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US4647182A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for production of color images

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-04-03
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Granted: 1987-03-03
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Expires: 2005-04-03
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Abstract

Abstract Apparatus and method for transferring a color image from an original document to a film or to an output paper. The apparatus involves the formation of the component monochromatic images containing selected color component information in a monochromatic toner particle image configuration. The separate images of the toner configurations are exposed onto a photosensitive film to reconstruct the original document. The component images can be formed on a clear material or, preferably, on a transparent colored material, the colored material serving to eliminate the need for a filter for each of the color component exposures needed to reconstruct the original image. In a second embodiment, the component images can be formed on transparent regions of electrostatic photoconducting drum. A suitable light source placed in the middle of the drum, can expose a film on a platten near the surface. Again the transparent photoconducting material of the drum can have a color in each of a plurality of predetermined sections to eliminate the need for filters during reconstruction of an image from component monochromatic images.

Inventors

  • 👤 Michael L. Pierce

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 08:36
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/32

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 230 words
Apparatus for producing a color image, comprising: a transparent material capable of storage of an image formed by an electrostatic process; an electrostatic machine for applying a plurality of electrostatic images to said transparent material; photo-sensitive material responsive to a light source, said photo-sensitive material is proximately adjacent to said transparent material having electrostatic images formed thereon; and apparatus for exposing said photo-sensitive material to said plurality of images, each of said plurality of images is superimposed on said photo-sensitive materials by radiation of an appropriate spectral profile, said photo-sensitive material is a micro-encapsulated photo-sensitive material, said color image apparatus further including an output material and a transfer device for transferring an image from said photo-sensitive material activated by said superimposed images to said output material, said transparent material is comprised of a plurality of colored sections, said colored sections acting as filters that allow a preselected bandwidth or radiation to pass through while blocking other preselected bandwidths from passing to facilitate the utilization of a single radiation source to produce a plurality of color images, said electrostatic machine includes said transparent material as part of a rotatable drum, said plurality of electrostatic images being formed on said drum without being thermally fixed to said transparent material, said micro-encapsulated photo-sensitive material can be activated by radiation with a spectral content different from the spectral content of a said color image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 230 words
Apparatus for producing a color image, comprising: a transparent material capable of storage of an image formed by an electrostatic process; an electrostatic machine for applying a plurality of electrostatic images to said transparent material; photo-sensitive material responsive to a light source, said photo-sensitive material is proximately adjacent to said transparent material having electrostatic images formed thereon; and apparatus for exposing said photo-sensitive material to said plurality of images, each of said plurality of images is superimposed on said photo-sensitive materials by radiation of an appropriate spectral profile, said photo-sensitive material is a micro-encapsulated photo-sensitive material, said color image apparatus further including an output material and a transfer device for transferring an image from said photo-sensitive material activated by said superimposed images to said output material, said transparent material is comprised of a plurality of colored sections, said colored sections acting as filters that allow a preselected bandwidth or radiation to pass through while blocking other preselected bandwidths from passing to facilitate the utilization of a single radiation source to produce a plurality of color images, said electrostatic machine includes said transparent material as part of a rotatable drum, said plurality of electrostatic images being formed on said drum without being thermally fixed to said transparent material, said micro-encapsulated photo-sensitive material can be activated by radiation with a spectral content different from the spectral content of a said color image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The color image producing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said photo-sensitive material is developed to provide a final image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 132 words
Apparatus for forming a color image, comprising: electrostatic image means for providing at least one image formed by electrostatic techniques, said at least one image having a pre-selected spectral relationship to said color image; photosensitive means; and exposure for exposing said at least one image on said photosensitive means, said exposed area of said photosensitive means having a pre-established spatial position on said at least one image being exposed on said photo-sensitive means by radiation having spectral characteristics to be determined by said pre-selected spectral relationship, said photo-sensitive means includes a medium having micro-encapsulated color regions, said apparatus further including means for transferring an image from said photo-sensitive means to said output medium, said micro-encapsulated color regions are activated by a radiation spectrum different from a color spectrum of said color image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 132 words
Apparatus for forming a color image, comprising: electrostatic image means for providing at least one image formed by electrostatic techniques, said at least one image having a pre-selected spectral relationship to said color image; photosensitive means; and exposure for exposing said at least one image on said photosensitive means, said exposed area of said photosensitive means having a pre-established spatial position on said at least one image being exposed on said photo-sensitive means by radiation having spectral characteristics to be determined by said pre-selected spectral relationship, said photo-sensitive means includes a medium having micro-encapsulated color regions, said apparatus further including means for transferring an image from said photo-sensitive means to said output medium, said micro-encapsulated color regions are activated by a radiation spectrum different from a color spectrum of said color image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said predetermined spectral characteristic is provided by a medium upon which said at least one electrostatially formed image is placed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 51 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said image formed by electrostatic technique is formed on a transparent region of a drum associated with said electrostatic image means, said exposure means including a radiation source on the interior of said drum, said photo-sensitive means having a predetermined spatial relationship with said drum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 48 words
The color image of claim 3 wherein said at least one image is comprised of a plurality of images, each of said plurality of images have a pre-selected spectral characteristics relative to said color image, and wherein said exposed plurality of images are superimposed on said photo-sensitive means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 43 words
The color image apparatus of claim 6 wherein said electrostatically formed images are fused on an intermediate transparent medium, each of said electrostatically formed images being stored on a region of said transparent intermediate medium having color determined by said pre-selected spectral relationship.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
The color image apparatus of claim 3 wherein said image formed by said electrostatic image means results from scanning a charged photoconductor by a laser beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 37 words
The color image apparatus of claim 3 wherein said color image in a reproduction of an original color image, said at least one image containing information pertaining to a preselected spectral profile of said original color image.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 131 words
A method of producing a color image, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of images by an electrostatic imaging process, each of said plurality of images including information related to a predetermined spectral characteristics of said color image; exposing said plurality of electrostatically formed images onto a photo-sensitive medium, wherein said plurality of exposures are superimposed, radiation performing said exposing step has a pre-established spectral characteristic; and developing said superimposed plurality of images in said photo-sensitive medium, said photosensitive medium is a micro-encapsulated material and said developing step includes transfer of an image from said micro-encapsulated material to an output material, said method of producing a color image further including the step of activating said micro-encapsulated material by a radiation spectrum different from the radiation spectrum of said color image.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 131 words
A method of producing a color image, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of images by an electrostatic imaging process, each of said plurality of images including information related to a predetermined spectral characteristics of said color image; exposing said plurality of electrostatically formed images onto a photo-sensitive medium, wherein said plurality of exposures are superimposed, radiation performing said exposing step has a pre-established spectral characteristic; and developing said superimposed plurality of images in said photo-sensitive medium, said photosensitive medium is a micro-encapsulated material and said developing step includes transfer of an image from said micro-encapsulated material to an output material, said method of producing a color image further including the step of activating said micro-encapsulated material by a radiation spectrum different from the radiation spectrum of said color image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method of producing a color image of claim 10 wherein said forming step includes the step of forming each electrostatic image on a medium having a selected color, wherein said selected color is determined by said pre-established spectral transmission characteristics.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 39 words
The method of producing a color image of claim 10 wherein said forming step includes the step of forming each of said plurality of images on the transparent surface of a drum in the apparatus forming said electrostatic image.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3838919A Cited
US3832170A Cited
US3854942A Cited
US3833293A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-03-02 1990-09-01 1991-03-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-03-02 1994-09-01 1995-03-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-03-02 1998-09-01 1999-03-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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