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US4001501A
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Signal processing circuits for charge-transfer, image-sensing arrays
Assignee: RCA Corp
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Filing: 1974-09-18
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Granted: 1977-01-04
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Expires: 1994-09-18
Abstract
Abstract During the serial shifting to an output buffer of the radiation induced charge signal accumulated in a row (or column) of an array, the successive signals are processed to improve the contrast of the sensed image. The portion of each signal of greater than a given amplitude is transmitted to a buffer stage and the remaining portion of each signal is removed. In one form of the invention, the signal-to-noise ratio is then enhanced at the expense of resolution by combining at the buffer the processed signal from a number of adjacent charge storage locations.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Kessler Weimer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:22
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C27/00; G11C27/04; H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/60; H04N5/00; H04N5/30; H04N5/33; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/15; H10F39/153
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for improving the contrast among a plurality of charge signals concurrently produced by a corresponding plurality of radiation sensors of an image sensing array, each charge signal representing the intensity of a different element of the scene being viewed by said array, comprising the steps of: discarding that portion of each charge signal which is lower than a given amplitude level corresponding to a given background signal level; employing the remainder of each charge signal as the signal representing the radiation received by the radiation sensor producing that signal; and increasing the signal intensity at the expense of signal resolution by combining into a single charge signal, each group of N such remainder signals derived from N adjacent radiation sensors, respectively, where N is an integer greater than one.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for improving the contrast among a plurality of charge signals concurrently produced by a corresponding plurality of radiation sensors of an image sensing array, each charge signal representing the intensity of a different element of the scene being viewed by said array, comprising the steps of: discarding that portion of each charge signal which is lower than a given amplitude level corresponding to a given background signal level; employing the remainder of each charge signal as the signal representing the radiation received by the radiation sensor producing that signal; and increasing the signal intensity at the expense of signal resolution by combining into a single charge signal, each group of N such remainder signals derived from N adjacent radiation sensors, respectively, where N is an integer greater than one.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, further including the step of: adding to each combined signal a background signal at a fixed signal level.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-01-04 | 1980-07-05 | 1981-01-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-01-04 | 1984-07-05 | 1985-01-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-01-04 | 1988-07-05 | 1989-01-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |