Abstract: A line-transfer charge-coupled-device (CCD) imager has an image register from which lines of charge packets representing image samples are removed via a plurality of charge funnels. Each charge funnel is a CCD transmission line, wide enough at its input port to connect across the parallelled output ports of a plurality of the parallelled charge transfer channels in the image register of the line-transfer CCD imager, and narrower at its output port which connects to a charge sensing stage. Power for clocking the plurality of charge funnels is conserved when, in accordance with the invention, each of the charge funnels is dynamically clocked for time intervals when charge packets descriptive of image samples are transferred through the charge funnel. The charge funnels receive static clocking voltages at other times.

Abstract: A tendency towards uneven delays in raster scan lines is characteristic of known CCD imagers of line transfer type. This tendency arises owing to a line register being used for the time-division-multiplex selection of rows of charge packets sampling lines of image, and can be compensated to a degree by adjusting the onset of read-out of those rows. This tendency towards shear distortion of the television image is eliminated in the disclosed invention by replacing the line register with a charge funnel structure. The charge funnel is a CCD charge transfer channel, wide enough at its input to mate to the output ends of charge transfer channels in the imager register from which it receives charge packets in one or two rows at a time, and narrow enough at its output to increase the in-channel potential variations owing to charge packet transfer therethrough. This increase permits sensitive indications of charge level to be made by an electrometer. The electrometer (e.g.

Abstract: There is electrostatic coupling of the forward clocking signals used in a CCD imager of line transfer type to the underlying bulk semiconductor and then to the output charge sensing stage. Changes in forward clocking signal application during the line selection process in the image register tend to introduce transient disturbances leaving visible artifacts in television pictures reconstructed from the video signals generated from the CCD imager output signal samples. This tendency can be obviated in CCD imagers of line transfer type by introducing additional clocked delay to place the disturbances in the line retrace interval. The disturbances can then be removed from video signals by line retrace blanking.

Abstract: A cacade connection of a buried channel CCD clocked with clocking signals of a few volts and a floating-diffusion electrometer operated at voltages no larger than those few volts. Undesirable flow back of charge into the CCD from the electrometer is forestalled by applying to the last CCD charge transfer stage a clocking signal voltage developed by doubling the few-volt clocking signals applied to the earlier charge transfer stages of the CCD.

Abstract: At selected times charge packets are simultaneously transferred to the two opposing ends of a charge transfer channel by application of suitable clocking voltages to the gate electrodes overlying that charge transfer channel. Charge packets are introduced into the charge transfer channel during intervening times either by photoresponse to incident radiation or by gating charge packets into respective positions in the charge transfer channel. The technique is especially useful in the A register or C register of a field transfer type of CCD imager.

Abstract: Apparatus for deriving samples of transfer smear from a CCD imager of line transfer type and differentially combining them with video samples contaminated with transfer smear supplied from the same CCD imager, thereby to generate video signal samples in which transfer smear is suppressed.

Abstract: Passage of current through a power transmission line causes infrared radiation therefrom. The construction of a high-tension (HT) line with counterwound helical conductors for current around a supporting core minimizes the surrounding magnetic field, reducing the skin resistance of the line per unit length as compared to its bulk resistance per unit length. Infrared radiation from the I.sup.2 R losses in the line is thus linearized, and the current in the line can be indirectly measured by sensing the infrared radiation from the line itself using infrared detectors.

Abstract: Alternate ones of the charge transfer stages in the CCD output register of a solid-state imager are loaded with charge packets descriptive of the intensities of respective image elements. The intervening charge transfer stages are loaded with charge packets descriptive of a reference level. Subsequently, the CCD output register is operated as a shift register to serially supply charge packets to an electrometer. Successive samples of the electrometer response are differentially combined to obtain an output signal with undesired components suppressed therein.

Abstract: A CCD imager is disposed on the same semiconductor substrate as a charge storage well used to accumulate dark current charge sensed to generate a dark-current-responsive output signal. This dark-current-responsive output signal is used in suppressing dark current field shading or in controlling the cooling of the semiconductor substrate or both, by way of examples.

