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Abstract

One or more time delay and integration camera assemblies (A) are mounted in a housing (100) which is rotated by a motor (40, 106) relative to a vertical axis. A tachometer or encoder (44) produces signals whose frequency or voltage varies in accordance with an angular velocity of the camera assemblies about the vertical axis. A clock generator (46) converts the angular velocity signals into clocking signals for controlling movement of vertical lines of data values (20) along an array (14) of light sensitive elements to a shift register (22). In one embodiment, the clock generator includes a divider (82) which converts the angular velocity signal into a voltage, a comparator (84) which compares the first voltage with a second voltage, and a voltage controlled oscillator (88) which oscillates to generate the clocking signal. A second divider (88) defines a feedback loop between the output of the voltage controlled oscillator and the comparator for generating the second voltage. Each line of data from the array update (64) a corresponding line of a panoramic memory (66). The selectable portion (72) of the data from the panoramic memory is retrieved (70) independently of the memory updating. Scan converters (74) convert retrieved portions of the panoramic memory data into appropriate format for display on video monitor (78). In this manner, the panoramic memory is updated as the array rotates and data is independently retrieved from the panoramic memory to form panable displays.

First Claim