Electronic camera including electronic signal storage cartridge

• US 4,853,785 A
• Filed: 05/23/1988
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices
• Original Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices
• Inventors: Norris, Lawrence G., Ovshinsky, Stanford R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US07/197,353
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 358/213.11, 358/213.29, 358/213.31, 358/213.12, 358/294, 358/212, 346/135.1
• US Class Current: 348/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14665 Imagers using a photoconductor layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

An electronic camera system, which system comprises the combination of an image digitizer media and a digital signal storage media. The camera includes an x-y matrix formed of a thin film photosensor array of small area photosensitive elements capable of providing high resolution digitized electrical signal corresponding to an image projected thereon. The storage media is preferably formed as a layer of phase change optical memory material deposited upon an elongated tape or disc-like number and disposed in a cartridge-like housing which is removably positioned in the camera adjacent a writing mechanism such as a multi-headed laser. By utilizing multiple lasers, it is possible to simultaneously write on the entire width of the tape or disc for increasing processing speed.

Claims

1. An electronic imaging system, said system including a camera for (1) sensing and digitizing images and (2) writing said digitized images onto a storage media;

said camera including;

a two dimensional thin film photosensor array for reading a pattern of information corresponding to an image incident thereupon and generating detectable electrical signals corresponding thereto;

said array including a plurality of small area photoresponsive elements, each of said elements capable of photogenerating an electrical signal in response to illumination incident thereupon and including at least one layer of a semiconductor alloy material chosen from the group consisting essentially of;

amorphous silicon alloy materials, amorphous germaium alloy materials, amorphous silicon carbon alloy materials and amorphous silicon germanium alloy materials;

lens means for optically projecting a pattern of information corresponding to an image onto said photosensor array;

means for triggering the reading of the pattern of information projected onto said photosensor array;

means for storing said detectable electrical signals generated by said photosensor array, said storing means including optical storage media; and

means for writing said detectable electrical signals onto said storing means.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said optical storage media includes a layer of chalcogenide phase change optical memory material selected from the group consisting essentially of selenium, tellurium, and combinations thereof.

5. A system as in claim 2, wherein said phase change optical memory material is erasable.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein said phase change optical memory material is write only.

7. A system as in claim 2, wherein said phase change optical memory material is directly over-writable.

8. A system as in claim 2, wherein said phase change optical memory material is deposited onto an elongated tape.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said tape is of a length sufficient to store at least 25 color images.

10. A system as in claim 2, wherein said phase change optical memory material is deposited onto a disc-like member.

11. A system as in claim 10, wherein said disc is of a diameter sufficient to store at least 25 color images.

12. A system as in claim 1, wherein said writing means includes at least one laser, said laser being selectively activatable to write digitized electrical signals onto said storage media.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein multiple lasers are provided so as to simultaneously write multiple signals onto said storage media.

14. A system as in claim 1, wherein said writing means and said storage media are movable relative to one another.

15. A system as in claim 14, wherein said writing means is stationary and said storage media moves relative thereto.

16. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of photoresponsive elements are chosen from the group consisting essentially of:

photodiodes, phototransistors, photoresistors, photovoltaic devices, or combinations thereof.

17. A system as claim 16, wherein each of said photoresponsive elements is a photodiode which includes two oppositely doped layers of semiconductor alloy material, and a layer of substantially intrinsic semiconductor alloy material interposed between said oppositely doped layers so as to form a p-i-n type photodiode.

18. A system as in claim 16, wherein said thin film photosensor array further includes addressing means for accessing discrete ones of the plurality of photoresponsive elements.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein said addressing means includes a plurality of electrically conductive lines arranged in an x-y matrix.

20. A system as in claim 19, wherein said addressing means further includes a current blocking element associated with each photoresponsive element, said blocking element and said conductive lines cooperating to provide electrical communication with pre-selected ones of said photoresponsive elements.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein each of said blocking elements is a p-i-n type diode.

22. A system as in claim 16, wherein said thin film photosensor array is fabricated as a rectangular matrix dimensioned to be at least 35 mm on a side.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein the image resolution of said photosensor array is at least 20 lines/mm.

24. A system as in claim 16, wherein said photosensor array is fabricated as a rectangular matrix dimensioned to be at least 5.7 cm on a side and including at least 1.4 million discrete photoresponsive elements.

25. A system as in claim 16, wherein each array includes at least two groups of photoresponsive elements;

and each of said groups of photoresponsive elements includes an optical filter for providing sensitivity to different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

26. A system as in claim 1, wherein said triggering means comprises electrical means adapted to initiate the reading and storing of said pattern of information.

27. A system as in claim 26, wherein said electrical means includes address circuitry for accessing said photosensor array.

28. A system as in claim 26, wherein at least a portion of said address circuitry is integrated on a single substrate with said photosensor array.

29. A system as in claim 1, further including a video display terminal adapted to receive the electrical signal corresponding to the projected pattern and provide a visual display thereof.

30. A system as in claim 1, wherein said storage media is provided in cartridge form for facilitating the loading thereof in said camera.

3. A system as in clam 2, wherein said chalcogenide element is a tellurium sub-oxide composition.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said chalcogenide element is a selenium germanium tin composition.