Method of and apparatus for obtaining image data

Claim 1

A method of detail emphasis in an electronic image reproduction system, comprising the steps of: providing first and second light beams having first and second diameters and corresponding, respectively, to sharp and unsharp signals to be obtained; impinging said first and second beams on a beam reflecting means at an angle to each other and to an original such that the two beams reflected from said reflecting means scan the original along common scanning lines, one beam preceding the other, with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; advancing the original perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines; exposing a photosensor array having successive discrete photosensitive elements to the two beams, respectively, and in response, generate sharp and unsharp signals; storing in a memory the one of the sharp and unsharp signals preceding the other; reading the stored signal from the memory at the same time that a signal corresponding to the other one of the sharp and unsharp signals is obtained at the same point on the original; processing the sharp and unsharp signals obtained at the same point on the original to provide a detail emphasis signal; and processing said detail signal to obtain a detail emphasized reproduction image.

Claim 2

A method of detail emphasis in an electronic image reproduction system, comprising the steps of: providing first and second light beams having first and second diameters and corresponding, respectively, to sharp and unsharp signals to be obtained; impinging said first and second beams on a beam reflecting means at an angle to each other and to an original such that the two beams reflected from said reflecting means scan the original along common scanning lines, one beam preceding the other, with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; advancing the original perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines; exposing a photosensor array having successive discrete photosensitive elements to the two beams, respectively, and in response, generate sharp and unsharp signals; storing in a memory the one of the sharp and unsharp signals preceding the other; reading the stored signal from the memory at the same time that a signal corresponding to the other one of the sharp and unsharp signals is obtained at the same point on the original; processing the sharp and unsharp signals obtained at the same point on the original to provide a detail emphasis signal; and processing said detail signal to obtain a detail emphasized reproduction image.

Claim 3

A system for detail emphasis in electronic image reproduction, comprising: laser means for developing first and second coherent light beams having different diameters corresponding, respectively, to sharp and unsharp signals to be obtained; beam reflecting means; objective lens means; means for impinging said first and second beams on said reflecting means at an angle to each other and to an original such that the two beams reflected from said reflecting means scan an original through said lens along common scanning lines, one beam preceding the other, with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; means for advancing the original perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines; a photosensor array having successive discrete photosensitive elements positioned to detect, respectively, the two beams and, in response, generating sharp and unsharp signals; a memory; means for storing in said memory the one of the sharp and unsharp signals preceding the other; means for reading the stored signal from the memory at the same time that a signal corresponding to the other one of said sharp and unsharp signals is obtained at the same point on the original; means for processing the sharp and unsharp signals at the same point on the original to obtain a detail emphasis signal; and means for processing said detail emphasis signal to obtain a detail emphasized reproduction image.

Claim 4

A system for detail emphasis in electronic image reproduction, comprising: laser means for developing first and second coherent light beams having different diameters corresponding, respectively, to sharp and unsharp signals to be obtained; beam reflecting means; objective lens means; means for impinging said first and second beams on said reflecting means at an angle to each other and to an original such that the two beams reflected from said reflecting means scan an original through said lens along common scanning lines, one beam preceding the other, with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; means for advancing the original perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines; a photosensor array having successive discrete photosensitive elements positioned to detect, respectively, the two beams and, in response, generating sharp and unsharp signals; a memory; means for storing in said memory the one of the sharp and unsharp signals preceding the other; means for reading the stored signal from the memory at the same time that a signal corresponding to the other one of said sharp and unsharp signals is obtained at the same point on the original; means for processing the sharp and unsharp signals at the same point on the original to obtain a detail emphasis signal; and means for processing said detail emphasis signal to obtain a detail emphasized reproduction image.