Imaging system

Claim 2

An imaging system comprising: a. a plurality of receiving elements for receiving energy from a field of view; b. said elements being operable to provide corresponding output signals upon receipt of said energy; c. means for processing and displaying said signals as a picture of said field of view; d. said elements being oriented relative to one another and said means for processing being operable to provide for relatively high resolution at the center of said field of view and reduced resolution away from said center.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for processing and displaying include: a. a display operable to display different colors; b. circuit means for determining the time of arrival of returned energy to correspond to different colors for providing a plurality of signals indicative of range increments; and c. circuit means for providing said signals to said display.

Claim 4

An imaging system for imaging a target region, comprising: a. transmitter means for projecting energy onto said target region; b. receiver means including a plurality of receiver elements radially arranged along a carrier and being responsive to energy returned from said target region to provide corresponding output signals; c. means for rotating said radially arranged receiver elements about an axis; d. a lens system for focusing said returned energy onto said elements; e. said elements being radially non-uniformly arranged so as to receive said returned energy from resolution areas of varying spacing on said target region, and f. means for processing said output signals.

Claim 5

An imaging system for imaging a target region, comprising: a. transmitter means for projecting energy onto said target region; b. receiver means including a plurality of receiver elements radially arranged along a carrier and being responsive to energy returned from said target region to provide corresponding output signals; c. means for rotating said radially arranged receiver elements about an axis; d. a lens system for focusing said returned energy onto said elements; e. said elements being radially non-uniformly arranged so as to receive said returned energy from resolution areas of varying spacing on said target region, and f. means for processing said output signals.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein: a. said energy projected is acoustic energy.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein: a. said transmitter means includes a plurality of transmitting elements.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein: a. said transmitting elements are positioned behind a lens.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein: a. said transmitting and receiving elements are positioned behind a common lens.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein: a. said transmitter means operates in repetitive transmissions; b. for each said transmission only a portion of said target region receives said energy; c. said transmitter means being operable to cover successive portions of said target region with successive ones of said tansmissions.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein: a. adjacent touching areas of said target region receive said energy upon successive transmissions.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein: a. separated areas adjacent touching areas of said target region receive said energy upon successive transmissions to provide for an interlace operation.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein: a. said resolution areas define a circular array; b. said resolution areas in the vicinity of the center of said array being of substantially equal size; c. the remainder of said resolution areas being of relatively larger size.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein: a. said remainder of said resolution elements being of a size which increases with increasing radial distance from said center.