Abstract: This is an apparatus for sharpening and otherwise enhancing images such as those produced on a screen or on the face plate of a cathode-ray tube. Regarding an image as being composed of a very large number of elements called "pixels," the apparatus of this invention enhances those of the pixels which appear at points of rapid transition between light and shade in the image. The apparatus comprises a plurality of substrates superimposed upon one another, optically in series. A first such substrate includes an array of filters and lenses which together form a "mask" that operates upon selected portions of the light input thereto to multiply certain portions of the light input with respect to certain other portions of the light input. The light upon which this operation has taken place proceeds to a second substrate where it is detected to generate electrical signals expressive of the intensities of the respective portions of the light input.

Abstract: An image sensor is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate and comprises a well formed in the substrate, photo sensing elements formed in the well, vertical shift registors coupled to the columns of the photo sensing elements, a horizontal shift registor coupled to the vertical shift registors and a photo shield plate exposing the photo sensing elements to optical images, in which the photo shield plate remains in a first voltage level for restriction of production of ineffectual electric charges but is biased to a second voltage level for promoting the production of effectual electric charges after the semiconductor substrate is biased so as to allow a punch-through phenomenon to take place for discharging the ineffectual electric charges from the photo-sensing elements to the substrate, so that a variable electronic shutter is achieved under biasing the photo shield plate and the substrate without an extremely high voltage level.

Abstract: An image sensor is disclosed which comprises an imaging region and horizontal shift registers which receive charge carriers generated in the imaging region and transfer them to an output circuit for processing. In order to facilitate the transfer of charge carriers out of the sensor and to provide an image sensor which has a simplified structure, dual horizontal transfer registers are used and transfer of charge carriers between the two registers is accomplished without a separate transfer gate electrode.