Process and circuit arrangement for the remote pick up and reproduction of images of static or moving objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A process for the remote pickup and reproduction of images of static or dynamic objects, comprising the steps of:
- registering individual images of an object in a standard image pickup cycle with a pickup camera;
integrating accumulation of electric charges upon a target of said pickup camera representing image-density characteristics of each of said individual images;
line-scan reading said target and generating electrical signals representing the integrated electric charges;
interrupting the line-scan reading of the electric charges of at least a region of said target at which accumulation of said charge is less than a predetermined threshold charge level for a predetermined number of said standard image pickup cycles following the interruption;
following said predetermined number of standard image pickup cycles, recommencing the line-scan reading of said electric charges while normalizing the read level of charges at said region in the production of said signals from said electric charges;
storing values representing said signals; and
reproducing images by outputting the stored values such that when an interruption of line-scan reading of said electric charges directly follows a preceding said interruption, a value representing a signal previously stored is used in the reproduction of an image during the following interruption,said predetermined number of said standard image pickup cycles for which the reading of electric charges is interrupted is selected as a function of the speed of the object whose images are registered.
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for the remote pickup and reproduction of image of static or dynamic objects in which dark regions of a target provide outputs below a threshold value which are normalized or averaged through a divider during intervals of line scan interruption brought about by the detection of a below threshold level. The system, therefore, allows integration during the interval and by averaging and integrating values permits discernment of features which might otherwise be obscured by a leveling effect in dark regions.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process for the remote pickup and reproduction of images of static or dynamic objects, comprising the steps of:
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registering individual images of an object in a standard image pickup cycle with a pickup camera; integrating accumulation of electric charges upon a target of said pickup camera representing image-density characteristics of each of said individual images; line-scan reading said target and generating electrical signals representing the integrated electric charges; interrupting the line-scan reading of the electric charges of at least a region of said target at which accumulation of said charge is less than a predetermined threshold charge level for a predetermined number of said standard image pickup cycles following the interruption; following said predetermined number of standard image pickup cycles, recommencing the line-scan reading of said electric charges while normalizing the read level of charges at said region in the production of said signals from said electric charges; storing values representing said signals; and reproducing images by outputting the stored values such that when an interruption of line-scan reading of said electric charges directly follows a preceding said interruption, a value representing a signal previously stored is used in the reproduction of an image during the following interruption, said predetermined number of said standard image pickup cycles for which the reading of electric charges is interrupted is selected as a function of the speed of the object whose images are registered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. The process defined in claim 7 wherein a value corresponding to the read integrated electric charges is stored in an image-repetition memory (IRM), and when a further reading interruption does not dirctly follow a reading interruption, the value stored in said image-repetition memory (IRM) is replaced by a value of currently read integrated electric charges.
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8. In a circuit arrangement for a pickup camera for the remote pickup and reproduction of images of static or dynamic objects wherein the camera has a target upon which electric charges are integrated and accumulate as a function of optical density characteristics of an image of an object and which also includes a unit which can interrupt reading of integrated charges, the improvement which comprises the combination therewith of:
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a threshold value detector (SD); a two-dimensional range storage (GS) assigned to said target and synchronized with the reading thereof; a two-dimensional digital counter (Z) operatively connected to said range storage and operating synchronously with the reading of the target; a divider (T) directly connected to said target; and a first switch (S1) connected between said divider and said threshold value detector (SD); said threshold value detector (SD), upon the readout from said target of a predetermined threshold value of integrated charge, generating an output signal and upon readout of a charge level below said threshold value triggering logic circuitry (VE 1, VE
2) connected to said range storage and said counter to interrupt a readout from said target;said first switch (S1) connecting said target to said threshold value detector in a normal setting to pass signals read from said target to said threshold value detector during periods in which readout from said target is not interrupted, but connecting said divider (T) with said threshold value detector in an interrupted setting during periods when readout from said target is interrupted; said two-dimensional range storage (GS) being enabled by a signal from said threshold value detector (SD) to store a charge level corresponding to a dark range below said predetermined threshold value, and to output a signal triggering said first switch (S1) into its interrupted setting through further logic circuitry upon a successive reading of said dark range; said counter (Z) counting up output signals from said threshold value detector (SD) and serving to accumulate a count of standard cycles following storage of a range in said range storage (GS); and an interrogation unit (AE) is provided and is connected to said counter (Z) for resetting said two-demensional range storage (GS) upon the development of a count representing a target-reading interruption period to terminate said target-reading interruption period, for deleting the stored vaalue in said range storage (GS) marking the corresponding dark range, resetting the content of the counter (Z) for the next standard cycle to zero, and shifting the switch (S
1) via the further logic circuitry (VE
3) in a retarded manner into its interrupted setting,whereby the integrated charge during said target-reading interruption period is via the divider (T) applied to a playback device normalized with respect to a standard-cycle signal or to an intermediate storage. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification