Patents by Inventor Will C. Steffe

Will C. Steffe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4675549
    Abstract: Structure is disclosed for a charge-coupled device for generating reference signals indicative of black and white optical conditions and for generating an end-of-scan indicator signal. The black reference signal is generated by electrically and optically isolating one or more photosites of the CCD. A white reference signal is generated by injecting a controlled amount of charge into one or more elements of a shift register of a charge-coupled device. The end-of-scan indicator signal is generated by injecting a signal into at least one element of a shift register which does not have photosites associated with it. The black and white reference signals allow the utilization of the full dynamic range of the device under a wide range of operation conditions, while the end-of-scan indicator eliminates the need for external counting or reset circuits associated with conventional charge-coupled devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Will C. Steffe, David D. Wen