Abstract: A defect corrector for a solid-state imager in which temperature tracking defect correction signals associated with the defective pixels are generated. The temperature tracking defect correction signals are combined with photoresponse signals from the corresponding defective pixels to provide defect compensation for the photoresponse signal developed from each of the defective pixels.

Abstract: A color television camera including a selectively removable infrared (IR) rejection filter and controllable weighting luminance signal matrixing circuitry features increased low-light sensitity. During low-light conditions, the infrared rejection filter is removed from the optical path of the camera, permitting infrared light to pass to the camera's imaging means; the weighting of the controllable weighting luminance signal matrixing circuitry is altered to provide a more accurate visual representation; and the color subcarrier signal is disabled so that the camera produces only a black-and-white signal.

Abstract: First and second output signals are taken from a floating element in a CCD charge transfer channel and from the terminal drain diffusion of that CCD charge transfer channel. The floating element is part of an electrometer, and the electrometer response is wide-band sampled at the CCD charge transfer channel clocking rate. Current flow through the terminal drain diffusion is sensed by the input circuit of a low l/f noise transresistance amplifier. Continuous-frequency-spectrum low-noise output signal is generated from the low-frequency components of the transresistance amplifier response and from the high-frequency components of the processed second output signal. Subsequent filtering removes unwanted clock and aliased frequency components.

Abstract: A television camera includes optics for directing light from an illuminated scene to an imager, a signal processor for developing a video signal from an imager supplied signal, and apparatus for controlling the magnitude of the developed video signal to reduce brightness variations (flicker) caused by artificial scene illumination. The controlling apparatus develops a first signal representative of the average illumination of the scene, a second signal representative of the amount of the directed light which the imager actually responds to, and a control signal in response to the signal processor for controlling the magnitude of the developed video signal.

Abstract: A CCD delay line may be tapped using a floating-diffusion electrometer at the tap. Charge sensing is made non-destructive by not resetting the floating diffusion to a reset drain after charge sensing. The resulting charge integration on the floating diffusion causes a smearing of the samples described by successive charge packets. The smearing is in the baseband frequencies of the sample frequency spectrum, but does not appreciably affect the subspectra surrounding harmonics of the delay line clock rate. Consequently, smear-free response to the floating-gate electrometer output signals can be obtained by synchronously detecting them at a harmonic of the delay line clock rate. Using floating-diffusion electrometers, rather than floating-gate electrometers, to sense charge packet amplitudes at taps along a CCD delay line lowers the noise in the output response of output-weighted, charge-coupled-devive transversal fiters.

Abstract: The parallelly arranged charge transfer channels in the image register of a field transfer type CCD imager are clocked with a number of phases equal to 2m, m being a positive integer equal to two or more, during image transfer. The successive gate electrodes receiving each cycle of successive-in-time clock phases during image transfer are considered to be consecutively ordinally numbered first through 2m.sup.th. During the image integration times of odd fields, the first gate electrode in each cycle of the image register is biased to induce a potential energy barrier thereunder, and photoresponse charge is collected under the gate electrodes of the image register exclusive of each first gate electrode. During the integration times of even fields, the (m+1).sup.th gate electrode in each gate-electrode cycle of the image register is biased to induce a potential energy barrier thereunder, and photoresponse charge is collected under the gate electrodes of the image register exclusive of each (m+1).sup.

Abstract: Alignment of a plurality of thinned substrate solid-state imagers mounted at the outputs of an optical assembly is accomplished optically, without the necessity to electrically operate the imagers. Light blocking alignment indicia, such as a chevron pattern, are deposited over the electrode structure of the chip. When the imagers are positioned at the optical assembly outputs and light is used to illuminate the imagers electrode structure side, the alignment indicia are visible at the optical assembly input and can be used for alignment of the imagers.

Abstract: Charge transfer device output signals typically include an information component which is contaminated with both on-chip amplifier noise and reset noise. For reducing these noise components, the device output signal is applied to first and second synchronous detectors. The first synchronous detector is responsive to a first reference carrier signal for maximizing at its output the information component while the second synchronous detector is responsive to a second reference carrier for maximizing at its output the noise components. The synchronous detector output signals are then differentially combined so as to substantially reduce the noise components from the contaminated information component.

Abstract: Stripe patterns of varying spatial frequency, formed in the top-metalization of a back-illuminated solid-state imager, facilitate on-line measurement of contrast transfer function during wafer-probe testing. The imager may be packaged to allow front-illumination during in-the-field testing after its manufacture.

Abstract: Conventionally, solid-state imager chips are packaged in ceramic IC packages. In accordance with the invention, unpackaged imager chips are bonded to a light transmissive carrier having an area substantially larger than the area of the imager chip. The light transmissive carrier both firmly supports the imager chip and includes a metallization pattern which contacts the imager chip and provides for its electrical connections to external drive and signal processing circuitry. In a preferred embodiment, the photosensitive side of a thinned-substrate solid-state imager chip is directly bonded to the exit port of a prism. The prism exit port has the metallization pattern formed thereon and includes edge connectors at its periphery for connecting to the external circuitry.

Abstract: The output signal from the CCD output register of a semiconductor imager having a floating-gate or floating-diffusion type of output stage is applied to a differentiation circuit. The response of the differentiator circuit to the introduction of charge under the floating element is synchronously detected at output register clock rate to obtain video samples with low reset noise. This is a single sampling process, which avoids the double sampling required in correlated double sampling to reduce reset noise, and which can provide for horizontal peaking.

Abstract: In a television camera for developing an output video signal and including a solid-state imager having low contrast single pixel defects, an adaptive defect corrector provides a defect corrected video signal which may contribute to the output video signal. The defect corrector is adaptive in that the contribution of the defect corrected video signal to the output video signal is dependent upon a control signal which changes according to the amount of light reaching the solid-state 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: Electrical registration is provided in the vertical and horizontal directions of a multiple-imager solid-state camera. The solid-state imagers in a solid-state camera are provided having an active or utilized area of the imagers which is smaller than the photosensitive area of the imager. By controlling the clocking of the imager the processed signal from the imagers can be aligned electrically so that each imager is effectively spatially aligned with the others, thereby decreasing the required mechanical alignment tolerance.

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 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: Radiation illuminating the image register of a CCD imager of field transfer type during the transfer of a charge pattern from image register to field storage register results in smear in images reproduced from the imager output signal. Smear charge samples are sensed during one line time of a field and stored, and the stored line of smear charge samples are then used to cancel the effect of smear charge components in the other lines of a field. The lines of smear charge samples are obtained by clocking a line of empty charge wells into the A register as from a "phantom" row which does not physically exist.

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 CCD imager is operated in cascade with a low-frequency-suppression filter and a synchronous detector, which synchronous detector uses as its switching carrier a harmonic of the clocking frequency of the CCD imager output register. The low-frequency-suppression filter has its zero-average-value output response referred to a noise-free reference level. At times between picture trace intervals, when d-c restoration is to be done, this reference level is caused to appear at the synchronous detector output instead of synchronously detected filter response. D-c restoration is made to this reference level and is thus made substantially more noise-free. The need to clock empty wells from the CCD imager for d-c restoration is avoided. This allows shortening the time the CCD imager output register is clocked during each line trace, allowing reduction in the power required for operating the imager and increasing available time for transfer from the image storage register to the output register.

Abstract: The noise in the output signal from the floating diffusion output stage of a charge transfer device is reduced. Reset noise can be reduced by resetting the floating diffusion to an in-channel potential, rather than to the reset drain potential. Flicker noise or "1/f" noise in the electrometer stage following the floating diffusion is suppressed by high-pass or band-pass filtering the output signal samples, after which the filtered signal is synchronously detected against a harmonic of the clocking frequency of the charge transfer device to obtain full bandwidth output response. The filtering not only suppresses flicker noise or "1/f" noise, but also suppresses smear that afflicts output signal samples originating from a floating diffusion reset to an in-channel potential.