Sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time

Claim 2

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time, comprising a first plurality of rows of photo-sensitive charge storage means each having a photosensItive charge storage area and an associated control electrode for providing an electrical charge as a function of incident light thereon and for passing the charge in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, a second plurality of rows of charge storage means each having a charge storage area insensitive to light and an associated control electrode for storing electrical charges and for passing the stored charges in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, each row of the first plurality of charge storage areas being connected to the charge storage area on the end of a corresponding row of the second plurality of charge storage areas to which charge is passed, parallel series converter means connected to each row of the second plurality of rows of charge storage means for providing a serial electrical signal corresponding to the charges stored in the charge storage areas of the connected charge storage means in response to a converter signal, means connected to all the control electrodes of the photo-sensitive charge storage means in the first plurality of rows of photo-sensitive charge storage means and to all the control electrodes of the charge storage means in the second plurality of rows of charge storage means for providing a transfer signal having a first frequency, and means connected to the parallel-series converter means for providing a converter signal having a second frequency equal to n times the first frequency where n is a number greater than 2.

Claim 3

A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each row in the second plurality of rows of charge storage means has one charge storage area less than the number of charge storage areas in each row of the first plurality of rows of photo-sensitive charge storage means.

Claim 4

A sensor as claimed in claim 1 for use in television equipment employing line and field frequency scanning and blanking periods, further comprising a line frequency switching voltage source, means connecting the control electrodes of the second plurality of rows of charge storage means to the line frequency switching voltage source, logic means for gating the transfer signal to the first and second plurality of rows of charge storage means in response to the field blanking period of the television equipment, and further logic means for gating the converter signal to the parallel-series converter in response to the line scan period within the field scan period of the television equipment.

Claim 5

A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for providing the transfer signal and the means for providing the converter signal comprise a plurality of logic gates and dividers connected to a single oscillator.

Claim 6

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time comprising a semiconductive wafer including a bulk portion of a first type semiconductivity, a first plurality of spaced localized zones of opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a plurality of series paths along the surface of the wafer, each of said zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means whose charge condition is responsive to incident photons; a second plurality of spaced localized zones of said opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a plurality of series paths along the surface of the wafer each path formed by said second plurality of spaced localized zones being formed at one end of a corresponding path formed by said first plurality of spaced localized zones, each of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means, a dielectric layer disposed over said surface and over said first and second plurality of localized zones; a plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registered with saiD first plurality of localized zones such that each of said conductive electrodes extends over the space between an adjacent pair of said zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones; a second plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with said zones of said second plurality of localized zones such that each of the said conductive electrodes extends over a space between a pair of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones of the second plurality of zones, a localized conductive electrode disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with the localized zones of the first plurality of localized zones adjacent the localized zone of the second plurality of localized zones and extending over the space between the adjacent pairs of zones of the first and second plurality of localized zones; means for applying a pair of clock voltages alternately to successive ones of said electrodes of the first and second plurality of electrodes, said pair of voltages being sufficient to produce in the localized zones of said first and second plurality of localized zones a steady state deficiency of carriers and said pair of voltages additionally being such that their successive application to the electrodes is sufficient to cause the advance of a packet of charge from one zone to the next zone along the series paths at each alternation of the voltages in a direction from the first plurality of localized zones toward the second plurality of localized zones; means for enabling incident photons to impinge upon the successive charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones to cause in response to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones a variation from the steady state deficiency level, said variation representing signal information corresponding to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones; a parallel-series converter connected to the ends of the series paths of the second plurality of localized zones remote from the first plurality of localized zones for converting the charge information at the ends of the series paths of the second plurality of localized zones remote from the first plurality of localized zones into a sequential series of voltage changes in response to a converter signal; and means for applying an alternating converter signal to the parallel-series converter at a frequency equal to n times the frequency of the alternating clock voltages where n is a number greater than two.

Claim 7

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time comprising a semiconductive wafer including a bulk portion of a first type semiconductivity, a first plurality of spaced localized zones of opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a plurality of series paths along the surface of the wafer, each of said zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means whose charge condition is responsive to incident photons; a second plurality of spaced localized zones of said opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a plurality of series paths along the surface of the wafer each path formed by said second plurality of spaced localized zones being formed at one end of a corresponding path formed by said first plurality of spaced localized zones, each of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means, a dielectric layer disposed over said surface and over said first and second plurality of localized zones; a plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registered with saiD first plurality of localized zones such that each of said conductive electrodes extends over the space between an adjacent pair of said zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones; a second plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with said zones of said second plurality of localized zones such that each of the said conductive electrodes extends over a space between a pair of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones of the second plurality of zones, a localized conductive electrode disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with the localized zones of the first plurality of localized zones adjacent the localized zone of the second plurality of localized zones and extending over the space between the adjacent pairs of zones of the first and second plurality of localized zones; means for applying a pair of clock voltages alternately to successive ones of said electrodes of the first and second plurality of electrodes, said pair of voltages being sufficient to produce in the localized zones of said first and second plurality of localized zones a steady state deficiency of carriers and said pair of voltages additionally being such that their successive application to the electrodes is sufficient to cause the advance of a packet of charge from one zone to the next zone along the series paths at each alternation of the voltages in a direction from the first plurality of localized zones toward the second plurality of localized zones; means for enabling incident photons to impinge upon the successive charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones to cause in response to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones a variation from the steady state deficiency level, said variation representing signal information corresponding to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones; a parallel-series converter connected to the ends of the series paths of the second plurality of localized zones remote from the first plurality of localized zones for converting the charge information at the ends of the series paths of the second plurality of localized zones remote from the first plurality of localized zones into a sequential series of voltage changes in response to a converter signal; and means for applying an alternating converter signal to the parallel-series converter at a frequency equal to n times the frequency of the alternating clock voltages where n is a number greater than two.

