Electro-optic imaging system

Claim 3

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device having an optical characteristic which varies in response to variations in an applied electric field; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for varying the electric field within said device for placing information in said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation, imposed on said readout radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 4

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device having an optical characteristic which varies in response to variations in an applied electric field; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for varying the electric field within said device for placing information in said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation, imposed on said readout radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 5

An electro-optic imaging system comprising an electro-optic device including first and second spaced blocking electrodes, a photosensitive electro-optic birefringent medium whose birefringence varies in response to variations in an applied electric field, disposed between said electrodes, said device having a plurality of addressable locations; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium at said location for placing information in said medium at each location during a period when said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation, imposed on said readout radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 6

An electro-optic imaging system comprising an electro-optic device including first and second spaced blocking electrodes, a photosensitive electro-optic birefringent medium whose birefringence varies in response to variations in an applied electric field, disposed between said electrodes, said device having a plurality of addressable locations; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium at said location for placing information in said medium at each location during a period when said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation, imposed on said readout radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 7

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device including a photosensitive electro-optic birefringent medium whose birefringence varies as a function of an applied electrical field; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium for placing information in said medium during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation imposed on said readout radiation by the electrically induced birefringence of said medium representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 8

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device including a photosensitive electro-optic birefringent medium whose birefringence varies as a function of an applied electrical field; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium for placing information in said medium during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting readout radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and means for detecting modulation imposed on said readout radiation by the electrically induced birefringence of said medium representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 9

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device including first and second spaced blocking electrodes and an electro-optic medium, disposed between said electrodes, having an optical characteristic which varies in response to variations in an applied electric field, said device having a plurality of addressable locations; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium at said addressable locations during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting read-out radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and, means for detecting modulation imposed on said read-out radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 10

An electro-optic imaging system comprising: an electro-optic device including first and second spaced blocking electrodes and an electro-optic medium, disposed between said electrodes, having an optical characteristic which varies in response to variations in an applied electric field, said device having a plurality of addressable locations; means for applying a voltage across said device and periodically reversing the polarity of that applied voltage; means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium at said addressable locations during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a first polarity; means for submitting read-out radiation to said device during a period in which said voltage applied to said device has a second polarity; and, means for detecting modulation imposed on said read-out radiation by said optical characteristic, representative of the information present in said device.

Claim 11

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 5 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a photosensitive, electro-optic medium whose birefringence varies in response to variations in an applied electric field.

Claim 12

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 6 wherein said means for applying includes a voltage source for periodically switching the polarity of the voltage applied to said electrodes.

Claim 13

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 7 wherein at least one of said blocking electrodes comprises a dielectric member in combination with a conducting electrode.

Claim 14

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 8 wherein said means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium includes an electron beam source.

Claim 15

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 9 wherein said means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium includes a phosphor layer disposed between said electron beam source and said medium.

Claim 16

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 8 wherein said means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium includes a laser.

Claim 17

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 11 wherein said means for selectively varying the electric field across said medium includes deflector means for directing the laser beam from said laser to one or more of said addressable locations.

Claim 18

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 11 wherein said means for submitting radiation includes means for supplying radiation simultaneously to a plurality of said addressable locations.

Claim 19

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 13 wherein said means for submitting readout radiation includes a source of radiation which is polarized in a first direction.

Claim 20

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 14 wherein said means for detecting includes polarizing means polarized in a second direction.

Claim 21

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 15 wherein said electrodes are transparent.

Claim 22

An electro-optic imaging system of claim 16 wherein one of said electrodes is transparent and the other is highly reflective.