Composition system

Claim 1

In a system for generating an optical image from computer derived signals comprising a computer for generating said computer-derived signals according to input data representative of desired features of said optical image, and a facsimile device including an image-reporducing surface and a scanning means for generating said optical image by a time series of linear scans at a constant rate across said surface so as to form an overall raster of scan lines on said surface in response to real-time signals instantaneously representative of the corresponding instantaneous value of the then-occurring one of the linear scans, wherein one scan across the complete width of the raster is completed before another scan is begun, the improvement comprising: A. means for receiving from said computer said computer-derived signals containing all of the information required to produce an output image as derived by processing the data fed to the computer, said required information being in coded facsimile form, and B. an interconnecting means for interconnecting the receiving means and the facsimile device to cause the linear scans to occur in response to said computer-derived signals comprises: 1. means for asynchronously receiving said computer-derived signals in the form of sequential run-length encoded blocks of data respectively representing the desired values along the length of each of said linear scans, and 2. converter means including storage means for storing the asynchronously received computer-derived signals as received in run-length encoded facsimile form and counter means for converting the thus stored signals as needed to generate synchronously said real-time facsimile signals fed to said scanning means of said facsimile device, the converter means having a first channel including a first plurality of registers and means interconnecting said registers to form a first push-down stored each of one computer word length, and having a second channel including a second plurality of registers forming a second push down store, the converter means further comprising a merge unit connected to the counter device and to a final register in the second pushdown store and connected to the facsimile device for selectively merging a color and white patterns to the facsimile device.

Claim 23

A system for generating an optical image from computer-derived signals having A. a computer for generating said computer-derived signals according to input data, in which the computer-derived signals are in the form of run-length encoded counts divided into at least two parts, at least one part representing a color count, where said color may be black, and at least another part representing a white count, A1. a buffer store in the computer, B. means for providing said input data representative of desired features of said optical image to said computer, and C. a facsimile device including an image-reproducing surface and a scanning means for generating said optical image by a time series of linear scans at a constant rate across said surface in response to real-time signals instantaneously representative of the corresponding instantaneous value of the then-occurring one of said linear scans, the improvement comprising: D. intermediate means interconnecting said computer and said facsimile device to cause the linear scans to occur in response to said computer-derived signals, said intermediate means comprising: E. means for asynchronously receiving said computer-derived signals including signals in the form of sequential run-length encoded blocks of data respectively representing the desired values along portion of length of each of said linear scans, and F. converter means for storing the asynchronously received computer-derived signals as received and for cnverting the thus stored signals as needed to generate synchronously said real-time signals fed to said scanning means of said facsimile device, the converter means having a first channel including a first plurality of registers and means interconnecting said registers to form a first push-down store each of one computer word length, and having a second channel including a second plurality of registers forming a second push down store, the converter further having a G. a counter device, the converter means further including means for feeding the output from the first push-down store to said counter device, and H. means for operating said counter device so that the signal transmitted to the facsimile received is maintained color and white for the appropriate durations as determined by the run-length encoded counts, I. the converter means further comprising a merge unit connected to the counter device and to a final register in the second push-down store and connected to the facsimile device for selectively merging a color and white patterns from the counter and from the second push-down store and feeding the merged patterns to the facsimile device, J. a first storage area and a second storage area in the buffer store, each said area being sufficiently large to hold the run-length encoded counts for one complete line scan of the facsimile device, and K. means for controlling said storage areas such that, while the converter means is extracting signals from one of said areas to create one line scan, the computer is filling the other of said areas with sufficient run-length encoded counts to cover the next line scan, L. said facsimile device being in the form of at least one rotating drum facsimile receiver, including means to support a photo-sensitive carrier on said drum and means for scanning in a linear fashion to produce scans similar duration across said carrier by a light spot modulated with the output signals from the converter means.

Claim 24

A system for generating an optical image from computer-derived signals having A. a computer for generating said computer-derived signals according to input data, in which the computer-derived signals are in the form of run-length encoded counts divided into at least two parts, at least one part representing a color count, where said color may be black, and at least another part representing a white count, A1. a buffer store in the computer, B. means for providing said input data representative of desired features of said optical image to said computer, and C. a facsimile device including an image-reproducing surface and a scanning means for generating said optical image by a time series of linear scans at a constant rate across said surface in response to real-time signals instantaneously representative of the corresponding instantaneous value of the then-occurring one of said linear scans, the improvement comprising: D. intermediate means interconnecting said computer and said facsimile device to cause the linear scans to occur in response to said computer-derived signals, said intermediate means comprising: E. means for asynchronously receiving said computer-derived signals including signals in the form of sequential run-length encoded blocks of data respectively representing the desired values along portion of length of each of said linear scans, and F. converter means for storing the asynchronously received computer-derived signals as received and for cnverting the thus stored signals as needed to generate synchronously said real-time signals fed to said scanning means of said facsimile device, the converter means having a first channel including a first plurality of registers and means interconnecting said registers to form a first push-down store each of one computer word length, and having a second channel including a second plurality of registers forming a second push down store, the converter further having a G. a counter device, the converter means further including means for feeding the output from the first push-down store to said counter device, and H. means for operating said counter device so that the signal transmitted to the facsimile received is maintained color and white for the appropriate durations as determined by the run-length encoded counts, I. the converter means further comprising a merge unit connected to the counter device and to a final register in the second push-down store and connected to the facsimile device for selectively merging a color and white patterns from the counter and from the second push-down store and feeding the merged patterns to the facsimile device, J. a first storage area and a second storage area in the buffer store, each said area being sufficiently large to hold the run-length encoded counts for one complete line scan of the facsimile device, and K. means for controlling said storage areas such that, while the converter means is extracting signals from one of said areas to create one line scan, the computer is filling the other of said areas with sufficient run-length encoded counts to cover the next line scan, L. said facsimile device being in the form of at least one rotating drum facsimile receiver, including means to support a photo-sensitive carrier on said drum and means for scanning in a linear fashion to produce scans similar duration across said carrier by a light spot modulated with the output signals from the converter means.