Radiation-sensitive scanning camera

Claim 2

Image converting apparatus, comprising a base, means defining a predetermined area fixed relative to the base and onto which radiation received from a field of view is directed, a hollow cylindrical housing defining elongate aperture means in its curved wall a hollow drum mounted within the housing so as to be rotatable about the cylindrical axis of the housing, and defining a second aperture extending through the wall of the drum which aperture repeatedly moves transverse to and forms an optical intersection with the said aperture means in the housing as the drum rotates, the said optical intersection lying in the said predetermined area to perform a line scan of the field of view, and radiation detection means mounted to respond to radiation received from the field of view through the optical intersection.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the radiation detection means is mounted substantially centrally within the drum.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the radiation detection means is mounted externally of the drum, and including optical means mounted on the base so as to direct radiation from the field of view onto the inside wall of the drum and thence through the optical intersection of the two apertures and onto the radiation detection means.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the said optical means is operative to repeatedly move the radiation across the said predetermined area and in a direction perpendicular to the line of the said line scan, whereby the combined movement of the radiation and the said optical intersection provides a frame scan of the field of view.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the said optical means includes a mirror mounted on the said base so as tube nutatable in a direction such as to move the radiation over the said predetermined area.

Claim 7

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means defining a predetermined area fixed relative to the base and onto which radiation received from a field of view is directed, a hollow cylindrical housing fixedly mounted on the said base and having a first window defining the said predetermined area and a second window defining an area spaced circumferentially around the housing from the said first window, two hollow concentric drums mounted one within the other and both within the housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other and relative to the housing about the cylindrical axis of the housing, one of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate aperture means in its wall and the other of the drums definiNg a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate means in its wall, each elongate aperture means in one of the drums being inclined to the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums at an angle less than 90* whereby as the drums rotate relative to each other and relative to the housing the pinhole formed at the optical intersection of one elongate aperture means in one of the drums and successive ones of the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums performs a frame scan of the said field of view as the elongate aperture means move across the said area, radiation detection means mounted to respond to radiation received from the field of view through the said optical intersection, radiation producing means mounted on the said base to project radiation through an optical intersection between other ones of the elongate aperture means respectively defined in the two drums when those other elongate aperture means move across the said second window, means connecting the said radiation detection means to control the intensity of the radiation produced by the radiation producing means in dependence on the intensity of the radiation received by the radiation detection means, and means mounted to receive the radiation from the radiation producing means and producing a visual display thereof.

Claim 8

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means defining a predetermined area fixed relative to the base and onto which radiation received from a field of view is directed, a hollow cylindrical housing fixedly mounted on the said base and having a first window defining the said predetermined area and a second window defining an area spaced circumferentially around the housing from the said first window, two hollow concentric drums mounted one within the other and both within the housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other and relative to the housing about the cylindrical axis of the housing, one of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate aperture means in its wall and the other of the drums definiNg a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate means in its wall, each elongate aperture means in one of the drums being inclined to the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums at an angle less than 90* whereby as the drums rotate relative to each other and relative to the housing the pinhole formed at the optical intersection of one elongate aperture means in one of the drums and successive ones of the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums performs a frame scan of the said field of view as the elongate aperture means move across the said area, radiation detection means mounted to respond to radiation received from the field of view through the said optical intersection, radiation producing means mounted on the said base to project radiation through an optical intersection between other ones of the elongate aperture means respectively defined in the two drums when those other elongate aperture means move across the said second window, means connecting the said radiation detection means to control the intensity of the radiation produced by the radiation producing means in dependence on the intensity of the radiation received by the radiation detection means, and means mounted to receive the radiation from the radiation producing means and producing a visual display thereof.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the radiation detection means comprises a radiation responsive cell operative to produce an electrical output in dependence on the radiation received thereby, and including display means connected to receive the electrical output and operative to produce a visual display thereof.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the radiation detecting means is sensitive to radiation other than visual radiation whereby the said visual display produced is in terms of the non-visual radiation, and including an optical system fixedly mounted on the said base and operative to project a corresponding visual display, in terms of visible radiation, into superimposition on the said display in terms of the non-visual radiation.

Claim 11

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means defining a predetermined area fixed relative to the base and onto which radiation received from a field of view is directed, a hollow cylindrical housing fixedly mounted on the said base and having a window defining the said predetermined area, two hollow concentric drums mounted one within the other and both within the housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other and relative to the housing about the cylindrical axis of the housing, one of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate aperture means in its wall and the other of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate means in its wall, each elongate aperture means in one of the drums being inclined to the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums at an angle less than 90* whereby as the drums rotate relative to each other and relative to the housing the pinhole formed at the optical intersection of one elongate aperture means in one of the drums and successive ones of the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums performs a frame scan of the said field of view as the elongate aperture means move across the said area, radiation detection means fixedly mounted relative to the base and externally of the drums and housing, and mirror means mounted inside the drums to receive radiation directly from the field of view, and to direct radiation on to the radiation detection means through the said optical intersection.

