Abstract: An apparatus for displaying images represented by electronic image information, that includes a light source and a reflective light modulator for optically modulating, with the image information, light from the light source to obtain a diffraction pattern that depends on the image information. An optical system is provided for converting the diffraction pattern into an image, and projection optics are provided for projecting the image obtained with the optical system. The optical system includes an array of schlieren bars and a focusing reflector.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging technique and apparatus with a portable scanning head. In one form of the scanning head, a reflective scanner is provided with a variable focus, and in another form the scanning head has several reflective facts of respectively different focal lengths.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing signals representative of an image of a scene including the following steps: providing an image sensor with a lenticular lens pattern thereon, and projecting the image onto the image sensor via the lenticular lens pattern, the image sensor having a pixel element pattern and the lenticular lens pattern being diagonally oriented with respect to said pixel element pattern; and producing image-representative signals by reading out signals from the pixel elements of the image sensor.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing signals representative of an image of a scene, including the following steps: providing an image sensor onto which the image is projected, the image sensor having a diagonal pixel pattern; producing frame pairs as follows: during one frame of a frame pair, outputting pixel values alternately from successive adjacent line pairs of the sensor, starting at an odd numbered line, and, during the other frame of a frame pair, outputting pixel values alternately from successive adjacent line pairs of the sensor, starting at an even numbered line.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging technique and apparatus with a portable scanning head. In one form of the scanning head, a reflective scanner is provided with a variable focus, and in another form the scanning head has several reflective facts of respectively different focal lengths.

Abstract: A method for producing electronic video signals representative of a focused moveable image includs the following steps: providing a charge coupled device, masking substantially less than half of the lines of the device to form a masked storage area and a substantially larger unmasked sensing area; disposing the sensing area in the path of the image; providing a shutter for periodically blocking the image from the sensing area; and providing clocking signals to the device to shift sensed lines of the image from the sensing area to the storage area and to clock image representative electronic video signals out of the device.

Abstract: A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene includes use of a regular CCD for the color channel and a back-thinned CCD for a luminance channel; a technique for deriving blue and reconstructing full resolution R, G, B from full resolution white and a red and green checkerboard pattern; and a technique for deriving an automatic gain control signal using an unshielded white area on the CCD to obtain a white reference.

Abstract: A method for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene, includes the following steps: providing a sensor having a color filter thereover; providing a motion picture film camera type of lens system that focuses light from the image onto said color filter and sensor; and producing electronic video signals from the output of the sensor; said color filter having a pattern RYRY . . . on alternating lines, and a pattern YRYR . . . on every other line.

Abstract: A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene, includes the following steps: providing a luminance sensor and a color sensor having a color filter thereover; providing a beamsplitter, and providing a motion picture film camera type of lens system that focuses light from the image, via the beamsplitter, onto the luminance sensor and the color sensor; and producing electronic video signals from outputs of the luminance sensor and the color sensor.

Abstract: A transducer array is disclosed for use in an ultrasonic scanner for imaging a brain in a skull. The transducer array includes: a flexible substrate that can conform to the shape of the skull; an array of transducers mounted on the substrate; a backing block mounted on the back of each transducer of the array; and circuitry for coupling electric signals to and from each transducer of the array.

