US2116425A - Television apparatus - Google Patents

Description

' TELEVISION APPARATUS 4 Filed Aug. 5l, 1931 yf'fll y Patented May 3, 1938 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE y TELEVISION APPAItA'rUsl Aloysius J. Cawley, Pittston, Y Application August 31, 193.1, serial .510.1560394 17 claims. (c1. 11s-5e) The invention relates generally to the electrical transmission of images by means of wire or wireless communicatingV apparatus. More particularly it is concerned with the production-.oi a very compact means of simultaneously receiving and transmitting images in the same image aperture, thus producing a Very useful two way television apparatus in which the imagesreceived and transmitted are coextensive. The great advantage resulting from this arrangement is that two persons carrying on a two-way television communication appear to be looking directly at each other.

An important object is the use of a single pho- `toelectric cell which is placed behind the scan- `ning disk, while openings `or lenses permit the light to pass to thecell. Thus a glow lampand a `lens alternately` traverse `the image eld, and no interference between reception and transmis- @sion is possible.

Still another object of the invention is theplac- Iing of concave cylindrical lensesin relation't'o .p the glow lamps so that their light is concentrated into a bright line at right angles tothe axis of the glow tube or lamp. This permits more accurate image reproduction.

Another object is the provision of a modification in which the photoelectric cell is placed in front of the scanning disk and the scanning. beam is `projected through the image aperture. This modification also givescoextensve images, which `are so desirable in two-way telephone and television communication systems.

, Other advantages and objects :of the arrangements will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein the various figures thereof represent in a conventional manner the principles covered by the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofthe apparatus using a single vphotoelectric rcell behind the scanning disk.

Figure 2 is a iront elevational View of the apparatus shown in either Figure 1 or Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of a modication using a light projecting means behind the disk andthe photoelectric cell in front oi the disk.

Figure 4 isa detailed view of the arrangement `of the glow lamp and the cylindrical lens for concentrating its light. y. Y

Figure 1 illustrates a disk I mounted upon a shaft 'l which is rotated by motor 8. Moving exactly with this disk l is a commutator 6, whose segments are connected suitably to the glow tubes 4.such las neon tubes 3 in such manner that only onetubeor, only onehole or lens or photoelectric cell is in the image field of the frame 5 at any instant. l However, as vdescribed in my copencling application Serial No. 459,369 forTelevision system, led June 3, 1930, the tube and the hole or lens may be in the image field at the same time.

AThe image varied current, if wires are used, or the image varied electric waves, if radio waves lare used, is` received by the receiver and conveyed to the brushes e and ey by` wires .d and The commutator acts to supply this current to the particular glow lamp that is traversing the image. aperture in frame 5. An electrooptical element kis shown at 3. It, however, has just trav- .ersed the image aperture, while a hole 4 is shown in the aperture `which is receiving the light from the image formed by the lens A of the person orv objectsvin front of the disk l. However, in the modification in which the elements 4 are lenses,

.the lens A is not necessary, as each lens then' to the transmitter shown as a wireless transmitting station. This current is here amplified and the corresponding electric waves-broadcast to the distant stations. Wire transmission may be used, if desired.

Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus. The disk having alternate holes or lenses and glow lamps spirally arranged is clearly shown. A

`hole or lens 4` is shown in the aperture of the `frame 5. The glow lamp 3 has just left the aperture and is proceedingto the right, while another lamp will enter the aperture from the left as thehole 4 leaves it. The photoelectric cell 2 is shown behind the disk l, and covers the image iield. `The image of the observer is formed in the aperture of the frame 5 and the various holes or lenses 4 scan the image area in the well known manner, so that a proper image varied current is produced in the cell 2. The brushes c and e are shown onf'dead. segments ofthe commutator 6, whichn indicates that at the instant shown, no glow Alamps are illuminated. .The lens 4 is traversing the image 'iield andra line of the image is being transmitted. In the next instant, `howthe many possible.

ever, the brushes will have reached a live commutator segment and the glow lamp to the left of the frame will become illuminated as it enters the image eld of the frame 5. Then a line of the received image will be produced in the frame 5. It will thus be seen that a line of the image to be transmitted is scanned and a line of the received image is constructed in the aperture of the frame alternately. There is absolutely no possibility of interference between transmission and reception. At the center of each glow lamp 3 there is shown a line at right angles to the axis of the lamp or tube. This is intended to indicate that the lightfy of Vthe glow tube has been converged by a cylindrical lens into a sharp, bright line. This cylindrical lens has its axis placed at -right Vangles toi the axis of the glow tube` such as `3. l This is to concentrate the light of the glow lamptoa iine sharp area in order that it might moreaccurately traverse and delineate the successive elemental areas of the image' to be reproduced. #The wires r and s connectr the glow tbes'f3, whether neonV or other to the diierentcommuta'tor 'segments. The arrangement shown is only one 'of The element 3 -is really composed of a -glow tube i! with a cylindrical lens 9 acting to `concentrate its light into a sharp line of a length equal to the width of the line which is scanned in the image iield. The relation of ,the lens 9 and the tube 3 is more clearly set forth in Figures 1, l3 and 4. K

