US5006704A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical scanner and method for generating and detecting a composite dot on a scanning medium
Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems Ltd
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Filing: 1989-10-05
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Granted: 1991-04-09
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Expires: 2009-10-05
Abstract
Abstract An optical scanner and method in which light beams from a plurality of sources are directed onto a medium to form a composite spot. The relative positions of the beams are detected and changed to change the diameter of the composite spot so that lines formed by such spots appear unbroken. The modulating times, intensities and number of sources of the beams can also be varied to provide a linear relation between the dither matrix and the picture element density.
Inventors
- 👤 Takeshi Mochizuki
- 👤 Shigenobu Katagiri
- 👤 Minoru Seino
- 👤 Minoru Ohshima
- 👤 Susumu Saito
- 👤 Akira Arimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:04
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/40; H04N1/40025; H04N1/40043; H04N1/405; H04N1/4055
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
An optical scanner for scanning a medium comprising: a plurality of light sources for each generating a light beam; means for deflecting said light beams and converging said beams onto said medium to form a composite circular spot; means for detecting the relative positions of said beams forming said composite circular spot on said medium and producing an output indicating said relative positions; and means for changing the diameter of said composite circular spot by changing the relative positions of said beams in response to said output from said detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
An optical scanner for scanning a medium comprising: a plurality of light sources for each generating a light beam; means for deflecting said light beams and converging said beams onto said medium to form a composite circular spot; means for detecting the relative positions of said beams forming said composite circular spot on said medium and producing an output indicating said relative positions; and means for changing the diameter of said composite circular spot by changing the relative positions of said beams in response to said output from said detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A scanner as in claim 1 further including means for modulating the light beams and means for changing the modulating times of the light beams.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of scanning a medium comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of light beams; deflecting said light beams and converging said beams onto said medium to form a composite circular spot; detecting the relative positions of said beams forming said spot on said medium and producing an output indicating said relative positions; and changing the diameter of said composite circular spot by changing the relative positions of said beams in response to said output.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of scanning a medium comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of light beams; deflecting said light beams and converging said beams onto said medium to form a composite circular spot; detecting the relative positions of said beams forming said spot on said medium and producing an output indicating said relative positions; and changing the diameter of said composite circular spot by changing the relative positions of said beams in response to said output.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 3 including the further step of changing the modulating times of the light beams.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as in claim 3 including the further step of changing the intensity of the beams.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 3 including the further step of changing the number of light sources generating said light beams which form said composite circular spot.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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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) | 1994-04-08 | 1994-10-08 | 1995-04-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-04-08 | 1998-10-08 | 1999-04-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-04-08 | 2002-10-08 | 2003-04-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |