Electronic camera employing a solid-state image sensor

Claim 1

A scanner comprising: focusing lens for focusing, at the image focal plane of said lens, the image of an object to be scanned; a linear array of the type in which rows of light-sensitive devices are scanned in a first direction to provide a train of output pulses proportional in magnitude to the light intensity falling upon each successively scanned light-sensitive device; first means for holding said array in the image plane of said lens; second means connected to said first means for allowing movement of said first means and hence said array, relative to said lens, in a second direction which is perpendicular to said first direction, between two limits of travel of said array; and third means, connected to said second means for causing said array to move between said two limits of travel; fourth means for maintaining said array in said image plane throughout said movement of said array between said two limits of travel of said array caused by said third means; fifth means for providing a position signal bearing a relationship to sequential position intervals of said array between said two limits of travel of said array; and, sixth means connected to said array and to said fifth means for synchronizing said output pulses from said array with said position signal.

Claim 15

A method of scanning an object comprising the steps of: (a) focusing the image of an object to be scanned at the image focal plane of an imaging lens; (b) providing an array of light-sensitive devices in said image focal plane in which rows of light-sensitive devices are scanned in a first direction to provide a train of output pulses proportional in magnitude to the light intensity falling upon each successively scanned light-sensitive device; (c) moving said array in a second direction which is perpendicular to said first direction; (d) maintaining said array throughout said movement in said second direction in the image focal plane of said lens, such that light from the object focused at said image focal plane falls upon said light-sensitive devices to thereby produce said ouput pulses from said array; (e) providing a position signal bearing a relationship to the position of said array at sequential position intervals of said array in the image focal plane of said lens; and, (f) synchronizing said output pulses from said array with said position signal.

Claim 16

A method of scanning an object comprising the steps of: (a) focusing the image of an object to be scanned at the image focal plane of an imaging lens; (b) providing an array of light-sensitive devices in said image focal plane in which rows of light-sensitive devices are scanned in a first direction to provide a train of output pulses proportional in magnitude to the light intensity falling upon each successively scanned light-sensitive device; (c) moving said array in a second direction which is perpendicular to said first direction; (d) maintaining said array throughout said movement in said second direction in the image focal plane of said lens, such that light from the object focused at said image focal plane falls upon said light-sensitive devices to thereby produce said ouput pulses from said array; (e) providing a position signal bearing a relationship to the position of said array at sequential position intervals of said array in the image focal plane of said lens; and, (f) synchronizing said output pulses from said array with said position signal.

Claim 19

The method in accordance with caim 16, characterized by further comprising the steps of: reflecting light from a line-filament light source oriented in parallel with said array, through part of said imaging lens to thereby illuminate said object to be scanned, while allowing light reflected from said object so illuminated to pass through another part of said lens to said array; and moving said light source is synchronism with the movement of said array, so that only the image slice being viewed by said array at any instant of time as said array traverses the image field in the image focal plane is illuminated by said light source.

Claim 20

The method in accordance with caim 16, characterized by further comprising the steps of: reflecting light from a line-filament light source oriented in parallel with said array, through part of said imaging lens to thereby illuminate said object to be scanned, while allowing light reflected from said object so illuminated to pass through another part of said lens to said array; and moving said light source is synchronism with the movement of said array, so that only the image slice being viewed by said array at any instant of time as said array traverses the image field in the image focal plane is illuminated by said light source.