Image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones on an image

Claim 2

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones, comprising: a beam generator; a beam modulator; a recording medium sensitive to a beam; means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium, said means including optical means for controlling the amount of aberration of the beam emerging therefrom; means for deflecting the beam subjected to modulation and spot size control and for causing the beam to scan over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; a video signal generator for generating intensity signals and information signals of an image to be recorded; and means for driving said spot size control means, said means being responsive to said intensity signals to vary the diameter of the beam emerging from said spot size control means to form a beam for screen dot recording, thereby enabling the half-tones of the image to be represented by different beam diameters; wherein said optical means further includes a telescope type optical arrangement comprising at least two lens groups to control the expanse of the beam impinging on said recording medium in accordance with the intensity signals of the image to be recorded and an element disposed between said at least two lens groups for varying the length of the optical path in accordance with said intensity signals, said element being effective to impart aberration to the wave front of the beam.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said beam generator includes a laser beam oscillator.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said beam modulator includes a modulation element for the beam.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensitive recording medium includes a sensitive member capable of retaining an electrostatic latent image thereon.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said recording medium in response to the incidence of the beam thereon; and means for developing said electrostatic latent image.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said element varying the length of optical path has an element utilizing the electro-optic effect.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical means includes an electrically deformable element.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical means includes an optical element for imparting spherical aberration to the emergent beam.

Claim 10

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones comprising: a beam generator for producing a modulated beam; a recording medium sensitive to a beam; means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium, said means including optical means for controlling the amount of aberration of the beam emerging therefrom; means for deflecting the modulated beam subjected to spot size control and for causing the beam to scan over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; a video signal generator for generating intensity signals and information signals of an image to be recorded; and means for driving said spot size control means, said means being responsive to said intensity signals to vary the diameter of the beam emerging from said spot size control means to form a beam for screen dot recording, thereby enabling the half-tones of the image to be represented by different beam diameters; wherein said optical means further includes a telescope type optical arrangement comprising at least two lens groups to control the expanse of the beam impinging on said recording medium in accordance with the intensity signals of the image to be recorded and an element disposed between said at least two lens groups for varying the length of the optical path in accordance with said intensity signals, said element being effective to impart aberration to the wave front of the beam.

Claim 11

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones comprising: a beam generator for producing a modulated beam; a recording medium sensitive to a beam; means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium, said means including optical means for controlling the amount of aberration of the beam emerging therefrom; means for deflecting the modulated beam subjected to spot size control and for causing the beam to scan over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; a video signal generator for generating intensity signals and information signals of an image to be recorded; and means for driving said spot size control means, said means being responsive to said intensity signals to vary the diameter of the beam emerging from said spot size control means to form a beam for screen dot recording, thereby enabling the half-tones of the image to be represented by different beam diameters; wherein said optical means further includes a telescope type optical arrangement comprising at least two lens groups to control the expanse of the beam impinging on said recording medium in accordance with the intensity signals of the image to be recorded and an element disposed between said at least two lens groups for varying the length of the optical path in accordance with said intensity signals, said element being effective to impart aberration to the wave front of the beam.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said beam generator includes a laser beam oscillator.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said beam modulator includes a modulation element for the beam.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sensitive recording medium includes a sensitive member capable of retaining an electrostatic latent image thereon.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said recording medium in response to the incidence of the beam thereon; and means for developing said electrostatic latent image.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said element varying the length of optical path has an element utilizing the electro-optic effect.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said optical means includes an electrically deformable element.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said optical means includes an optical element for imparting spherical aberration to the emergent beam.

Claim 19

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones, comprising: a light beam generator; a light beam modulator; a recording medium sensitive to a light beam; means for imparting aberration to the wave front of the light beam to control the size of the beam spot on the recording surface of said recording medium, said aberration imparting means including an acousto-optic element; means for deflecting the beam subjected to modulation and spot size control and for causing the beam to scan over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; a video signal generator for generating intensity signals and information signals of an image to be recorded; modulation control means responsive to said information signals to control the amount of modulation in said modulator; and means for driving said aberration imparting means, said means being responsive to said intensity signals to vary the diameter of the beam emergent from said aberration imparting means, to form a beam for screen dot recording, thereby enabling the half-tones of the image to be represented by different beam diameters.

Claim 20

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones, comprising: a light beam generator; a light beam modulator; a recording medium sensitive to a light beam; means for imparting aberration to the wave front of the light beam to control the size of the beam spot on the recording surface of said recording medium, said aberration imparting means including an acousto-optic element; means for deflecting the beam subjected to modulation and spot size control and for causing the beam to scan over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; a video signal generator for generating intensity signals and information signals of an image to be recorded; modulation control means responsive to said information signals to control the amount of modulation in said modulator; and means for driving said aberration imparting means, said means being responsive to said intensity signals to vary the diameter of the beam emergent from said aberration imparting means, to form a beam for screen dot recording, thereby enabling the half-tones of the image to be represented by different beam diameters.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording by using a recording medium whose density variation characteristic curve for exposure has a narrow linear range or which is treated to provide such a characteristic, the improvement comprising: means for controlling the expanse of the beam impinging on said recording medium to form screen dots having different beam spot diameters, whereby half-tones of an image to be recorded may be recorded, such means including optical means for causing aberration of the beam in accordance with the intensity signals of the image to be recorded by disturbing the wave front of the beam; wherein said optical means for disturbing the wave front of the beam to thereby form screen dots includes a telescope type optical system comprising at least two lens groups and an optical element disposed between said lens groups for varying the length of the optical path in accordance with the intensity signals, said element being effective to cause aberration of the beam.

Claim 22

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording by using a recording medium whose density variation characteristic curve for exposure has a narrow linear range or which is treated to provide such a characteristic, the improvement comprising: means for controlling the expanse of the beam impinging on said recording medium to form screen dots having different beam spot diameters, whereby half-tones of an image to be recorded may be recorded, such means including optical means for causing aberration of the beam in accordance with the intensity signals of the image to be recorded by disturbing the wave front of the beam; wherein said optical means for disturbing the wave front of the beam to thereby form screen dots includes a telescope type optical system comprising at least two lens groups and an optical element disposed between said lens groups for varying the length of the optical path in accordance with the intensity signals, said element being effective to cause aberration of the beam.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said means for forming screen dots further includes: means for adjusting the quantity of light of the beam impinging on said recording medium.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said optical means for disturbing the wave front of said beam to thereby form screen dots includes an electro-optic effect element.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said optical means for disturbing the wave front of said beam to thereby form screen dots includes an electrically deformable element.

Claim 26

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording by using a recording medium whose density variation characteristic curve for exposure has a narrow linear range or which is treated to provide such a characteristic, the improvement comprising: an acousto-optical means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium to form screen dots having variable diameters resulting from aberration, whereby half-tones of an image to be recorded may be obtained.

Claim 27

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording by using a recording medium whose density variation characteristic curve for exposure has a narrow linear range or which is treated to provide such a characteristic, the improvement comprising: an acousto-optical means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium to form screen dots having variable diameters resulting from aberration, whereby half-tones of an image to be recorded may be obtained.

Claim 28

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones, comprising: modulated beam forming means for forming a beam modulated in accordance with an image information signal; a recording medium sensitive to the beam; means for scanning said modulated beam over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium; means for varying an intensity of the beam impinging on said recording medium; a video signal generator for generating an intensity signal and an information signal; means for driving said spot size control means, said spot size control means being responsive to said intensity signal to vary the diameter of the beam emergent from said spot size control means to form a beam for screen dot recording; and means for driving said beam intensity varying means, said beam intensity varying means being responsive to said intensity signal to vary the energy of said beam impinging on said recording medium to thereby effect simultaneous spot size control on the beam impinging on said recording medium.

Claim 29

An image recording apparatus capable of representing half-tones, comprising: modulated beam forming means for forming a beam modulated in accordance with an image information signal; a recording medium sensitive to the beam; means for scanning said modulated beam over said recording medium; an optical system for focusing the scanning beam; means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium; means for varying an intensity of the beam impinging on said recording medium; a video signal generator for generating an intensity signal and an information signal; means for driving said spot size control means, said spot size control means being responsive to said intensity signal to vary the diameter of the beam emergent from said spot size control means to form a beam for screen dot recording; and means for driving said beam intensity varying means, said beam intensity varying means being responsive to said intensity signal to vary the energy of said beam impinging on said recording medium to thereby effect simultaneous spot size control on the beam impinging on said recording medium.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said spot size controlling means includes optical means for controlling the amount of aberration in the beam emergent therefrom to thereby vary the spot size.

Claim 31

An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said optical means includes an element utilizing the electro-optic effect.

Claim 32

An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said optical means includes an element utilizing the acousto-optic effect.

Claim 33

An apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising: means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said recording medium in response to the incidence of the beam thereon; and means for developing said electrostatic latent image.

Claim 34

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording on a recording medium by using a substantially linear characteristic of density variation for exposure thereof, the improvement for recording half-tones of an image comprising: means for causing a beam to scan over the recording medium; and means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium including means for optically variating the beam diameter by aberration and means for defining an exposure time for the beam to scan over the recording medium, said means being effective to vary the exposure on the recording medium to thereby produce a density variation on the recording medium which represents half-tones of the image.

Claim 35

In an apparatus for effecting beam scanning and recording on a recording medium by using a substantially linear characteristic of density variation for exposure thereof, the improvement for recording half-tones of an image comprising: means for causing a beam to scan over the recording medium; and means for controlling the size of the beam spot impinging on said recording medium including means for optically variating the beam diameter by aberration and means for defining an exposure time for the beam to scan over the recording medium, said means being effective to vary the exposure on the recording medium to thereby produce a density variation on the recording medium which represents half-tones of the image.

Claim 36

An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said beam spot size controlling means includes optical means for controlling the amount of aberration in the beam to thereby vary the spot size.