← Back to Patent Explorer
US4386272A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and method for generating images by producing light spots of different sizes

Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
•
Filing: 1982-06-22
•
Granted: 1983-05-31
•
Expires: 2002-06-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An electro-optical light scanning system using a modulated laser illumination source directed upon a multifaceted rotating polygonal mirror or polygon. The mirrored facets reflect the impinging light toward a moving photoreceptor and forms a raster of scan lines as the photoreceptor moves. The system incorporates sensing optics and closed loop electronics for correcting inaccuracies in the position of the reflected light resulting from defects in the angular relationship between the plane of the facets and that of the rotating axis of the polygon as well as those errors due to inherent angular misalignment between each of the facets of the rotating polygon. The invention also encompasses amplitude modulation for varying the intensity of the laser illumination in conjunction with the acousto-optical modulation for maintaining a constant level illumination and/or for varying the spot size.

Inventors

  • 👤 Frank T. Check, Jr.
  • 👤 Ronald P. Sansone

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 16:57
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G02B26/12; G02B26/127; G02B27/00; G02B27/0025; G02B27/0031; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/047; H04N1/0473; H04N1/113; H04N1/1135; H04N1/12; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/024; H04N2201/02406; H04N2201/02439; H04N2201/04; H04N2201/047; H04N2201/04701; H04N2201/0471; H04N2201/04712; H04N2201/04734; H04N2201/04744; H04N2201/04753; H04N2201/04758; H04N2201/0476; H04N2201/04765; H04N2201/04794

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 63 words
A method of producing on a photoreceptor an image of generated shapes made up of spots, comprising: directing a plurality of beams of light toward a photoreceptor, each beam of light generating a spot on the photoreceptor and controlling a parameter of the light beams to produce spots of different sizes whereby the appearance of smoothed edges are given to the generated shapes.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 63 words
A method of producing on a photoreceptor an image of generated shapes made up of spots, comprising: directing a plurality of beams of light toward a photoreceptor, each beam of light generating a spot on the photoreceptor and controlling a parameter of the light beams to produce spots of different sizes whereby the appearance of smoothed edges are given to the generated shapes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter controlled is light beam intensity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 57 words
Apparatus for producing on a photoreceptor an image of generated shapes made up of spots, comprising: means for directing a plurality of beams of light toward a photoreceptor to generating a plurality of spots on the photoreceptor and means for generating spots of different sizes whereby the appearance of smoothed edges are given to the generated shapes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 57 words
Apparatus for producing on a photoreceptor an image of generated shapes made up of spots, comprising: means for directing a plurality of beams of light toward a photoreceptor to generating a plurality of spots on the photoreceptor and means for generating spots of different sizes whereby the appearance of smoothed edges are given to the generated shapes.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 24 words
A method of character formation, comprising: producing a dot matrix representation of characters, and intermeshing different size dots to generate characters having smoothed edges.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 24 words
A method of character formation, comprising: producing a dot matrix representation of characters, and intermeshing different size dots to generate characters having smoothed edges.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
Apparatus for character formation, comprising: means for creating a dot matrix representation of characters, and means for intermeshing dots of different sizes to generate characters having smoothed edges.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
Apparatus for character formation, comprising: means for creating a dot matrix representation of characters, and means for intermeshing dots of different sizes to generate characters having smoothed edges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 50 words
Method for forming characters, the steps comprising: producing dots on a medium, controlling the location of said dots on said record medium to produce characters, supplying information of the characters to be printed to said producing means, and controlling the dot sizes so as to produce characters with smooth edges.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 50 words
Method for forming characters, the steps comprising: producing dots on a medium, controlling the location of said dots on said record medium to produce characters, supplying information of the characters to be printed to said producing means, and controlling the dot sizes so as to produce characters with smooth edges.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 56 words
Apparatus for forming characters, comprising: means for producing dots on a medium, means for controlling the location of said dots on said record medium to produce characters, means for supplying information of the characters to be printed to said producing means, and means for controlling the dot sizes so as to produce characters with smooth edges.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 56 words
Apparatus for forming characters, comprising: means for producing dots on a medium, means for controlling the location of said dots on said record medium to produce characters, means for supplying information of the characters to be printed to said producing means, and means for controlling the dot sizes so as to produce characters with smooth edges.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4214157A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-05-30 1986-11-29 1987-05-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-05-30 1990-11-29 1991-05-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-05-30 1994-11-29 1995-05-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag