IMAGE CONVERTER AND METHOD FOR VIDEO IMAGE GENERATION Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC H01J31/56 

FIELD: electronic engineering; image converters.

SUBSTANCE: proposed image converter has case with input and output windows, input one being made in the form of fiber-optic strip whose output surface mounts photocathode; electronically excited CCD array whose rear side faces input window; electron focusing system; primary video signal generating unit; and visible image reproducing device. Number of pixels in electronically excited black-and-white CCD array is greater than that of effective fibers in fiber-optic strip; image converter has in addition video signal processing unit and control board. Image converter case is divided into evacuated and non-evacuated parts. Input window photocathode, electron focusing system, and electronically excited black-and-white CCD array are disposed in evacuated part of case. Output window, primary video signal generating unit, and video signal processing unit are disposed in non-evacuated part of case. Video image reproducing device is made in the form of microdisplay mounted in output window of case. Proposed method for producing video image includes signal reading from pixels of electronically excited black-and-white CCD array, where number of pixels exceeds that of effective fibers in fiber-optic strip, generation of primary standard black-and-white video signal, followed by digital processing of primary standard black-and-white video signal to produce output video signal. Upon manufacture of image converter black-and-white CCD array is subjected to single chromatic calibration; in the process weighting coefficients of each of chosen bands are determined for each pixel and these weighting coefficients are used to evaluate share of chosen band in general signal of each pixel during generation of output color video signal.

EFFECT: improved image quality under adverse viewing conditions, ability of eliminating need for precision adjustment of charge-coupled array position relative to input window components and for precise alignment of its resolution with that of image being projected.

20 cl, 5 dwg