Abstract: Frame-rate flicker attends the use of field-to-field line interlace in television cameras using CCD imagers. The use of separate dc-restoration circuits for odd-numbered and even-numbered fields suppresses frame-rate flicker attributable to black level variation from field to field.

Abstract: A CCD imager of field transfer type having an image register statically clocked during image integration in a number of phases greater than it is dynamically clocked with during field transfer to a field storage register, when the image register and the field storage register are clocked in synchronous phase with each other.

Abstract: A cascade connection of first and second CCD shift registers having clocking signals with equal cycle durations, but with m phases and n phases respectively, where m is a larger positive integer than n.

Abstract: Dark current generation in a field-transfer type CCD imager is measured by integrating the response to charge packets supplied from its output register during certain portions of field retrace intervals. During these portions of the field retrace intervals the output register is dynamically clocked to transfer charge packets therefrom although the output register is cleared of externally generated charge. Accordingly, these charge packets originate from the accumulation of dark current arising in the C register.

Abstract: A video signal originating from a field-transfer CCD imager exhibits field shading attributable to integrated dark currents. A compensating waveform is generated and linearly combined with the video signal to suppress that field shading.

Abstract: A symbol synchronizer, as for use with apparatus for detecting MPSK signals to provide complex sampled data descriptive of keying signal phase, in which the timing of the resampling can be controlled with resolution that is a fraction of the time between successive complex data samples.The symbol synchronizer uses a first digital controlled oscillator to recover the MPSK baseband signal sampled at a frequency f.sub.i rate. The MPSK signal is operated on to recover a sampled data description of the envelope of the MPSK signal sampled at a frequency f.sub.s, which may equal f.sub.i or be down-sampled therefrom. This is digitally filtered to provide a sampled data locking signal to a second digital controlled oscillator, which uses modular arithmetic to generate a digital sampled data description at f.sub.s rate of a sawtooth waveform repetitive at f.sub.k keying rate. In this second digital-controlled oscillator an adder sums its output as delayed by a full f.sub.

Abstract: The calculation of r.sup.2 =x.sup.2 +y.sup.2, where x and y are the Cartesian coordinates of a raster-scanned space, is carried forward by accumulation of 2x+1 and 2y+1 terms. A read-only memory can then be used for table look-up of r, the radial coordinate of raster scan in polar coordinates.

Abstract: In a raster-scanned kinescope display resolution in the direction of slow sweep tends to be limited by the spacing between adjacent scan lines in the direction of fast sweep. Auxiliary minor deflection at video rate is used to improve the positional resolution of the display in the direction of slow sweep.

Abstract: A self-starting transformer-coupled FET multivibrator is constructed to avoid net dc flow in the primary winding of its transformer, driven push-pull by the multivibrator FET's.

Abstract: A substantially non-loading circuit for measuring voltages in a range with relatively high upper limit uses a resistive voltage divider for scaling down these voltages for application to a digital voltmeter capable of measuring voltages in a range with relatively low upper limit. The loading that the input circuit of the resistive potential divider would place on the circuit being measured is reduced by placing the loading of the potential divider input circuit on an electrically adjustable voltage supply, rather than the circuit being measured. The current loading on the circuit being measured is sensed; and the output voltage of this supply is automatically adjusted by feedback to reduce the sensed circuit. In this way, loading of the circuit being measured is reduced, thus avoiding undesirable reduction of the voltage across the circuit owing to its being loaded.

Abstract: A signal to be quantized is translated to a charge Q and the latter is multiplied by a fraction f to produce a fractional charge packet fQ. Then, another fractional charge packet is produced by multiplying the remainder Q(1-f) of the charge packet by f. This last step is repeated for succeeding remainder charge packets a sufficient number of times until a total of n-1 fractional charge packets have been produced, where n is the number of quantization levels desired. The successive fractional charge packets are compared with threshold levels of different amplitudes to determine the number of incremental charge packets, each of the same size, to be added to one another to form a quantized charge packet.