virtue of image rotation. In such systems compensation can be introduced for this image rotation by inclining the axis of oscillation of the scanning mirror at a small angle to the plane of that mirror.

Optical scanning system with compensation for unwanted image rotation

A liquid crystal display device comprising a plurality of liquid crystal elements each having a respective pair of electrodes which are connected in matrix formation for control purposes. Electrodes on one side of the elements are connected in 'rows' and electrodes on the other side of the elements are connected in 'columns' so that intersections define an element uniquely while reducing the number of control terminals. The 'rows' may be formed as a sinuous array crossing and recrossing an elongate array formed by the 'columns' so that the display provides a linear progressive illuminable display area. Control signals may be variable in phase, and/or frequency and/or amplitude to effect appropriate selective activation of the elements.

Liquid crystal displays

In a high speed optical scanning system using mechanical scanning by a rotating polygon, an afocal telescope system images radiation on to the rotating polygon which effects line scanning. Frame scanning is effected by an angularly reciprocating mirror.

Infra-red scanner

A liquid crystal analogue display device has a pair of electrodes between which a nematic liquid crystal material is disposed, so that the liquid crystal is switched from a homogeneous to a homeotropic state when the voltage between the electrodes exceeds a given threshold. A potential gradient is established along one of the electrodes, and a variable potential, within this gradient, is applied to the other electrode, for example from a fuel tank contents gauge. The position at which a low voltage or null, below the threshold switching potential, is established between the two electrodes will be dependent upon the magnitude of the variable voltage, so that by suitable illumination of the cell a movable display such as a line is obtained which is a direct analogue of the quantity represented by the variable voltage.

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London, United Kingdom

William T Moore