Nightvision tube module simplification
US-2025364203-A1 · Nov 27, 2025 · US
Clamped cathode power supply for image intensifier
US9230783B2 · US · B2
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-9230783-B2 |
| Application number | US-201213535629-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | B2 |
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2012 |
| Priority date | Jun 28, 2012 |
| Publication date | Jan 5, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jan 5, 2016 |
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- Title
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Abstract
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A power supply for an image intensifier, the power supply including a DC voltage source generating a photocathode voltage; a bright source protection (BSP) resistor in series with the DC voltage source; and an oscillator in parallel with the DC voltage source and the BSP resistor, the oscillator providing an AC voltage component, the AC voltage component having a fixed pulse width, the AC voltage component being coupled to the photocathode by a diode, the pulse width and shape of the AC voltage component on the photocathode being determined by the photocathode current.
First claim
Opening claim text (preview).
What is claimed is: 1. A power supply for an image intensifier, the power supply comprising: a DC voltage source generating a photocathode voltage; a bright source protection (BSP) resistor in series with the DC voltage source; and an oscillator in parallel with the DC voltage source and the BSP resistor, the oscillator providing an AC voltage component, the AC voltage component having a fixed pulse width, the AC voltage component being coupled to the photocathode by a diode, the pulse width and shape of the AC voltage component on the photocathode being determined by the photocathode current. 2. The power supply of claim 1 wherein: the anode of the diode is connected to the photocathode and the cathode of the diode is connected to the oscillator. 3. The power supply of claim 1 wherein: frequency of the AC voltage component is fixed. 4. The power supply of claim 1 wherein: amplitude of the AC voltage component is fixed. 5. The power supply of claim 1 wherein: frequency and amplitude of the AC voltage component are fixed. 6. The power supply of claim 5 wherein: frequency, amplitude and pulse width of the AC voltage component are factory configurable. 7. The power supply of claim 6 wherein: a discharge rate of the photocathode under low light situations is less than a re-charge rate supplied by the power supply and the discharge rate of the photocathode under high light conditions is greater than the re-charge rate supplied by the power supply. 8. An image intensifier comprising: a photocathode; a microchannel plate; a phosphor screen; and a power supply including: a DC voltage source generating a photocathode voltage; a bright source protection (BSP) resistor in series with the DC voltage source; and an oscillator in parallel with the DC voltage source and the BSP resistor, the oscillator providing an AC voltage component, the AC voltage component having a fixed pulse width, the AC voltage component being coupled to the photocathode by a diode, the pulse width and shape of the AC voltage component on the photocathode being determined by the photocathode current. 9. The image intensifier of claim 8 wherein: the anode of the diode is connected to the photocathode and the cathode of the diode is connected to the oscillator. 10. The image intensifier of claim 8 wherein: frequency of the AC voltage component is fixed. 11. The image intensifier of claim 8 wherein: amplitude of the AC voltage component is fixed. 12. The image intensifier of claim 8 wherein: frequency, amplitude and duty cycle of the AC voltage component are fixed. 13. The image intensifier of claim 12 wherein: frequency, amplitude, and pulse width of the AC voltage component are factory configurable.
Assignees
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Classifications
using a large number of channels, e.g. microchannel plates · CPC title
- H01J29/98Primary
Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for · CPC title
- H01J40/14Primary
Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for · CPC title
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- What does patent US9230783B2 cover?
- A power supply for an image intensifier, the power supply including a DC voltage source generating a photocathode voltage; a bright source protection (BSP) resistor in series with the DC voltage source; and an oscillator in parallel with the DC voltage source and the BSP resistor, the oscillator providing an AC voltage component, the AC voltage component having a fixed pulse width, the AC volta…
- Who is the assignee on this patent?
- Duffy Keira Alyse, Bowen James Hoge, Fletcher David Geer, and 3 more
- What technology area does this patent fall under?
- Primary CPC classification H01J29/98. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
- When was this patent published?
- Publication date Tue Jan 05 2016 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
- What related patents are in patentsdb?
- We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).