Signal collecting and distributing systems

Claim 2

A switching control system comprising: an active transmission line which comprises a plurality of negative resistance elements, a signal transmission path having at least one input terminal and a plurality of output terminals which are disposed in spaced relation from each other along said transmission path with said transmission path providing a predetermined time delay between said output terminals, and said negative resistance elements being coupled to said signal transmission path at the respective output terminals, respectively, so as to be disposed in spaced relation along the transmission path, and bias means connected to said transmission line for normally biasing said plurality of negative resistance elements to nonoperative states; a plurality of signal elements each connected to respective output terminals; generator means connected to said input terminal for applying switching signals thereto, so that the switching signal is transmitted along said signal tRansmission path with a predetermined time delay but reshaped during its transmission along the transmission line and appears sequentially at said output terminals in a substantially unattenuated form, said reshaped switching signal being capable of switching said signal elements to their operative states, whereby said signal elements are rendered operative in said sequential order; and detecting means coupled in common to said signal elements for detecting the operative states of said signal elements.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said active transmission line comprises a plurality of transmission elements connected in series to each other, each transmission element consisting of a T-shaped four-terminal network having series input and output inductance elements serving as series elements thereof and a parallel circuit of a capacitive element and said negative resistance element serving as a parallel element thereof, said parallel circuit being connected to a junction between the input and output inductance elements, and wherein said output terminals are provided at the junctions of the respective transmission elements.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said transmission line is formed into a circular shape having its end terminal connected to its input terminal.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 2, wherein said signal elements are radiation-sensitive devices, and said detecting means is commonly connected to said radiation-sensitive devices for detecting variations in current therethrough.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said radiation-sensitive devices are variable impedance devices.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said radiation-sensitive devices are transducers capable of generating a current in response to irradiation.

Claim 8

The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said radiation-sensitive devices are composed of high-resistance materials.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said signal elements are arranged in a pattern of orthogonal rows and columns forming an image pickup face.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality of transistor amplifiers biased normally to the cutoff state, each amplifier being connected in circuit with a signal element and having its control electrode connected to a respective output terminal of said transmission line, said reshaped switching signal having an amplitude sufficient to operate said transistor amplifiers.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 9 wherein said signal elements are radiation-sensitive transducers.

Claim 12

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said signal elements are radiation-sensitive transducers connected at one end thereof directly to said respective output terminals of said transmission line, and said detecting means is commonly connected to the other end of said transducers for detecting variations in current therethrough.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 11 wherein the output of said generator means is also connected directly to the input of said detecting means.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said switching control system is formed as a block of semiconductor material of first conductivity type, first and second ohmic contacts disposed in linear fashion adjacent respective longitudinal edges of said block and connected to one another in first and second lines, respectively, and plural mesa parts of semiconductor material of conductivity opposite said first type disposed in a third line parallel to said first and second lines at the middle of said block, said bias means being provided as a voltage source connected across said first and second lines, said bias voltage source being connected to all but an end one of said mesa parts, said generator means being connected between said one mesa part and said second line of ohmic contacts, said signal elements being formed as radiation responsive variable impedance material disposed iN said block between each of said first ohmic contacts and a corresponding mesa part.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said generator means is connected to both ends of said transmission line.

Claim 16

A switching control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said signal elements and said active transmission line are formed by a transducer panel comprising a first conductive layer, a transducer layer mounted on said first transparent conductive layer and having the property of converting one form of energy to another, a semiconductive layer of one conductivity type having a plurality of semiconductive elements of another conductivity type embedded therein and disposed in linear spaced relation across one face thereof in contact with said transducer layer and insulator regions embedded therein and disposed between the respective lines of the semiconductive elements and a second contactive layer mounted on opposite face of said semiconductive layer, in which said transducer layer serves as the plurality of the signal elements arranged in correspondence to a pattern of distribution of the semiconductive elements in the semiconductive layer and said first conductive layer, said semiconductive layer with said semiconductive elements and said second conductive layer serve as a plurality of the active transmission lines; said biasing means being comprised by a source of bias voltage for applying a first bias voltage between said first and second conductive layers and for applying a second bias voltage between said conductive layers and all but the first semiconductive element in each line of the semiconductive elements embedded in said semiconductive layer; and said generator means applying a switching signal to said first semiconductive elements in each line of the semiconductive elements in a prescribed time sequence, so that, said switching signal is transmitted on said active transmission lines to actuate said transducer layer at one portion to another corresponding to the semiconductive elements; and said detecting means being coupled in series with said source of the bias voltage between said first and second conductive layers for operatively detecting the level of current therebetween.

