Beam motion compensation in optical image transfer systems having moving parts

Claim 2

In an optical system in which a beam of intense light modulated by segments of a discretely segmented image is transferred intermittently to a sensitive surface, the improvement comprising: first means adapted to operate in coordination with the modulation of said light beam to movably position said beam of light relative to said surFace in long increments of displacement, whereby said image is segmentally reproduced at said surface with said segments correctly positioned relative to each other, said first means having inertia; and second means cooperative with said first means for producing short counterdisplacements of said beam relative to said first means, said short counterdisplacements operating to curtail relative motion between the beam and said surface during intervals of image segment exposure, whereby images of improved quality are formed at said surface with a predetermined light source and predetermined segment exposure timing period.

Claim 3

In an optical system for utilizing a mechanically swept laser beam to reproduce an image upon a sensitive surface, by projecting said image in a series of discrete image segments coordinated with the mechanical sweeping of the beam, the improved combination of: shutter means for intermittently exposing said receiving device to said beam in coordination with the sweep displacement to form faithfully positioned reproductions of said discrete image segments upon said surface; means for producing short counterdeflections of said beam proportionate to short segments of the sweep deflection during exposures of respective said image segments by said shutter means; and means for coordinating the duration and timing of operations of the shutter means and short counterdeflection producing means with said sweep deflections in order to provide segmental motion-cancelling effects improving the quality of said reproduced image obtained from a laser beam source of predetermined power rating operating with a segment shutter period of predetermined duration.

Claim 4

In an optical system for utilizing a mechanically swept laser beam to reproduce an image upon a sensitive surface, by projecting said image in a series of discrete image segments coordinated with the mechanical sweeping of the beam, the improved combination of: shutter means for intermittently exposing said receiving device to said beam in coordination with the sweep displacement to form faithfully positioned reproductions of said discrete image segments upon said surface; means for producing short counterdeflections of said beam proportionate to short segments of the sweep deflection during exposures of respective said image segments by said shutter means; and means for coordinating the duration and timing of operations of the shutter means and short counterdeflection producing means with said sweep deflections in order to provide segmental motion-cancelling effects improving the quality of said reproduced image obtained from a laser beam source of predetermined power rating operating with a segment shutter period of predetermined duration.

Claim 5

In a high-speed nonimpact printing system, involving intermittent exposure of a surface of a sensitive photographic medium for brief periods of time to a highly intense and concentrated beam of laser light, each exposure forming a developable impression in said medium of a segment of an image which is to be reproduced in entirety upon said medium, the improvement comprising: means adapted to be operated with inertia in coordination with a group of said image segment exposures for producing relative motion between said beam and said medium in long increments of displacement, each long increment effectively serving to expose said medium to the corresponding group of segments in the order of their positions in the original image; and means adapted to be operated essentially without inertia in coordination with said last-mentioned means for producing short increments of counterdisplacement of said beam relative to said first means proportionate in peak amplitude to durations of respective said image segment exposures and essentially coinciding with said segment exposures, whereby relative motion between said beam and said medium is curtailed during said exposures.

Claim 6

In a high-speed nonimpact printing system, involving intermittent exposure of a surface of a sensitive photographic medium for brief periods of time to a highly intense and concentrated beam of laser light, each exposure forming a developable impression in said medium of a segment of an image which is to be reproduced in entirety upon said medium, the improvement comprising: means adapted to be operated with inertia in coordination with a group of said image segment exposures for producing relative motion between said beam and said medium in long increments of displacement, each long increment effectively serving to expose said medium to the corresponding group of segments in the order of their positions in the original image; and means adapted to be operated essentially without inertia in coordination with said last-mentioned means for producing short increments of counterdisplacement of said beam relative to said first means proportionate in peak amplitude to durations of respective said image segment exposures and essentially coinciding with said segment exposures, whereby relative motion between said beam and said medium is curtailed during said exposures.

Claim 7

The improved nonimpact printing system of claim 3 wherein: said means adapted to be operated with inertia is a multifaceted mirror rotating at high speed and reflecting said beam to said medium, said rotating motion of said mirror producing said long increments of displacement of said beam.

Claim 8

The improved nonimpact printing system of claim 3 wherein: said means adapted to be operated without inertia includes: a variable refractive device subject to electrical control which is positioned to intercept and refract said beam and which is adapted to provide as output a refractive counterdisplacement of the beam varying as a linear function of a controlling electrical signal input; and means coupled to said means adapted to be operated with inertia for developing a varying control signal input for said refractive device, said signal having amplitude peaks proportional to the time durations of image segment exposure intervals and having periods of effectiveness coordinated with said segment exposures.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5 wherein: said control voltage is varied linearly in an essentially saWtooth pattern.

Claim 10

The system of claim 5 wherein: said control voltage is varied in a sinusoidal pattern.

Claim 11

The system of claim 6 including: shutter means operated by electrical enabling impulses to control the durations of individual said image segment exposures; and means supplying said enabling impulses to said shutter means, said supplying means developing said impulses in coordination with said control voltage developing means, said enabling impulses having durations proportional to said amplitude peaks of said controlling voltage.

Claim 12

In apparatus for constructing printed circuit devices by slow mechanical deflection of an intense image modulated laser beam relative to a surface of material coated with a layer of a photoresist preparation the improvement comprising: means coordinated with the said slow deflection for producing short counterdeflections of said beam electro-optically in order to nullify aspects of beam motion relative to said surface which would tend otherwise to distort the reproduced image; and shutter means operated in coordination with said short counterdeflection-producing means for controlling intermittent exposure of said medium to said deflecting beam, said shutter means providing exposure intervals proportional in duration to the counterdisplacement excursions of said beam.

Claim 13

In apparatus for constructing printed circuit devices by slow mechanical deflection of an intense image modulated laser beam relative to a surface of material coated with a layer of a photoresist preparation the improvement comprising: means coordinated with the said slow deflection for producing short counterdeflections of said beam electro-optically in order to nullify aspects of beam motion relative to said surface which would tend otherwise to distort the reproduced image; and shutter means operated in coordination with said short counterdeflection-producing means for controlling intermittent exposure of said medium to said deflecting beam, said shutter means providing exposure intervals proportional in duration to the counterdisplacement excursions of said beam.

Claim 14

In optical display apparatus employing mechanical deflection of an image segment modulated light beam to faithfully reproduce segmented images on a viewing screen the improvement comprising: an electro-optic device having variable refractive index interposed between the light beam and said screen; means coordinated with said mechanical deflection for developing a control voltage for said device, said voltage having an amplitude varying linearly in proportion to the instantaneous phase of exposure of the image segment currently being reproduced; means for applying said control voltage to said device to produce short counterdeflections of said beam substantially nullifying any motion of said beam relative to said screen during each image segment exposure; shutter means operated electrically for controlling the durations of said image segment exposures; and means coordinated with said control voltage producing means for developing and applying electrical control pulses to said shutter means, said pulses having durations proportional to respective peak amplitudes of said cell control voltage.

Claim 15

In optical display apparatus employing mechanical deflection of an image segment modulated light beam to faithfully reproduce segmented images on a viewing screen the improvement comprising: an electro-optic device having variable refractive index interposed between the light beam and said screen; means coordinated with said mechanical deflection for developing a control voltage for said device, said voltage having an amplitude varying linearly in proportion to the instantaneous phase of exposure of the image segment currently being reproduced; means for applying said control voltage to said device to produce short counterdeflections of said beam substantially nullifying any motion of said beam relative to said screen during each image segment exposure; shutter means operated electrically for controlling the durations of said image segment exposures; and means coordinated with said control voltage producing means for developing and applying electrical control pulses to said shutter means, said pulses having durations proportional to respective peak amplitudes of said cell control voltage.

Claim 16

In optical readout apparatus including a continuously moving medium containing a plurality of discrete closely spaced hologram records, a beam of light modulated by the moving records on said medium and a detector for sensing the modulated light, the improvement comprising: a source of electrical signals coordinated with discrete record intervals of movement of said medium; a stationary electro-optic device positioned to intercept the light beam before it reaches said medium and responsive to said signals to deflect said beam through small compensational increments of deflection in said record intervals of movement in order to maintain the relative positions of said beam and individual said hologram records during the sensing of each record.

Claim 17

In optical readout apparatus including a continuously moving medium containing a plurality of discrete closely spaced hologram records, a beam of light modulated by the moving records on said medium and a detector for sensing the modulated light, the improvement comprising: a source of electrical signals coordinated with discrete record intervals of movement of said medium; a stationary electro-optic device positioned to intercept the light beam before it reaches said medium and responsive to said signals to deflect said beam through small compensational increments of deflection in said record intervals of movement in order to maintain the relative positions of said beam and individual said hologram records during the sensing of each record.

Claim 18

The improved readout apparatus of claim 11 wherein said device is a prism made of KDP crystal with electrodes affixed to its surface and said means is adapted to apply varying voltages to said electrodes.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said voltages vary in a sawtooth pattern.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said voltages vary in a sinusoidal pattern.

Claim 21

In an optical system containing a projected beam of light and a relatively moving part controlling projection of the light beam the improvement comprising: a static electro-optic refraction element containing no moving parts; electrodes connected to said element for controlling a refraction property thereof by electrical signals; means directing saiD light beam to pass through said element subject to refraction in accordance with said controlled refraction property; means coupled to said light beam controlling moving part for producing discrete electrical compensation control signals coordinated with discrete increments of motion of said parts; means for applying said control signals to said electrodes to nullify a distortional effect associated with the motion of said moving part relative to said light beam.

Claim 22

In an optical system containing a projected beam of light and a relatively moving part controlling projection of the light beam the improvement comprising: a static electro-optic refraction element containing no moving parts; electrodes connected to said element for controlling a refraction property thereof by electrical signals; means directing saiD light beam to pass through said element subject to refraction in accordance with said controlled refraction property; means coupled to said light beam controlling moving part for producing discrete electrical compensation control signals coordinated with discrete increments of motion of said parts; means for applying said control signals to said electrodes to nullify a distortional effect associated with the motion of said moving part relative to said light beam.