Claim 8

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time, comprising a first plurality of photo-sensitive charge storage means arranged in a row, each photo-sensitive charge storage means having a photo-sensitive charge storage area and an associated control electrode for providing an electrical charge as a function of incident light thereon and for passing the charge in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, a second plurality of charge storage means arranged in a row, each of the second plurality of charge storage means having a charge storage area insensitive to light and an associated control electrode for storing electrical charges and for passing the stored charges in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, the row of the first plurality of charge storage areas being connected to the charge storage area on the end of the row of the second plurality of charge storage areas to which charge is passed, converter means connected to the row of the second plurality of charge storage means for providing a serial electrical signal corresponding to the charges stored in the charge storage areas of the connected charge storage means in resPonse to a converter signal, means connected to all the control electrodes of the photo-sensitive charge storage means in the row of the first plurality of photosensitive charge storage means and to all the control electrodes of the charge storage means in the row of the second plurality of charge storage means for providing a transfer signal having a first frequency, and means connected to the converter means for providing a converter signal having a second frequency equal to n times the first frequency where n is a number greater than 2.

Claim 9

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time, comprising a first plurality of photo-sensitive charge storage means arranged in a row, each photo-sensitive charge storage means having a photo-sensitive charge storage area and an associated control electrode for providing an electrical charge as a function of incident light thereon and for passing the charge in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, a second plurality of charge storage means arranged in a row, each of the second plurality of charge storage means having a charge storage area insensitive to light and an associated control electrode for storing electrical charges and for passing the stored charges in a predetermined direction to an adjacent charge storage area in response to a transfer signal on a corresponding control electrode, the row of the first plurality of charge storage areas being connected to the charge storage area on the end of the row of the second plurality of charge storage areas to which charge is passed, converter means connected to the row of the second plurality of charge storage means for providing a serial electrical signal corresponding to the charges stored in the charge storage areas of the connected charge storage means in resPonse to a converter signal, means connected to all the control electrodes of the photo-sensitive charge storage means in the row of the first plurality of photosensitive charge storage means and to all the control electrodes of the charge storage means in the row of the second plurality of charge storage means for providing a transfer signal having a first frequency, and means connected to the converter means for providing a converter signal having a second frequency equal to n times the first frequency where n is a number greater than 2.

Claim 10

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time comprising a semiconductive wafer including a bulk portion of a first type semiconductivity, a first plurality of spaced localized zones of opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a series path along the surface of the wafer, each of said zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means whose charge condition is responsive to incident photons; a second plurality of spaced localized zones of said opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a series path along the surface of the wafer, each path formed by said second plurality of spaced localized zones being formed at one end of a corresponding path formed by said first plurality of spaced localized zones, each of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means; a dielectric layer disposed over said surface and over said first and second plurality of localized zones; a plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registered with said first plurality of localized zones such that each of said conductive electrodes extends over the space between an adjacent pair of said zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones; a second plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with said zones of said second plurality of localized zones such that each of the said conductive electrodes extends over a space between a pair of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones of the second plurality of zones, localized conductive electrode disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with the localized zones of the first plurality of localized zones adjacent the localized zones of the second plurality of localized zones and extending over the space between the adjacent pairs of zones of the first and second plurality of localized zones; means for applying a pair of clock voltages alternately to successive ones of said electrodes of the first and second plurality of electrodes, said pair of voltages being sufficient to produce in the localized zones of said first and second plurality of localized zones a steady state deficiency of carriers and said pair of voltages additionally being such that their successive application to the electrodes is sufficient to cause the advance of a packet of charge from one zone to the next zone along the series paths at each alternation of the voltages in a direction from the first plurality of localized zones toward the second plurality of localized zones and means for enabling incident photons to impinge upon the successive charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones to cause in response to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones a variation from the steady state deficiency level, said variation representing signal information corresponding to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones.

Claim 11

A sensor for converting a physical pattern into an electrical signal as a function of time comprising a semiconductive wafer including a bulk portion of a first type semiconductivity, a first plurality of spaced localized zones of opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a series path along the surface of the wafer, each of said zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means whose charge condition is responsive to incident photons; a second plurality of spaced localized zones of said opposite type semiconductivity disposed adjacent and forming a series path along the surface of the wafer, each path formed by said second plurality of spaced localized zones being formed at one end of a corresponding path formed by said first plurality of spaced localized zones, each of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones forming with the bulk portion successive charge storage means; a dielectric layer disposed over said surface and over said first and second plurality of localized zones; a plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registered with said first plurality of localized zones such that each of said conductive electrodes extends over the space between an adjacent pair of said zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones; a second plurality of localized conductive electrodes disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with said zones of said second plurality of localized zones such that each of the said conductive electrodes extends over a space between a pair of said zones of said second plurality of localized zones and over a portion of one zone of the pair of zones of the second plurality of zones, localized conductive electrode disposed over the dielectric layer and registering with the localized zones of the first plurality of localized zones adjacent the localized zones of the second plurality of localized zones and extending over the space between the adjacent pairs of zones of the first and second plurality of localized zones; means for applying a pair of clock voltages alternately to successive ones of said electrodes of the first and second plurality of electrodes, said pair of voltages being sufficient to produce in the localized zones of said first and second plurality of localized zones a steady state deficiency of carriers and said pair of voltages additionally being such that their successive application to the electrodes is sufficient to cause the advance of a packet of charge from one zone to the next zone along the series paths at each alternation of the voltages in a direction from the first plurality of localized zones toward the second plurality of localized zones and means for enabling incident photons to impinge upon the successive charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones to cause in response to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones a variation from the steady state deficiency level, said variation representing signal information corresponding to the photon intensity at each charge storage means of said first plurality of localized zones.