Infrared image system using pyroelectric detectors

Claim 1

AN INFRARED IMAGE SYSTEM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) AN IMAGE DEVICE HAVING AN ELECTRON GUN FOR PRODUCING A LOW VELOCITY ELECTRON BEAM AND AN ELECTRON MULTIPLIER MEANS IN ONE END THEREOF AND A TARGET PLATE ON THE OTHER END THEREOF, (B) AN ARRAY OF PYROELECTRIC RADIATION DETECTORS MOUNTED ON SAID TARGED PLATE, (C) OPTICAL MEANS FOR IMAGING A FIELD OF VIEW ON SAID ARRAY OF PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS, (D) CHOPPER MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY CHOPPING THE RADIATION APPLIED FROM SAID FIELD OF VIEW TO SAID PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS, SAID DETECTORS BEING CHARGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RADIATION RECEIVED FROM SAID FIELD OF VIEW, (E) MEANS FOR SCANNING SAID ELECTRON BEAM OVER SAID DETECTORS FOR NEUTRALIZING THE CHARGE ON SAID DETECTORS DUE TO THE RADIATION FROM SAID FIELD OF VIEW, SAID ELECTRON BEAM BEING MODULATED BY SAID CHARGE AND RETURNED TO SAID ELECTRON MULTIPLIER MEANS WHICH AMPLIFIES SAID ELECTRON BEAM, (F) A LAYER OF PHOTOCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL COVERING SAID ARRAY OF PYROELECTRIC RADIATION DETECTORS, AND (G) MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING SAID LAYER BEFOR SAID CHOPPER ALLOWS THE FIELD OF VIEW TO BE IMAGED ON SAID DETECTORS FOR NEUTRALIZING ANY CHARGE PLACED ON SAID DETECTORS BY SAID CHOPPER MEANS.