Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
Apparatus for indicating the position of a radiating body moving relative to said apparatus, comprising a first lattice of elongated parallel radiation-sensitive elements, a second lattice of elongated parallel radiation-sensitive elements, means for focusing radiation on said two lattices from substantially the same point of view, the elements of the first lattice being at right angles to the elements of the second lattice from the point of view of the focusing means, first sampling means for sampling the elements of the first lattice in predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of the respective elements receives radiation, second sampling means for sampling the elements of the second lattice independently of the first sampling means in predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of the respective elements receives radiation, and output means responsive to the respective sampling means for producing output signals respectively representing the location of elements of the respective lattices receiving the radiation, wherein either or both of said sampling means comprises sequentially operable means for initially sampling the respective elements in a predetermined sequence, means for discontinuing the sequential operation of said sequentially operable means in response to a radiation signal from one of the respective elements, relocating means responsive to a decline of said radiation signal for sampling one or more of the elements in said sequence adjacent said one element until a radiation sensitive signal is obtained from one of said adjacent elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
237 words
Apparatus for indicating the position of a radiating body moving relative to said apparatus, comprising a first lattice of elongated parallel radiation-sensitive elements, a second lattice of elongated parallel radiation-sensitive elements, means for focusing radiation on said two lattices from substantially the same point of view, the elements of the first lattice being at right angles to the elements of the second lattice from the point of view of the focusing means, first sampling means for sampling the elements of the first lattice in predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of the respective elements receives radiation, second sampling means for sampling the elements of the second lattice independently of the first sampling means in predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of the respective elements receives radiation, and output means responsive to the respective sampling means for producing output signals respectively representing the location of elements of the respective lattices receiving the radiation, wherein either or both of said sampling means comprises sequentially operable means for initially sampling the respective elements in a predetermined sequence, means for discontinuing the sequential operation of said sequentially operable means in response to a radiation signal from one of the respective elements, relocating means responsive to a decline of said radiation signal for sampling one or more of the elements in said sequence adjacent said one element until a radiation sensitive signal is obtained from one of said adjacent elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radiation sensitive elements are sensitive to infrared radiation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said relocating means comprises means for conditioning said sampling means to sample the element next-after said one element and thereafter to sample the element next-before said one element, unless a radiation sensitive signal is obtained from said next-after element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sequentially operable means is reversible so that said sequentially operable means can be caused to sample said elements in said sequence in either a forward sampling sense or a reverse sampling sense, and wherein said relocating means comprises means for restarting operation of said sequentially operable means for one step in the same sampling sense as that which applied before the previous operation of said sequentially operable means was discontinued and, unless operation of said sequentially operable means is again discontinued by a radiation signal from A said next-after element, for thereafter reversing said sequentially operable means so that sampling of the elements in said sequence is carried out in the reverse sense until a radiation signal is obtained from another element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said relocating means comprises means responsive to a decline of the radiation signal from said one element for emitting a train of pulses until another radiation signal is produced, said pulse emitting means being coupled to said sequentially operable means and said sequentially operable means being responsive to said pulse emitting means to produce step by step operation of said sequentially operable means, and said relocating means further comprising a trigger device which reverses the operation of said sequentially operable means after the occurrence of the first and before the occurrence of the next pulse of such train.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said sequentially operable means is operable in steps and the first two steps of said sequentially operable means after reversal thereof have a smaller time separation then subsequent adjacent steps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sequentially operable means comprises a ring counter having a plurality of stages connected in cyclic order to at least three input terminals, and reversible commutating means is provided to apply shift pulses in cyclic order in either sense to said input terminals, whereby said counter may be caused to count in either sense.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sequentially operable means comprises a ring counter, each stage of which comprises a four-layer diode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ring counter is so arranged that all but one of said diodes has a high impedance state at any instant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
150 words
Apparatus for indicating the position of a radiating body relative to said apparatus comprising an array of radiation-sensitive elements, means for focusing radiation from said body on to said elements at a position dependent on that of said body, sampling means for sampling said elements in a predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of said elements is receiving radiation and output means responsive to said sampling means for producing an output signal representing which of said elements is receiving radiation, said sampling means including sequentially operable means for initially sampling said elements in a predetermined sequence, means for discontinuing the sequential operation of said sequentially operable means in response to a radiation signal generated by one of said elements on receipt of radiation, and relocating means responsive to a decline of said radiation signal for sampling at least one element before and after said one element in said sequence.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
150 words
Apparatus for indicating the position of a radiating body relative to said apparatus comprising an array of radiation-sensitive elements, means for focusing radiation from said body on to said elements at a position dependent on that of said body, sampling means for sampling said elements in a predetermined manner to determine which, if any, of said elements is receiving radiation and output means responsive to said sampling means for producing an output signal representing which of said elements is receiving radiation, said sampling means including sequentially operable means for initially sampling said elements in a predetermined sequence, means for discontinuing the sequential operation of said sequentially operable means in response to a radiation signal generated by one of said elements on receipt of radiation, and relocating means responsive to a decline of said radiation signal for sampling at least one element before and after said one element in said sequence.