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Abstract

An electro-optical picture signal processing system, wherein an optical image is converted into time sequential electrical picture signals, or, conversely, time sequential electrical picture signals into an optical image or an electrostatic latent image, is provided with an electron emission plane arranged in one-dimension, a control electrode positioned face to face with said plane to control the passing of electrons from the electron emission plane, a secondary-electron multiplying device yielding secondary-electrons in response to the electrons passing through the control electrode, and an anode collecting the multiplied secondary-electrons. At least one of the electron emission plane and the control electrode is divided into a number of segments each as large as a picture-element, arranged in one-dimension, and one of the segments is selected from one end to the other. When an optical image is converted into time sequential electrical signals, the number of the electrons passing through a selected segment portion is controlled in response to brightness of each picture-element of the optical image. On the other hand, when time sequential electrical signals are converted into an optical image or an electrostatic latent image, the potential difference between the selected part of the electron emission plane and the control electrode is controlled by time sequential picture signals.