Figure 3 shows another modification vof A'the invention. C is a source of light which is properly directed :by the lens B Eto cover the image aperture in the frame 5. Its light is `transformed into a beam which scans the object o, 'such as an observer in the well known manner. y-The light is reilectednfromthe object `o into any number oiphotoelectric cells one yofl which 'is :shown 4at 2. Onlythe 4-hole '-4 -or Alens is inv the aperture of 'the frame*5,jthe `glow tubebeing out of the aperture as Ydescribedabove.v l'Thus a line of the image to 'be transmitted wil-l 'be scannedand its light reflected from the ob'jec't fo will be received by the photoelectric cell 2 and converted into 'image varied, current which iis broadcasted by the transmission station 'to which it is connected 'by the wires w and b. 'After a line has thus `been scanned, ka glow lamp 3'is lconnected by the commutator `(i and `brushes c and e tothe vreceiving apparatus in such manner that the lamp'3 receives the image Varied current V4and reproduces a line of the image in theV image eld of the frame 5. This lightis vconcentrated into a sharp A`line by the Vcylindrical flens 9 a's already described. A translucent'fscreen may be provided for the reception of the `image if desired. Wires i and d convey the receive'dcurrent to the Abrushes c and e. Thedisk l, Vupon which the glow 'tubes `and lenses or lar'iertu'res are arranged `in a spiral line is supportedand rotated by shaft l of motor 8. f y

Fgure is a detailed view of the arrangement of the glow tube 3jand its concave Vcylindrical lens 9. The axis of the lens is shown tobelp'laced at right angles to the axis of the glow tube', and it will thus act to concentrate the light of the tube into a sharp, bright line. y

This application is a continuation-'iin-pa'rt application of my applicationsf Serial Number 459,369, iiled June 3, 1930 for Televisionl system, Serial Number 455,127, filed May 23,119'30 for Television apparatus and Serial Number 50,528, nled August 15, 19251,!for yElectrooptical system. It iste be Ynoted that the disks bremer rtat- 'into electricity jin order to produce an ing elements at the two stations are not in exact synchronism, although they are in isochronism. 'I'hey are out of synchronism by an amount equal to the width of the image frame. This is due to the fact that while a lens or aperture is traversing the image frame at one station, a neon tube or other glow lamp or light source is traversing the image area oi the frame at the other station.

Instead of the arrangement illustrated in Fig- -ure 3, a modication may be adopted in which the light beam is projected through the lenses "or holes at one portion of the disk, and after being reilected from the object is received through the lenses or holes at another portion of the disk which coincides with the image frame, and

is thence received in a photoelectric cell and converted into image-varied current. This is simi-lar to the apparatus described in the U. S.

ypatentto Jenkins 1,785,262 of December 16, 1930.

It'iis desirable that the scanning disk l be made blackin color, as it will then prevent the reflectionbf the image formed of the persons or 4objectsadjacent the disk.

Obviously; any other type of scanning element may beused, whether cylinder or tape.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.3A two way television process. consisting in supplying an image modulated electric current to a plurality of light Ysources which singly traverse an image area in order to produce an 'image by theirA movement and variation in intensity in accordance with a second image; simultaneously forminga'n image rin said image area; singly and successively, but alternately relative to the passage 'of said'light sources, passing a plurality of light 'transmitting areas `across said image area to permit the passage of vlight from said image to coact with means for converting light imagemodulated4 electric current; n

2.jA two-'way television apparatus consisting oan image area, means for forming an optical image of all of the light received from external objects coextensively in said area, means including but one rotatable scanning element associated with said area and influenced by substantially all of the light of said optical image for converting the light of said optical image into 'corresponding image-'varied current and means associated with sa'id area and borne upon s'aid scanning element 'for converting substantially all .of the energy of a second image-varied current into a corresponding optical image coextensively in said area, both of said images being coextensive in said area. Y

/3. Atwo-'wa'y television apparatus consisting of an image area, means associated with said area including but one scanning element for recvtilinearly directing a rectilinear scanning light "o'i an image .'frame,me'ans for forming an'optical image'in said frame, a moving medium, a plurality of light transmitting lareas and light sources arranged alternately in a spiral on said medium, the distance between said apertures and said light sources being equal to the width of the aperture of said frame, means for actuating said light sources by means of image varied current only while traversing Said frame in order that a second image may be reproduced therein, means for converting the light oi said optical image traversing said transmitting areas into image-varied current, said elements cooperating to convert said optical image into current and to reproduce said image from image varied current line for line alternately and independently.

5. A scanning element consisting of a rotatable member, a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged alternately in a spiral on said member.

6. A scanning element consisting of a rotatable member, a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged alternately in a spiral on said member, the distance between said light sources and said light transmitting portions being equal to the width of the image produced by said element.

7. A scanning element consisting of a movable member, a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged alternately in image-exploring relationship on said member and means for successively illuminating said light sources when said member is moved.

8. A scanning element consisting of a rotatable member, a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged alternately in a spiral on said member and means for successively illuminating said light sources as said member is rotated.

9. In a two-way television system the combination of an image area, electro-optical means borne upon but one rotatable scanning element for reproducing a visible image in and coextensive with said area, said image being reproduced from substantially all of the energy of a received image-varied current, means for forming an image of substantially. all ci' the light received from adjacent objects also in and coextensive with said area, and photoelectric means innuenced by substantially all of the light of said image associated with said area for converting the light of said image into a transmissible image-varied currentin order to reproduce and transmit images coextensively in said image area.

10. In a two-way television system, the combination of an image area, electro-optical means borne upon but one rotatable scanning element for reproducing a visible image from substantially all of the energy of a received imagevaried current in and coextensive with said area, means associated with said area for projecting a scanning light beam undiminished through and in a path coextensive with said area upon adjacent objects, said light beam being reflected therefrom and photoelectric means so positioned as to receive said light after reection to convert said light into a transmissible image-varied current in order to reproduce and transmit images coextensively in said image area.

11. In a two way television system, the combination of a frame, a scanning element in cooperative relation with said frame, a plurality of alternately disposed apertures and light sources arranged in image exploring relation on said scanning element, means associated with said scanning element for supplying a received image-varied current successively to said light sources only when said sources traverse said frame, means for imparting motion to said scanning element, means for transmitting `a beam of exploring light through said apertures and said frame upon an object, said light to be re- ,v-

flected therefrom and photoelectric means so positioned as to receive said light after reection and convert said light into transmissible imagevaried current in order to reproduce and transmit images coeXtensively in said image frame.

12. A two-way scanning element coextensively cooperable with a single image area consisting of a rotatable member, a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged on said member in independent separate image eXplor-k ing lrelation with an identical image area` and means for successively illuminating said light sources as said member is rotated.

13. A two-way scanning element coextensively cooperable with a single image area'consisting of a rotatable member and a plurality of light sources and light transmitting portions arranged in independent separate image exploring relation with an identical image area on said member.

14. A scanning apparatus consisting of a light source, means for forming and directing a straight beam of light from said source and directing said beam upon objects, a movable scanning element adjacent said light source and said beam forming means, a plurality of light permeable areas arranged in image exploring relation upon said medium and transversely trav-` ersing the entire sectional area of said beam in order to cause said beam to impinge upon the successive elemental areas of said objects to be reected therefrom, a photoelectric element receiving said reflected light and converting said light into image modulated electric current, a plurality of light sources arranged in image exploring relation on said scanning element and also traversing the entire cross sectional area of said beam coextensively with said light permeable areas, said light permeable areas and said light sources being so arranged on said element as to coeXtensively scan an identical area, and means for supplying said sources with a second image modulated current in order that images may be coextensively received and transmitted.

l5. A two-way rtelevision apparatus consisting of means for producing and directing a straight beam of light through an image aperture upon objects to be reflected therefrom, means including but one rotatablerscanning element for supporting and moving a plurality of light permeable areas coextensively across said aperture and said beam in image exploring relation in order that said beam may be directed upon the successive elemental areas of said objects, means receiving the light reflected from said objects for converting said light into image-modulated current, a plurality of light sources arranged in coextensive image exploring relation of said aperture on said rotatable scanning element and means for supplying a second image `modulated current to said light sources as said sources coextensively traverse said image aperture in order that an image may be transmitted and a second image reproduced in said aperture coextensively.

16. A two-way television apparatus consisting of an image area in which an image is coextensively formed therewith, a rotatable scanning element in cooperative relation with said area, a plurality-of light permeable areas formed in said rotatable scanning element arranged in coextensive image exploring relation of said area and upon said rotatable element, a photoelectric element arranged in cooperative relation with said rotatable scanning element and said light permeable areas to be influenced by the light of said image to convert said light into an image modulated current and means also arranged in coextensive imageexploring relation of said image area and borne by said rotatable scanning element for reproducing a second image from a second image modulated current in and coextensive with said image area. Y

17. A two-Way television apparatus consisting of an area through which an exploring beam of light is projected upon objects to be reilected therefrom, means for projecting light through said area, the path of said beam being coextensive with said area, a rotatable scanning element in cooperative relation with said area, a plurality of light permeable areas arranged in coextensive image exploring relation of said area upon said rotatable scanning element in cooperative relation with said means for projecting light through said area to cause said exploring beam of light to coextensively traverse said area upon said objects to be reected therefrom, a photoelectric element so disposed as to be influenced by said reflected light and means also* arranged in coextensive image exploring relation of said image area and borne by said rotatable scanning element for reproducing a second image from a second image current in and coextensive with said image area.

ALOYSIUS J. CAWLEY.

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