Patent US5170261A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5170261A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printing method
Assignee: Polaroid Corp
•
Filing: 1990-11-21
•
Granted: 1992-12-08
•
Expires: 2010-11-21
Abstract
Abstract Printing apparatus and method particularly suited to provide a hardcopy of an image which is produced by medical imaging equipment or the like. The method produces an area modulation hardcopy having a large number of gray levels per area modulation cell (pixel) and a strong density sensitivity preferably by pulse width modulating two different sized printing radiation beams.
Inventors
- 👤 Ellen B. Cargill
- 👤 Fawwaz N. Habbal
- 👤 Andrew K. Juenger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:46
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/40; H04N1/405; H04N1/4055; H04N1/04; H04N1/0402
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
A printing apparatus providing output utilized in forming an image in hardcopy form as a plurality of pixels, said printing apparatus comprising: means for receiving a signal representing at least a portion of an image to be formed and, in response, for producing at least one pixel signal that represents at least one area modulation pattern for at least one of said pixels, said area modulation pattern being comprised of subpixels called pels and said at least one area modulation pattern corresponding to the density of at least a part of said at least a portion of an image to be formed; drive means responsive to said at least one pixel signal for generating at least one set of predetermined pel configuration pattern signals corresponding to said area modulation pattern of pels; and an energy source, responsive to said at least one set of predetermined pel configuration pattern signals, for generating said output which is utilized in forming said image in hardcopy form as a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels being formed as said area modulation pattern of pels and said area modulation pattern of pels being formed as a plurality of substantially adjacent columns of pels, the direction in which said columns of pels are formed being referred to as a direction of scanning; wherein pels in at least two of said plurality of columns of pels in at least one of said at least one area modulation pattern of pels are of different size as measured transverse to the direction of scanning; and wherein said predetermined pel configuration pattern signals which drive the energy source to generate said output for forming area modulation patterns of pels corresponding to densities near the maximum density of the hardcopy form comprise signals which form area modulation patterns of pels comprised of smaller sized pels of said different sized pels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
A printing apparatus providing output utilized in forming an image in hardcopy form as a plurality of pixels, said printing apparatus comprising: means for receiving a signal representing at least a portion of an image to be formed and, in response, for producing at least one pixel signal that represents at least one area modulation pattern for at least one of said pixels, said area modulation pattern being comprised of subpixels called pels and said at least one area modulation pattern corresponding to the density of at least a part of said at least a portion of an image to be formed; drive means responsive to said at least one pixel signal for generating at least one set of predetermined pel configuration pattern signals corresponding to said area modulation pattern of pels; and an energy source, responsive to said at least one set of predetermined pel configuration pattern signals, for generating said output which is utilized in forming said image in hardcopy form as a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels being formed as said area modulation pattern of pels and said area modulation pattern of pels being formed as a plurality of substantially adjacent columns of pels, the direction in which said columns of pels are formed being referred to as a direction of scanning; wherein pels in at least two of said plurality of columns of pels in at least one of said at least one area modulation pattern of pels are of different size as measured transverse to the direction of scanning; and wherein said predetermined pel configuration pattern signals which drive the energy source to generate said output for forming area modulation patterns of pels corresponding to densities near the maximum density of the hardcopy form comprise signals which form area modulation patterns of pels comprised of smaller sized pels of said different sized pels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said energy source is a source of radiation which generates at least one beam of radiation to generate said pels having one of said different sizes and at least one beam of radiation to generate said pels having another of said different sizes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The printing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said energy source of radiation is a laser source of radiation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising memory means for storing pel configuration patterns corresponding to said pel configuration pattern signals and means for varying the predetermined pel configuration patterns stored in said memory means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said output is radiation and said printing apparatus further comprises a medium which is exposed to said output wherein exposure of said medium by radiation reduces the density of the hardcopy as compared with unexposed regions thereof. by radiation reduces the density of the hardcopy as compared with unexposed regions thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two of said at least one set of predetermined pel configuration pattern signals are delayed with respect to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said energy source is further adapted for generating output wherein pels having said different size as measured transverse to the direction of scanning may be formed in the same column.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for printing an image, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining or measuring density levels of portions of the image as digital data; interpolating and/or processing the digital data to provide digital density levels which correspond to areas on a medium, each of which areas is referred to as an area modulation pixel and each of which area modulation pixels is comprised of subunits referred to as pels; mapping each of the digital density levels for an area modulation pixel into a predetermined pattern of pels; providing, in response to a predetermined pattern of pels, a drive signal to a source of laser radiation for activating said laser source to generate printing radiation, wherein the source comprises means for generating said printing radiation which forms two different sized printing radiation patterns on said medium; and exposing the medium to the printing radiation to form the predetermined pattern of pels on the medium wherein exposure of said medium to printing radiation reduces the density of the hardcopy as compared with unexposed regions thereof.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for printing an image, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining or measuring density levels of portions of the image as digital data; interpolating and/or processing the digital data to provide digital density levels which correspond to areas on a medium, each of which areas is referred to as an area modulation pixel and each of which area modulation pixels is comprised of subunits referred to as pels; mapping each of the digital density levels for an area modulation pixel into a predetermined pattern of pels; providing, in response to a predetermined pattern of pels, a drive signal to a source of laser radiation for activating said laser source to generate printing radiation, wherein the source comprises means for generating said printing radiation which forms two different sized printing radiation patterns on said medium; and exposing the medium to the printing radiation to form the predetermined pattern of pels on the medium wherein exposure of said medium to printing radiation reduces the density of the hardcopy as compared with unexposed regions thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said printing radiation is generated by pulse width modulation activating said laser source.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said predetermined pel configuration patterns corresponding to densities near the maximum density value for the hardcopy comprise pels formed by the smaller of the two different sized printing radiation patterns.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3646262A
Cited
US3465199A
Cited
US3922484A
Cited
US4084259A
Cited
US3961132A
Cited
US4051536A
Cited
US4075663A
Cited
US4080634A
Cited
US4257072A
Cited
US4281312A
Cited
US4149183A
Cited
US4196451A
Cited
US4468706A
Cited
US4402015A
Cited
US4435726A
Cited
US4561024A
Cited
US4491875A
Cited
US4486788A
Cited
US4499489A
Cited
US4447831A
Cited
US4470075A
Cited
US4553173A
Cited
US4539478A
Cited
US4433346A
Cited
US4783837A
Cited
US4586089A
Cited
US4636869A
Cited
US4651225A
Cited
US4593297A
Cited
US4698690A
Cited
US4866533A
Cited
US4647962A
Cited
US4599656A
Cited
US4625222A
Cited
US4651287A
Cited
US4811239A
Cited
US4700201A
Cited
US4814886A
Cited
US4712141A
Cited
US4727430A
Cited
US4811037A
Cited
US4780768A
Cited
US4897734A
Cited
US4841374A
Cited
US4769717A
Cited
US4782398A
Cited
US4833531A
Cited
US4768043A
Cited
US4912568A
Cited
US4860115A
Cited
US4965672A
Cited
US4894727A
Cited
US4899344A
Cited
US4905022A
Cited
US4914459A
Cited
US4973989A
Cited
US4916530A
Cited
US4918622A
Cited
US4937682A
Cited
US5105280A
Cited
US5075780A
Cited
US4891709A
Cited
US4914455A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-12-08 | 1996-06-08 | 1996-12-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-12-08 | 2000-06-08 | 2000-12-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-12-08 | 2004-06-08 | 2004-12-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |