US3881098A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Photoexposure system
Assignee: Gerber Systems Corp
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Filing: 1973-07-05
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Granted: 1975-04-29
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Expires: 1993-07-05
Abstract
Abstract A system for exposing artworks on a photosensitive surface includes a photoexposure device having a cathode ray tube energized to exhibit luminous symbols, one at a time, on its face. An associated optical system projects a real image of the luminous exhibited symbol onto a sheet of photosensitive material. Symbol generating signals supplied to the cathode ray tube are derived from a store wherein they are defined in relation to a single fixed or standard angular orientation relative to the face of the cathode ray tube. As electronic resolver modifies the symbol defining signals supplied from the symbol store to produce ''''rotated'''' symbol generating signals which are supplied to the cathode ray tube and which cause the illumination on the face of the cathode ray tube of corresponding luminous symbols at selected angular orientations corresponding to angular orientation commands supplied to the electronic resolver. The symbol store may be a memory unit associated with a computer and in which memory unit the symbol defining signals are stores as sets of digital instructions, or it may consist of a set or font of predrawn graphic symbols and an associated camera tube or similar sensor for raster scanning individually selected ones of such predrawn symbols. By a two-dimensionally movable carriage supporting the cathode ray tube, the tube is movable relative to the photosensitive surface to allow the symbols illuminated on its face to be exposed at any desired location on the photosensitive surface. To expose a line on the photosensitive surface the cathode ray tube is energized to repetitively illuminate straight line strokes on its face while the image location of such strokes is moved along the desired line to be exposed. As part of the line exposing process, a signal corresponding to the instantaneous slope or tangent of the line being exposed is derived and supplied to the resolver to cause each stroke illuminated on the face of the cathode ray tube to be so angularly oriented that its image on the photosensitive surface is perpendicular to the line being exposed.
Inventors
- 👤 Leonard G Rich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:22
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70375
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face on which luminous symbols may be generated, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit the luminous symbol generated on said face to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, means providing electrical symbol defining signals commanding the generation on said face of a luminous symbol at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, and electronic means for converting said symbol defining signals to symbol generating signals which symbol generating signals are supplied to said cathode ray tube and which cause said luminous symbol to be generated on said face at a selectively variable angular orientation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
151 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face on which luminous symbols may be generated, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit the luminous symbol generated on said face to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, means providing electrical symbol defining signals commanding the generation on said face of a luminous symbol at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, and electronic means for converting said symbol defining signals to symbol generating signals which symbol generating signals are supplied to said cathode ray tube and which cause said luminous symbol to be generated on said face at a selectively variable angular orientation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material as defined in claim 1 further characterized by means providing an angular orientation electrical signal representing the selected angular orientation at which said luminous symbol is to be generated on said face, said electronic means being responsive to said angular orientation signal and operable to convert said symbol defining signals to symbol generating signals which cause said luminous symbol to be generated on said face at the angular orientation dictated by said angular orientation electrical signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
196 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face on which luminous symbols may be generated, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet of photosensitive material, means providing electrical symbol defining signals commanding the repetitive generation on said face of a luminous substantially straight line stroke at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, means providing a tangent signal related to the slope of said line at the point therealong instantaneously encountered by said image, and means responsive to said tangent signal for converting said symbol defining signals to symbol generating signals which symbol generating signals are supplied to said cathode ray tube and which cause said repetitively generated straight line strokes to be so angularly oriented relative to said face that each such straight line stroke in said image of said face is oriented substantially perpendicular to said line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
196 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face on which luminous symbols may be generated, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet of photosensitive material, means providing electrical symbol defining signals commanding the repetitive generation on said face of a luminous substantially straight line stroke at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, means providing a tangent signal related to the slope of said line at the point therealong instantaneously encountered by said image, and means responsive to said tangent signal for converting said symbol defining signals to symbol generating signals which symbol generating signals are supplied to said cathode ray tube and which cause said repetitively generated straight line strokes to be so angularly oriented relative to said face that each such straight line stroke in said image of said face is oriented substantially perpendicular to said line.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
228 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face, means for projecting a real image of an object illuminated on said face onto said sheet of photosensitive material, means for moving said image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, a signal generator for providing a set of symbol defining signals whIch set of symbol defining signals command the excitation of said cathode ray tube in such a manner as to cause the illumination on said face of a symbol having a given angular orientation relative to said face, means providing an angular orientation signal corresponding to a desired angular orientation of said symbol on said face, and a means responsive to said set of symbol defining signals and to said angular orientation signal for converting said set of symbol defining signals into a set of symbol generating signals which set of symbol generating signals when applied to said cathode ray tube cause the illumination on said face of said symbol at said desired angular orientation relative to said face, and means for applying said set of symbol generating signals to said cathode ray tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
228 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face, means for projecting a real image of an object illuminated on said face onto said sheet of photosensitive material, means for moving said image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, a signal generator for providing a set of symbol defining signals whIch set of symbol defining signals command the excitation of said cathode ray tube in such a manner as to cause the illumination on said face of a symbol having a given angular orientation relative to said face, means providing an angular orientation signal corresponding to a desired angular orientation of said symbol on said face, and a means responsive to said set of symbol defining signals and to said angular orientation signal for converting said set of symbol defining signals into a set of symbol generating signals which set of symbol generating signals when applied to said cathode ray tube cause the illumination on said face of said symbol at said desired angular orientation relative to said face, and means for applying said set of symbol generating signals to said cathode ray tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
110 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said signal generator for providing symbol defining signals including a computer having a register means and also having a memory device storing a plurality of sets of digital instructions each of which sets of digital instructions defines a given stroke written symbol, said computer including means for extracting a selected set of said digital instructions from said memory device and for supplying said selected set of digital instructions to said register means, said digital instructions as they appear in said register means comprising said set of symbol defining signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
85 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material as defined in claim 4 further characterized by said signal generator for providing symbol defining signals including means providing a plurality of graphic symbols, and optical sensing means for raster scanning a selected one of said plurality of graphic symbols to produce a beam intensity signal used to control the intensity of the beam of said cathode ray tube which beam intensity signal is one of said set of symbol defining signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
163 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material as defined in claim 6 further characterized by said cathode ray tube having X and Y deflection input terminals, and said optical sensing means including a sensing device utilizing a sensing electron beam and also having X and Y deflection input terminals for controlling the deflection of its said beam, a raster generator producing X and Y sweep signals supplied to said X and Y deflection input terminals of said sensing device to cause said beam of said sensing device to scan in a raster fashion, and means coupling said X and Y sweep signals to said X and Y deflection input terminals of said cathode ray tube to cause the beam of said cathode ray tube to move in correspondence with the movement of said beam of said sensing device, said X and Y sweep signals together with said beam intensity signal comprising said set of symbol defining signals.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
240 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face and X and Y beam deflection terminals, means for projecting a real image of an object illuminated on said face of said cathode ray tube onto a photosensitive surface, means for moving said real image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet of photosensitive material, a stroke write signal generator for providing symbol defining X and Y signals corresponding to a stroke written symbol on said face and having a given angular orientation relative to said face, means providing an angular orientation signal corresponding to a desired angular orientation of said stroke written symbol on said face, and a resolving means responsive to said symbol defining X and Y signals and to said angular orienTation signal for converting said symbol defining X and Y signals into rotated X and Y beam deflection signals which when applied to the X and Y beam deflection terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to stroke write said symbol on said face at said desired angular orientation relative to said face, and means for applying said rotated X and Y beam deflection signals to said X and Y beam deflection terminals.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
240 words
A photoexposure system for exposing an artwork on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face and X and Y beam deflection terminals, means for projecting a real image of an object illuminated on said face of said cathode ray tube onto a photosensitive surface, means for moving said real image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet of photosensitive material, a stroke write signal generator for providing symbol defining X and Y signals corresponding to a stroke written symbol on said face and having a given angular orientation relative to said face, means providing an angular orientation signal corresponding to a desired angular orientation of said stroke written symbol on said face, and a resolving means responsive to said symbol defining X and Y signals and to said angular orienTation signal for converting said symbol defining X and Y signals into rotated X and Y beam deflection signals which when applied to the X and Y beam deflection terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to stroke write said symbol on said face at said desired angular orientation relative to said face, and means for applying said rotated X and Y beam deflection signals to said X and Y beam deflection terminals.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system defined in claim 8 further characterized by said means for generating a set of symbol defining signals comprising a computer having a memory unit in which memory unit a number of symbol defining signals defining a number of different symbols are stored as digital instructions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system defined in claim 8 further characterized by said means for generating a set of symbol defining signals comprising a font of graphic symbols, a raster scanning optical sensor for raster scanning a selected one of said graphic symbols, and a raster generator providing X and Y sweep signals for driving said optical sensor, said X and Y sweep signals and the output signal of said optical sensor constituting said symbol defining signals.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
153 words
The system defined in claim 8 further characterized by said set of symbol defining signals including a first signal having a value (x1) directly related to the X coordinate of the beam of said cathode ray tube at one given instant in generating said symbol at its standard orientation and a second signal having a value (y1) directly related to the Y coordinate of the beam of said cathode ray tube at the same instant in generating said symbol at its standard orientation, said angular orientation signal having a value ( theta ) directly related to the angle at which said symbol is to be rotated from its standard orientation, and said resolving means being an electronic means for generating two output signals (x2) and (y2), where (x2) is the function (x1 cos theta - y1 sin theta ) and where (y2) is the function (y1 cos theta + x1 sin theta ).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
258 words
A photoexposure system using a cathode ray tube as an image source, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having X and Y beam deflection input terminals, means for generating a set of time varying symbol defining signals commanding deflection of the beam of said cathode ray tube to cause said beam to trace a given luminous symbol on the face of said tube at a given angular orientation relative to said face, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said luminous symbol to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, means for generating simultaneously with the generation of said set of symbol defining signals a rotation signal representing a desired angular orientation of said given symbol relative to said face of said tube, a resolver having as inputs thereto said set of symbol defining signals and said rotation signal and operable to produce a set of X and Y symbol generating signals which set of X and Y symbol generating signals when simultaneously applied respectively to said X and Y beam deflection input terminals cause said beam to trace said given luminous symbol on said face of said cathode ray tube at the angular orientation relative thereto dictated by said rotation signal, and means for applying said set of X and Y symbol generating signals respectively to said X and Y beam deflection input terminals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
258 words
A photoexposure system using a cathode ray tube as an image source, said system comprising means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having X and Y beam deflection input terminals, means for generating a set of time varying symbol defining signals commanding deflection of the beam of said cathode ray tube to cause said beam to trace a given luminous symbol on the face of said tube at a given angular orientation relative to said face, means for moving an image of said face of said cathode ray tube in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said luminous symbol to expose any selected area of said sheet of photosensitive material, means for generating simultaneously with the generation of said set of symbol defining signals a rotation signal representing a desired angular orientation of said given symbol relative to said face of said tube, a resolver having as inputs thereto said set of symbol defining signals and said rotation signal and operable to produce a set of X and Y symbol generating signals which set of X and Y symbol generating signals when simultaneously applied respectively to said X and Y beam deflection input terminals cause said beam to trace said given luminous symbol on said face of said cathode ray tube at the angular orientation relative thereto dictated by said rotation signal, and means for applying said set of X and Y symbol generating signals respectively to said X and Y beam deflection input terminals.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
147 words
The system defined in claim 8 further characterized by said stroke write signal generator including a theta register, an X register and a Y register, said signal generator being operable to cause the appearance in said theta register of a binary word representing said desired angular orientation of said stroke written symbol on said face of said cathode ray tube and also being operable to cause the appearance respectively in said X and Y registers of time varying X and Y binary words which X and Y binary words constitute said symbol defining X and Y signals, said resolving means comprising three digital to analog converters for respectively converting the binary words appearing in said theta , X and Y registers into analog voltage signals, and a resolver for converting said analog voltage signals into two voltage signals constituting said rotated X and Y beam deflection signals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
221 words
A photoexposure device for exposing lines on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face, means providing X and Y beam deflection signals effective when applied to said X and Y deflection terminals to cause the beam of said cathode ray tube to repeatedly trace substantially straight line strokes on said face at a given angular orientation relative thereto, means for projecting a real image of the strokes illuminated on said face onto said sheet of photosensitive material, means for moving said real image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet, means providing a tangent signal representing the instantaneous slope of said line in the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material, and means responsive to said tangent signal for modifying said X and Y beam deflection signals to provide rotated X and Y beam deflection signals which when applied to said X and Y deflection terminals cause the beam of said cathode ray tube to repeatedly trace substantially straight strokes on said face at such an angular orientation relative thereto that in said projected real image said strokes are oriented substantially perpendicular to said line.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
221 words
A photoexposure device for exposing lines on a sheet of photosensitive material, said system comprising: means for supporting a sheet of photosensitive material, a cathode ray tube having a face, means providing X and Y beam deflection signals effective when applied to said X and Y deflection terminals to cause the beam of said cathode ray tube to repeatedly trace substantially straight line strokes on said face at a given angular orientation relative thereto, means for projecting a real image of the strokes illuminated on said face onto said sheet of photosensitive material, means for moving said real image in two dimensions parallel to the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material to permit said image to be moved along any desired line on said sheet, means providing a tangent signal representing the instantaneous slope of said line in the plane of said sheet of photosensitive material, and means responsive to said tangent signal for modifying said X and Y beam deflection signals to provide rotated X and Y beam deflection signals which when applied to said X and Y deflection terminals cause the beam of said cathode ray tube to repeatedly trace substantially straight strokes on said face at such an angular orientation relative thereto that in said projected real image said strokes are oriented substantially perpendicular to said line.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
293 words
A line drawing photoexposure device comprising: means for supporting a sheet of material having a photosensitive surface to be exposed, a cathode ray tube having X and Y beam deflection input terminals, means for projecting a real image of the object illuminated on the face of said cathode ray tube onto said photosensitive surface, means for moving said real image along any desired path in the plane of said photosensitive surface, means for deriving a tangent signal related to the instantaneous angular direction of said path relative to said photosensitive surface, means for generating X and Y beam deflection signals which if applied respectively to the X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to repeatedly trace as the object illuminated on its face substantially straight line strokes having a length proportional to the width of the line to be exposed on said photosensitive surface and occurring at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, and means responsive to said tangent signal for modifying said X and Y beam deflection signals to produce modified X and Y beam deflection signals which modified X and Y beam deflection signals when applied respectively to the X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to repeatedly trace as the object illuminated on its face substantially straight line strokes having a length proportional to the width of the line to be exposed on said photosensitive surface and so angularly oriented relative to said face that in the real image projected onto said photosensitive surface said strokes are oriented perpendicular to said path, and means for applying said modified X and Y beam deflection signals to said X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
293 words
A line drawing photoexposure device comprising: means for supporting a sheet of material having a photosensitive surface to be exposed, a cathode ray tube having X and Y beam deflection input terminals, means for projecting a real image of the object illuminated on the face of said cathode ray tube onto said photosensitive surface, means for moving said real image along any desired path in the plane of said photosensitive surface, means for deriving a tangent signal related to the instantaneous angular direction of said path relative to said photosensitive surface, means for generating X and Y beam deflection signals which if applied respectively to the X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to repeatedly trace as the object illuminated on its face substantially straight line strokes having a length proportional to the width of the line to be exposed on said photosensitive surface and occurring at a fixed angular orientation relative to said face, and means responsive to said tangent signal for modifying said X and Y beam deflection signals to produce modified X and Y beam deflection signals which modified X and Y beam deflection signals when applied respectively to the X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube cause its beam to repeatedly trace as the object illuminated on its face substantially straight line strokes having a length proportional to the width of the line to be exposed on said photosensitive surface and so angularly oriented relative to said face that in the real image projected onto said photosensitive surface said strokes are oriented perpendicular to said path, and means for applying said modified X and Y beam deflection signals to said X and Y input terminals of said cathode ray tube.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
45 words
A line drawing photoexposure device as defined in claim 15 further characterized by means for varying the intensity of the beam of said cathode ray tube in accordance with the speed of travel of said real image along said path relativE to said photosensitive surface.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-28 | 1978-10-28 | 1979-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-10-28 | 1983-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-28 | 1986-10-28 | 1987-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |