Patent Document ID: 5490197
Application ID: 08128538
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. X-ray image data generating apparatus having an x-ray source which includes an anode plate, means for directing an electron beam to said plate to produce x-rays at an x-ray origin point on said plate and means for traveling said x-ray origin point in a raster scanning motion within a raster scan area on said plate in response to an x-axis sweep frequency signal and a y-axis sweep frequency signal, said apparatus further having an x-ray detector which produces a detector signal that is indicative of variations of x-ray intensity at a detection point that is spaced apart from said anode plate, means for producing a first sequence of digital data bytes which encode successive values indicative of variations in the magnitude of said x-sweep frequency signal that are to occur during the course of the raster scanning motion at said raster area, means for producing a second sequence of digital data bytes which encode successive values indicative of variations in the magnitude of said y-sweep frequency signal that are to occur during the course of said raster scanning motion at said raster area, means for producing said x-sweep frequency signal and said y-sweep frequency signal during the course of said raster scanning at said raster scan area by conversion of the values encoded by successive data bytes of said first and second sequences thereof into analog signals wherein the improvement comprises: digital data processing means for producing any of a plurality of different digital control signals for said x-ray image data generating apparatus including digitized sweep frequency control signals, and scanning control means for modifying at least one characteristic of at least one of said x-sweep frequency signal and said y-sweep frequency in response to said digitized sweep frequency control signals.