Combined electron image tube and vidicon

Claim 1

An electron image tube which comprises a vacuum tube, a photocathode at one end of the tube to receive direct optical input images for conversion to electron image patterns, a storage grid positioned in spaced parallel relation to the cathode to controllably store selected electronic image patterns thereon, coil means surrounding the tube between the cathode and the grid to focus electron image patterns from the cathode onto the grid, yoke means at spaced relation around the tube to controllably deflect a focused electron image pattern relative to the grid, an anode electrode output surface at the other end of the tube in spaced parallel relation to the cathode and the grid to sense the number of electrons impinging thereon, an electron gun substantially centrally positioned in and insulated from the anode electrode, coil means surrounding the tube between the anode electrode and the grid to focus and deflect an electron beam scanned from the electron gun onto the grid, means to modulate the electron beam from the electron gun with a video input signal, means to nutate the video input signal as it is scanned in an electron beam from the electron gun when an optical input image is stored on the storage grid and to control the voltage along the tube whereby the number of electrons in the electron beam reflected from the storage grid back to the anode is an indication of the correlation between the video input signal and the optical input signal, and means to selectively actuate the electron gun with a uniform drive signal or the video drive signal to operate the tube selectively as an image orthicon or a correlation tube.