Abstract: A method for generating interlaced video signals representative of color images of a scene includes the following steps: deriving a progressively scanned luminance signal representative of the scene at a first frame rate; deriving interlaced scanned color component signals and a color-derived luminance component representative of the scene; high pass filtering and scan converting the luminance signal to obtain an interlaced detail luminance component; low pass filtering the interlaced color component signals and color-derived luminance component to obtain interlaced chrominance output signals and an interlaced low pass luminance component; and combining the detail luminance component and the low pass luminance component to obtain an interlaced luminance output signal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for receiving an interlaced color video signal, and processing the signal to produce a progressively scanned video signal. An embodiment of the method of the invention includes the following steps: scan converting, by field combining and high pass filtering, the luminance component of the received signal, to obtain a progressively scanned high pass luminance component; deriving, from the luminance component of the received signal, a low pass luminance component; scan converting, by line rate conversion, to progressively scanned format, the chrominance components of the received signal and the low pass luminance component; and combining the progressively scanned low and high pass luminance components.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for displaying images represented by electronic image information, including the following steps: providing a light source; optically modulating light from the light source, the optical modulation utilizing a pixel pattern and a diffraction grating, the pixel pattern being modulated with the image information; providing a schlieren optical system for operating on the optically modulated light; and displaying an output of the schlieren optical system; the diffraction grating being provided with a grating spacing that differs from the pixel spacing of the pixel pattern by an odd multiple of half the grating spacing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing an image of the brain by ultrasonic scanning, wherein brain metabolism is measured and displayed by monitoring amplitudes of localized changes of intracranial interfaces uses a flexible array applied to the scalp overlying the skull to produce a superposed grey scale image representing static structures and a color-coded pattern representing motion information.

Abstract: The PC based ultrasound system utilizes a standard PC central processing unit or CPU (an Intel 486 processor or better), standard PC memory storage and retrieval components, a scan conversion board and a video processing board, all disposed and electronically linked to the bus in the computer. Additionally, the analog drive and return scan video signals are sent to and received from a video processing and motor control unit. The video processing and motor control unit is coupled to an ultrasound scan lead or probe. The virtual control user interface for the ultrasound system includes a software driven display obtained from memory. The software driven display reveals images representative of hardware control configurations for many different ultrasound processors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for generating video signals representative of color images of a scene. An embodiment of the method includes the following steps: deriving a luminance signal representative of the scene at a first frame rate; deriving color component signals representative of the scene at a first line rate; generating, from the luminance signal, a converted luminance signal comprising the high spatial frequency portion of the luminance signal at a second frame rate higher than the first frame rate; generating, from the color component signals, converted color component signals at a second line rate higher than the first line rate; and combining the converted luminance component signal and at least one of the converted color component signals.

Abstract: A reflective liquid crystalline diffractive light valve for use in a diffractive projection system. The liquid crystal cell includes a transparent substrate and a reflective substrate treated to provide alternating stripes which cooperate with the liquid crystal to form liquid crystal domains extending across the thickness of the cell that will produce an appropriate phase difference in light reflected by the cell, irrespective of the polarization of incident light. The techniques embodied in the present invention are applicable to the creation of electrically controllable diffractive optical elements for ray optic, integrated optic or fiber optic utilization operated in either transmission or reflection. Diffractive patterns may be lithographically, holographically or interferometrically generated.

Abstract: A method is set forth for encoding and decoding a video signal, including the following steps: encoding the signal, the encoding including separating the signal into a plurality of spatial frequency bands at different frame rates, and temporally pre-filtering at least one of the bands with a pre-filtering circuit; and decoding the encoded signal, the decoding preferably including temporally post-filtering the at least one band, and combining the bands. In a preferred embodiment temporal pre-filtering is low-pass temporal filtering with a filter cut-off in the range 1.25 to 1.75 times the temporal Nyquist limit for the frame rate of the at least one band. The temporal post-filtering is preferably low pass temporal filtering with a cut-off near the Nyquist limit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic system and method for imaging a surface wherein a C-mode ultrasonic scan is performed over a fixed area of the surface and range gating is applied to that area to a given depth below the surface. For use of the system and method in fingerprint imaging, a live finger is placed upon a sensitive surface, the portion of the finger on the surface is scanned using the ultrasonic energy, and ultrasonic energy returned from the finger portion is received to capture an electronic image of the pattern of ridges and valleys of the fingerprint.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline diffractive light valve for use in a diffractive projection system. The liquid crystal cell includes substrates treated to provide alternating stripes which cooperate with the liquid crystal to form liquid crystal domains extending across the thickness of the cell that will produce a 180.degree. phase difference in light emerging from adjacent domains, irrespective of the polarization of incident light.