Acousto-optical scanner
US4084191A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 1976 |
| Grant date | Apr 11, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N3/10
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A scanning apparatus for converting an optical line image to a serial electrical analog signal by launching an acoustic wave in a plurality of ridged waveguides each of a different length. In one embodiment the launching transducer includes an electro-optical layer which modulates the acoustic wave as a function of the incident light intensity. In a second embodiment the acoustic wave is launched in each waveguide with the same amplitude but interacts with an acousto-optical overlay on the waveguide to amplitude modulate the intensity of the propagating acoustic wave. The thus generated and modulated acoustic waves are converted to electrical signals either by reflection back to the launching transducer or by individual transducers on each channel. The differing lengths converts the parallel image to a series electrical signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.