Solid state imaging technique

• US 4,652,926 A
• Filed: 04/23/1984
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Withers, Richard S., Ralston, Richard W., Stern, Ernest R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lev, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US06/602,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 358/213, 358/212, 358/209, 358/906, 358/909, 358/335, 358/338, 250/578, 250/213 A, 357/24 LR, 357/23.5, 365/215, 365/234, 365/114, 365/112, 365/106, 365/115
• US Class Current: 347/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/11 Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/713 Transfer or readout registers; Split readout registers or multiple readout registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/15 for picture signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/36 Scanning of motion picture films, e.g. for telecine

Abstract

An optical imaging system for use as a solid-state camera, for example, which includes a plurality of solid-state elements for providing long-term storage of images, such elements being, for example, MNOS chips having a plurality of storage cells, which chips when exposed to an image focussed thereon can store a representation thereof. The chips are at a later time optically addressed, as by a scanning-light beam, to read out the stored image so as to provide an electrical output representing the stored image, such output being usable to provide a visual representation of the image such as on a display screen or in hard copy form.

Claims

1. An optical imaging system comprising

at least one solid state element comprising an electrode, one or more dielectric regions, and one or more semiconductor regions each of which has the same conductivity type and one of which can be depleted of mobile charges, said solid state element further having a plurality of storage cell for storing an optical image as a charge in each of said plurality of storage cells;

means for focusing an optical image on said solid state element, said optical image thereby being stored therein;

means which includes an integrating means for optically scanning said solid state element to read out said stored image so as to provide an electrical output which is linearly related to the total charge in each said storage cell and represents said stored image.

2. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes

a plurality of said solid solid state elements, each capable of storing an optical image;

and further wherein

said focusing means sequentially focuses separate optical images on separate ones of said plurality of solid state elements, said separate optical images thereby being separately stored in said separate ones of said solid state elements; and

said optical scanning means sequentially scans each of said solid state elements to read out the separately stored images therein so as to provide a plurality of electrical outputs each representing one of said separate stored images.

3. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 and further including means responsive to said electrical output for providing a visual reproduction of said optical image.

4. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 and further including

means for storing said electrical output;

means for retrieving said stored electrical output from said storing means; and

means responsive to said retrieved electrical output for providing a visual reproduction of said optical image.

5. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said solid state element comprises a MNOS chip having a plurality of storage cells.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said optical scanning means includes an electron beam scanning means.

7. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said electron beam scanning means comprises means for providing a scanning electron beam for producing an optical output on the screen of a cathode ray tube and means for focusing said optical output from said cathode ray tube on said at least one solid state element.

8. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said electrical output storing means is a magnetic storage means.

9. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one solid state element is capable of storing an optical image for an extended period of time.

10. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said extended period of time can extend up to many months.

11. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said optically scanning means includes

means for providing a signal from each said storage cell which is inversely proportional to the charge stored therein;

and

means, which includes said integrating means, responsive to the signal from each said cell for providing said electrical output.

12. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said intergrating means is an electrical integrator circuit.

13. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said optical scanning means is a light scanning means.

14. An optical imaging system in accordance with claim 13 wherein the light from said light scanning means is blue light.