Imaging system having optimized electrode geometry and processing

Claim 1

A system for producing an image created by radiation incident upon an imaging device, comprising: (a) an imaging device comprising a first conductive layer, an insulative material, a photoconductive insulative layer, an electrically blocking layer, and a second conductive layer which consists essentially of a segmented array of at least one group of elongated, striped, conductive electrodes lying in a first direction; (b) means for creating an electric field between the first and second conductive layers such that first charge carriers are created in the imaging device by first incident radiation, and subsequently separated to create a first current, resulting in the formation of a latent electrostatic image near the interface between the insulative material and the photoconductive insulative layers; (c) a scanner which, in a first time-ordered pattern, utilizes a second incident radiation to initiate a second current, comprising second charge carriers, within the imaging device; and (d) detection electronics connected to, and sensitive to motion of the second charge carriers in, each electrode; in which: (e) the scanner scans the array in a second direction substantially different from the first direction; (f) each conductive electrode is addressed in a second, time-ordered pattern such that only one electrode in a group is monitored for motion of the charge carriers at one time, while adjacent electrodes in that group are held at a voltage level representing a virtual ground as measured relative to the monitored electrode, and the detection electronics interprets a coincidence of the first and second patterns as a pixel of the image created by the radiation, which pixel represents a corresponding portion of the latent image.

Claim 2

A system for producing an image created by radiation incident upon an imaging device, comprising: (a) an imaging device comprising a first conductive layer, an insulative material, a photoconductive insulative layer, an electrically blocking layer, and a second conductive layer which consists essentially of a segmented array of at least one group of elongated, striped, conductive electrodes lying in a first direction; (b) means for creating an electric field between the first and second conductive layers such that first charge carriers are created in the imaging device by first incident radiation, and subsequently separated to create a first current, resulting in the formation of a latent electrostatic image near the interface between the insulative material and the photoconductive insulative layers; (c) a scanner which, in a first time-ordered pattern, utilizes a second incident radiation to initiate a second current, comprising second charge carriers, within the imaging device; and (d) detection electronics connected to, and sensitive to motion of the second charge carriers in, each electrode; in which: (e) the scanner scans the array in a second direction substantially different from the first direction; (f) each conductive electrode is addressed in a second, time-ordered pattern such that only one electrode in a group is monitored for motion of the charge carriers at one time, while adjacent electrodes in that group are held at a voltage level representing a virtual ground as measured relative to the monitored electrode, and the detection electronics interprets a coincidence of the first and second patterns as a pixel of the image created by the radiation, which pixel represents a corresponding portion of the latent image.