Claim 17

The combination defined in claim 15 wherein said transducer layer is comprised of radiation-sensitive material capable of converting radiation into an electrical current.

Claim 18

The combination defined in claim 15, wherein said generator means includes a delay line and a pulse generator for generating pulse outputs as the switching signals, said first semiconductive elements being connected at spaced points along said delay line and said pulse generator being connected between one end of said delay line and said second conductive layer.

Claim 19

A switching control system comprising: a transducer panel comprised by first and second contiguous layers of semiconductor material of opposite conductivity type, a plurality of first parallel-spaced grooves entirely through said first layer to divide into first blocks thereof a plurality of second parallel-spaced grooves substantially through said second layer and substantially in alignment with said first grooves, a plurality of third parallel-spaced grooves entirely through said second layer and disposed alternately with respect to said second grooves to form second and third spaced blocks of the second layer in contact with each of said first blocks, and electrical contacts secured to said first, second and third blocks, respectively, and first and second layers being so doped as to provide negative resistance characteristics in the area between said first and second blocks and as to provide energy transducing properties in the area between said first and third blocks; a signal transmission path with a property of providing a predetermined time delay on a signal transmitting therealong; a switching signal generator for applying a switching signal between contacts on said first blOcks blocks and the contacts on said second blocks; a source of bias voltage for supplying a bias voltage between the contacts on said first blocks and the contacts on said third blocks, whereby a plurality of negative resistance semiconductor elements are comprised by the first blocks and second blocks, and a plurality of signal elements are comprised by the first blocks and third blocks and the switching signal generated by said switching signal generator is reshaped by said negative resistance elements and transmitted through said transmission path to the signal elements one after another; and means connected in series with said source of the bias voltage between the contacts on said first blocks and the contacts on said third blocks for detecting the level of current condition therebetween.

Claim 20

A switching control system comprising: a transducer panel comprised by first and second contiguous layers of semiconductor material of opposite conductivity type, a plurality of first parallel-spaced grooves entirely through said first layer to divide into first blocks thereof a plurality of second parallel-spaced grooves substantially through said second layer and substantially in alignment with said first grooves, a plurality of third parallel-spaced grooves entirely through said second layer and disposed alternately with respect to said second grooves to form second and third spaced blocks of the second layer in contact with each of said first blocks, and electrical contacts secured to said first, second and third blocks, respectively, and first and second layers being so doped as to provide negative resistance characteristics in the area between said first and second blocks and as to provide energy transducing properties in the area between said first and third blocks; a signal transmission path with a property of providing a predetermined time delay on a signal transmitting therealong; a switching signal generator for applying a switching signal between contacts on said first blOcks blocks and the contacts on said second blocks; a source of bias voltage for supplying a bias voltage between the contacts on said first blocks and the contacts on said third blocks, whereby a plurality of negative resistance semiconductor elements are comprised by the first blocks and second blocks, and a plurality of signal elements are comprised by the first blocks and third blocks and the switching signal generated by said switching signal generator is reshaped by said negative resistance elements and transmitted through said transmission path to the signal elements one after another; and means connected in series with said source of the bias voltage between the contacts on said first blocks and the contacts on said third blocks for detecting the level of current condition therebetween.

Claim 21

The combination defined in claim 18 wherein said first and second layers are doped to provide ray-sensitive properties so as to provide for signal generation in response to being subjected to irradiation.

Claim 22

The combination defined in claim 19 further including a switching signal generator connected to the contacts secured to each of said first blocks and a signal detector connected to the contacts secured to said third blocks.

Claim 23

The combination defined in claim 20 wherein the contacts on each of said first blocks form a part of an integral metal strip extending in zigzag fashion from one of said first blocks to the others, said switching signal generator being connected to one end of said metal strip.

Claim 24

The combination defined in claim 20 wherein each of the contacts on said first blocks is in the form of a serpentine metal strip extending across the surface of the blocks, said switching signal generator being connected to one end of said strip.

Claim 25

The combination defined in claim 18 wherein said areas between the contacts on said first and second blocks are doped to provide luminescence in response to applied voltage.

Claim 26

The combination defined in claim 23 further including a switching signal generator connected to the contacts secured to each of said first blocks, and a control signal generator connected to the contacts secured to said third blocks.

Claim 27

The combination defined in claim 24 wherein the contacts on each of said first blocks form a part of an integral metal strip extending in zigzag fashion from one of said first blocks to the others, said switching signal generator being connected to one end of said metal strip.

Claim 28

The combination defined in claim 24 wherein each of the contacts on said first blocks is in the form of a serpentine metal strip extending across the surface of the block, said switching signal generator being connected to one end of said strip.