Claim 12

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means defining a predetermined area fixed relative to the base and onto which radiation received from a field of view is directed, a hollow cylindrical housing fixedly mounted on the said base and having a window defining the said predetermined area, two hollow concentric drums mounted one within the other and both within the housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other and relative to the housing about the cylindrical axis of the housing, one of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate aperture means in its wall and the other of the drums defining a plurality of similar, parallel, elongate means in its wall, each elongate aperture means in one of the drums being inclined to the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums at an angle less than 90* whereby as the drums rotate relative to each other and relative to the housing the pinhole formed at the optical intersection of one elongate aperture means in one of the drums and successive ones of the elongate aperture means in the other of the drums performs a frame scan of the said field of view as the elongate aperture means move across the said area, radiation detection means fixedly mounted relative to the base and externally of the drums and housing, and mirror means mounted inside the drums to receive radiation directly from the field of view, and to direct radiation on to the radiation detection means through the said optical intersection.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9 and in combination with a cathode ray tube, in which the radiation detection means comprises a radiation responsive cell operative to produce an electrical output in dependence on the radiation received via the pinhole, means electrically interconnecting the radiation responsive cell and the cathode ray tube whereby the electron beam intenSity of the cathode ray tube is controlled in dependence on the electrical output of the radiation responsive cell, and means mounted to respond to rotation of the drum and connected to control the time base of the cathode ray tube in dependence thereon.

Claim 14

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means fixedly mounted relative to the said base and defining first and second optical windows, first and second supports mounted on the base for movement relative to each other at a constrained relative speed and respectively carrying a plurality of radiation transmitting slits, means mounting the supports so that their slits lie in parallel paths which pass across the windows with the slits on one support being transversely aligned relative to those on the other so that the slits on one support make optical intersections with those on the other, whereby in response to the said relative movement of the supports the optical intersections move across the windows, radiation-responsive means fixedly mounted relative to the base to receive radiation passing through each said intersection as it moves across the first window and to produce a corresponding electrical output, radiation-producing means arranged to produce a radiation output in response to an electrical input and fixedly mounted relative to the base to project the said radiation output through each said intersection as it moves across the second optical window, and means connecting the said electrical output of the radiation-responsive means to be the said electrical input of the said radiation-responsive means, whereby the radiation output projected by the radiation-responsive means produces a display corresponding to the radiation sensed by the radiation responsive means.

Claim 15

Image-converting apparatus, comprising a base, means fixedly mounted relative to the said base and defining first and second optical windows, first and second supports mounted on the base for movement relative to each other at a constrained relative speed and respectively carrying a plurality of radiation transmitting slits, means mounting the supports so that their slits lie in parallel paths which pass across the windows with the slits on one support being transversely aligned relative to those on the other so that the slits on one support make optical intersections with those on the other, whereby in response to the said relative movement of the supports the optical intersections move across the windows, radiation-responsive means fixedly mounted relative to the base to receive radiation passing through each said intersection as it moves across the first window and to produce a corresponding electrical output, radiation-producing means arranged to produce a radiation output in response to an electrical input and fixedly mounted relative to the base to project the said radiation output through each said intersection as it moves across the second optical window, and means connecting the said electrical output of the radiation-responsive means to be the said electrical input of the said radiation-responsive means, whereby the radiation output projected by the radiation-responsive means produces a display corresponding to the radiation sensed by the radiation responsive means.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the radiation reaching the radiation-responsive means passes through the said intersection and the first optical window in that order, and including optical means mounted on the said base for projecting the radiation onto the said intersection as it moves across the first optical window.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12, in which the said radiation output from the radiation-producing means passes through the said intersection and the second window in that order, and is directed from the radiation-producing means to the said intersection by the said optical means.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13, in which the optical means is a mirror having two mutually inclined portions, one to project the radiation on to the said intersection moving across the first optical window, and the other to project the radiation from the radiation-producing means onto the intersection moving across the second optical window.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the said first and second relatively movable supports comprise respective relatively rotatable hollow opaque-walled drums concentrically mounted one within the other on the said base, each drum having its said slits defined in its curved wall, the slits in one drum being inclined relative to those in the other, and means mechanically linking the two drums whereby their relative speeds of rotation are constrained such that the optical intersection between successive slits in the first drum and one of the slits in the second drum performs a frame scan of the first window at the same time as the optical intersection between successive slits in the first drum and another of the slits in the second drum performs a frame scan of the second window.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 15, in which the said means defining the first and second optical windows comprises a cylindrical housing mounted on the base and concentric with and surrounding the drums and having apertures defining said windows.