Television image tube protection system

Claim 2

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responSive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and each of said elements includes an input and an output, said inputs being connected in common to effect a parallel connection of all of said elements to said energizing means.

Claim 3

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and each of said elements comprises a photosensitive thyristor which includes an input and an output, said inputs being connected in common to effect a parallel connection to all of said elements to said energizing means.

Claim 4

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and each of said elements comprises a photosensitive thyristor which includes an input and an output, said inputs being connected in common to effect a parallel connection to all of said elements to said energizing means.

Claim 5

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and each of said elements comprises a four region solid state device which includes an input and an output, said inputs being connected in common to effect a parallel connection of all of said elements to said energizing means.

Claim 6

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and each of said elements comprises a four region solid state device which includes an input and an output, said inputs being connected in common to effect a parallel connection of all of said elements to said energizing means.

Claim 7

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common swiTching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said array includes a common substrate, each of said elements comprising a plural region solid state device formed as an isolated island in said substrate with the regions of each of said switching elements defining the power input and output thereof terminating in a common planar surface of said substrate and an insulating layer over said common planar surface having windows formed therein to expose the input and output of each of said switching elements, and said energizing means includes conductor means received on said insulating layer and selectively extending through said windows for connecting the inputs of all elements and outputs of all elements to common input and output terminals of said array, to which terminals an energizing potential is supplied.

Claim 8

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common swiTching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said array includes a common substrate, each of said elements comprising a plural region solid state device formed as an isolated island in said substrate with the regions of each of said switching elements defining the power input and output thereof terminating in a common planar surface of said substrate and an insulating layer over said common planar surface having windows formed therein to expose the input and output of each of said switching elements, and said energizing means includes conductor means received on said insulating layer and selectively extending through said windows for connecting the inputs of all elements and outputs of all elements to common input and output terminals of said array, to which terminals an energizing potential is supplied.

Claim 9

A protection system as recited in claim 4 wherein said output deriving means comprises a conducting layer received on said insulating layer of said array and spaced from said conductor means.

Claim 10

A protection system as recited in claim 4 wherein said output means comprises a conducting layer received on the surface of said substrate opposite to said common planar surface.

Claim 11

A protection system as recited in claim 4 wherein said array includes a common substrate of P-type material and each of said elements comprises a PNPN solid state device.

Claim 12

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said energizing means comprises a charging network connected between a source of energizing potential and said elements of said array, said changing network being charged from said source at a rate determined by the time constants of said network when said elements are in said first state of nonconduction to establish an energizing potential to enable switching of said elements, and being discharged upon switching of any of said associated elements to said second stable state of conduction to a potential level less than the minimum sustaining potential level for maintaining conduction of said elements.

Claim 13

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumination in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said energizing means comprises a charging network connected between a source of energizing potential and said elements of said array, said changing network being charged from said source at a rate determined by the time constants of said network when said elements are in said first state of nonconduction to establish an energizing potential to enable switching of said elements, and being discharged upon switching of any of said associated elements to said second stable state of conduction to a potential level less than the minimum sustaining potential level for maintaining conduction of said elements.

Claim 14

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumInation in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said array includes a plurality of rows of said elements, the elements of each row being connected in parallel to said energizing means, and said energizing means comprises a charging network connected between a source of energizing potential and said elements of said array, said charging network being charged from said source at a rate determined by the time constants of said network when said elements are in said first state of nonconduction to establish an energizing potential to enable switching of said elements, and being discharged upon switching of any of said associated elements to said second stable state of conduction to a potential level less than the minimum sustaining potential level for maintaining conduction of said elements.

Claim 15

A protection system for a camera for detecting point sources of illumination of damaging intensity level in a scene viewed by the camera, comprising: a detector including an array of photosensitive switching elements exposed to the scene viewed by the camera, each of said elements being responsive to a corresponding segment of the scene for individual detection of a point source of illumInation in that corresponding segment, said elements having common switching characteristics for switching between a first stable state of nonconduction and a second stable state of conduction, and being responsive to the level of incident illumination to vary the level at which said switching occurs, means for energizing each of said elements of said array in said first stable state of nonconduction for switching thereof to second stable state of conduction in response to incident illumination of a predetermined level relative to the damaging intensity level, means for deriving an output from said array in response to switching of any of said elements, and said array includes a plurality of rows of said elements, the elements of each row being connected in parallel to said energizing means, and said energizing means comprises a charging network connected between a source of energizing potential and said elements of said array, said charging network being charged from said source at a rate determined by the time constants of said network when said elements are in said first state of nonconduction to establish an energizing potential to enable switching of said elements, and being discharged upon switching of any of said associated elements to said second stable state of conduction to a potential level less than the minimum sustaining potential level for maintaining conduction of said elements.