Abstract:
A highly controllable video camera is disclosed which includes an image intensifier for collecting light reflected or emitted from an object for a short period of time and developing a luminous image of the object which is communicated to a completely exposed CCD image sensor over a second period related to the decay rate of the light emitting phosphor screen of the image intensifier, the type of photograph being taken and the desired image quality. The CCD subsequently develops the light focussed thereon into electrical signals representative of the object. The electrical signals collected within the CCD are serially read from the CCD by a readout processing control and the discrete signals are alternately switched into ODD and EVEN memory banks for storage in a pattern which will facilitate producing an interlaced video signal from the output of the memories. A playback processing control reads the signals stored in the ODD memory and communicates an appropriate series of signals for display on a video display device as the first field of an interlaced image. Upon completion of reading the ODD memory bank, read-out is switched to the EVEN memory bank, and the playback processing control reads the signals stored in the EVEN memory bank and communicates an appropriate series of signals for display on the video display device as the second field of the interlaced image, such that a standard interlaced TV signal is reproduced.