Charge transfer imaging devices

Claim 2

A charge transfer imaging device comprising a charge storage medium, an insulating layer covering at least a portion of one surface of said medium, means for forming localized integration sites in said medium for the collection of mobile charge carriers in response to light incident on said medium comprising an array of electrodes disposed upon said layer, means for projecting an image onto one surface of said storage medium, conduction means for biasing sets of electrodes of said array during an integration period, and conduction means for sequentially biasing series of electrodes and of said array so as to transfer said charge carriers out of said integration sites, characterized in that said device further includes circuit means for alternately biasing different sets of electrodes during alternate integration periods.

Claim 3

The device according to claim 1 wherein the array of electrodes comprises a first array comprising an optical sensing array and a second array comprising a storage and readout array, the area of the medium beneath said second array being shielded from incident light.

Claim 4

The device according to claim 2 wherein the first array comprises a plurality of rows of electrodes and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing different rows of electrodes during alternate integration periods.

Claim 5

The device according to claim 3 weherein the conduction means for biasing electrodes of said first array comprises two conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every other row of electrodes in said array, and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing a different conduction path in alternate integration periods.

Claim 6

The device according to claim 3 wherein the conduction means for biasing electrodes of said first array comprises three conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every third row of electrodes in said array, and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing one conduction path and the remaining two conduction paths during alternate integration periods.

Claim 7

The device according to claim 3 wherein tHe conduction means for biasing electrodes of siad first array comprises four conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every fourth row of electrodes in the array, and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing a different pair of conduction paths coupled to adjacent rows of electrodes during alternate integration periods.

Claim 8

The device according to claim 2 wherein the first array comprises a single row of electrodes and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing a different set of electrodes in that row during alternate integration periods.

Claim 9

The device according to claim 1 wherein the vertical dimension of a unit cell in said array is in the range of 1.5 -2.5 times the horizontal dimension.

Claim 10

A charge transfer area imaging device for use in an interlaced video system comprising a charge storage medium, an insulating layer covering at least a portion of one surface of said medium, a first array of metal electrodes comprising a plurality of columns of electrodes formed on said insulating layer, said electrodes adapted to form a plurality of columns of localized integration sites in said medium for the collection of mobile charge carriers in response to light incident on said medium and to transfer said carrier in a direction essentially parallel to the surface of said medium out of the area under said first array when a suitable bias is supplied to said electrodes, a second array of metal electrodes comprising a plurality of columns of electrodes formed on said insulating layer over an area of the storage medium contiguous to the area under said first array and wherein the surface of said medium beneath said second array is shielded from incident light, each column of said second array being positioned so as to receive in the medium thereunder said charge carriers from beneath a corresponding column of said first array, means for projecting an image onto one surface of said medium, conduction means for biasing certain rows of electrodes of said first array during an integration period, and conduction means for sequentially biasing the electrodes of said first and second arrays so as to transfer said columns of charge carriers out of the area under said first array to beneath corresponding columns of said second array, characterized in that said device further includes circuit means for alternately biasing different rows of electrodes of said first array during alternate integration periods so as to collect charge carriers in a pattern which may be displayed in two interlaced field in a video system.

Claim 11

A charge transfer area imaging device for use in an interlaced video system comprising a charge storage medium, an insulating layer covering at least a portion of one surface of said medium, a first array of metal electrodes comprising a plurality of columns of electrodes formed on said insulating layer, said electrodes adapted to form a plurality of columns of localized integration sites in said medium for the collection of mobile charge carriers in response to light incident on said medium and to transfer said carrier in a direction essentially parallel to the surface of said medium out of the area under said first array when a suitable bias is supplied to said electrodes, a second array of metal electrodes comprising a plurality of columns of electrodes formed on said insulating layer over an area of the storage medium contiguous to the area under said first array and wherein the surface of said medium beneath said second array is shielded from incident light, each column of said second array being positioned so as to receive in the medium thereunder said charge carriers from beneath a corresponding column of said first array, means for projecting an image onto one surface of said medium, conduction means for biasing certain rows of electrodes of said first array during an integration period, and conduction means for sequentially biasing the electrodes of said first and second arrays so as to transfer said columns of charge carriers out of the area under said first array to beneath corresponding columns of said second array, characterized in that said device further includes circuit means for alternately biasing different rows of electrodes of said first array during alternate integration periods so as to collect charge carriers in a pattern which may be displayed in two interlaced field in a video system.

Claim 12

The device according to claim 9 wherein the conduction means for biasing electrodes of said first array comprises two conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every other row of electrodes in said array and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing a different conduction path in alternate integration periods.

Claim 13

The device according to claim 9 wherein the conduction means for biasing electrodes of said first array comprises three conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every third row of electrodes in said array, and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing one conduction path and the remaining two conduction paths during alternate integration periods.

Claim 14

The device according to claim 9 wherein the conduction means for biasing electrodes of said first array comprises four conduction paths each coupled to a different one of every fourth row of electrodes in the array, and said circuit means comprises means for alternately biasing a different pair of conduction paths coupled to adjacent rows of electrodes during alternate integration periods.

Claim 15

The device according to claim 9 wherein the vertical dimension of a unit cell in said first array is in the range of 1.5 - 2.5 times the horizontal dimension.