Patents Examined by Mark A. Reinhart
  • Patent number: 5757412
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing an optical disc which optically records desired information on an optical disc master provided with a signal generating unit for generating information which is to be recorded on the optical disc master; a light emitting unit for modulating the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the optical disc master; a head moving unit for moving relative to the optical disc master a head mounting an optical system; a position detecting unit for detecting the position of the head moving unit with respect to the optical disc master; a recording unit, and a controlling unit for reading a series of the set operating information, comparing the radial information of the optical disc master and the reading from the position detecting unit, and performing the control for irradiating the modulated light in accordance with the signal output from the signal generating unit to the optical disc master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Inagaki, Toru Aida
  • Patent number: 5757411
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of ameliorating the effects of misalignment between modulator arrays, and a system using the same. The individual arrays are positioned such that a portion of the image produced by the arrays is generated by both arrays. The contribution to the combined output made by each array varies across the overlapped region, with each array making a small contribution to the pixels in the overlapped region at one end and a large contribution to pixels in the overlapped region at the other end. Because the overlapping portions of the modulator arrays collectively form a portion of the image, any alignment error is effectively spread over the entire overlapped region and is much less noticeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: James M. Florence
  • Patent number: 5635976
    Abstract: A system for writing geometric structures on a photosensitive substrate including a modulated laser beam source, a focusing lens, a deflector for producing a scanning action between the light source and the lens, and a device for mechanically moving the surface relative to the laser beam. Compressed data for use in writing the geometric structures is read out of a memory into a data delivery circuit such that the data is formatted to have both beam power and position information. A modulator logic circuit operates to call up the data from the data delivery circuit, form a modulation drive signal based on the power information, and delay the modulation drive signal based the position data. The modulator logic circuit thus operates to vary the modulation drive signal to begin or end exposure along the scan lines with greater resolution or pixel density by at least a factor of four more than the resolution or spacing density between adjacent scan lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Micronic Laser Systems AB
    Inventors: Anders Thuren, Torjborn Sandstrom
  • Patent number: 5294945
    Abstract: A laser source unit in which a laser diode is located at a focal point of a Fresnel lens using refraction and diffraction. The laser diode emits a laser beam in accordance with a control signal generated by a driving circuit. The laser diode is driven such that defocus on an image surface caused by a rise in the temperature of the laser diode can be kept in a tolerable degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiko Omura, Akiyoshi Hamada, Satoru Ono, Hiromu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5250960
    Abstract: A method employing multiple pulses per pixel to reproduce an image. A motion detector detects movement of an image receptor relative to a row of reproduction elements. The motion detector generates multiple pulses for each movement of the image receptor corresponding to a pixel dimension. Each pulse from the motion detector enables each reproduction element for a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Frank C. Genovese
  • Patent number: 5117243
    Abstract: A scanner system includes a light source and scanning components for moving a spot of light across a surface along a scan line of predetermined length. An electronic control system is included for controlling the light beam in order to produce a plurality of pixels on the surface along the scan line. It is configured to control the position and exposure of each of the pixels in order to compensate for pixel position distortion and pixel exposure distortion caused by variations in spot velocity. Preferably, the control system produces a digital scan clock signal or other control signal that defines a pixel interval and an exposure interval for each of a plurality of desired pixel positions along the scan line according to stored pixel interval and exposure interval data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: S&R Tech Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Melvin E. Swanberg, Yee-Ming Chung, Raymond Eskenazi, Robert T. Cunningham
  • Patent number: 4928118
    Abstract: An electrophotographic-type imaging station or printer includes a focusing lens positioned between the printer light source and a photosensitive medium. As the light source projects beams of light energy forming a row in a direction towards the photosensitive medium, the lens focuses each projected beam into a rectangular beam. The speed of the photosensitive medium and the operation of the light source are coordinated so that adjacent rows of generally rectangular beams are positioned in abutting relation with each other. The plurality of focused rows projected in row-at-a-time fashion onto the surface of the photosensitive medium form an informational array pattern having a resolution in a direction parallel with the direction of medium movement which is greater than the resolution of the pattern in a direction perpendicular to the direction of medium movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: David Leksell, Zoltan K. Kun, Alan F. Mandel
  • Patent number: 4928119
    Abstract: A mount maintains a linear assembly, for example an LED printhead assembly, in operative relation to a rotary component whose location and orientation is not always precisely determinable. The mount is particularly useful when the rotary component is routinely removable from the apparatus, for example, if the rotary component is a roller about which is trained a web which must be replaced periodically and upon which the printhead assembly acts.The mount contacts the rotary component restricting movement of the printhead assembly relative to the rotary component about x and y axes generally orthogonal to the primary axis of the rotary component but permits movement of the printhead assembly with the rotary component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jimmy P. Walker, James T. Barton
  • Patent number: 4926195
    Abstract: A light beam recording system in which the beam is deflected after passage through a focusing element to scan a recording medium. An optical image surface correction system is employed between the deflector and recording medium for correction of the curvature of the field in the main scanning direction. The optical correction system includes an aspherical surface and deviation from a paraxial generating spherical surface to the aspherical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Murahashi, Hisao Fujita, Toshihiko Nakazawa, Toshihiro Takesue, Toshihiro Motoi
  • Patent number: 4926194
    Abstract: Device for controlled deflection of a light beam emanating from a fixed light source, e.g. a laser beam, namely in two dimensions, by means of an adjustable deflection mirror journalled in a holding head, particularly intended for guiding a pulsed light beam along a mandering path for the purpose of marking specific points on small components (chips) or similar, characterized in that the holding head (1) for the deflection mirror (2) is journalled in itself and that a drive (3) is provided in the holding head (1) for turning the mirror (2) vertically to the rotation axis of the holding head (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Inventor: Jakob Herrmann
  • Patent number: 4924320
    Abstract: A modular type image forming system includes a laser printer main unit and a plurality of optional units, such as both side processing unit, a large quantity paper feeding unit and a mail box unit, each of which is operatively coupled to said main unit through a commonly usable optical fiber cable through a commonly usable connector. Each unit has its own CPU and serial communications between the CPUs of different units may be carried out through the optical cables. The CPU of the main unit may determine the identity of each of the optional units connected thereto through such communications. The main unit also includes an interface circuit through which the main unit is operatively coupled to each of the optional units. The interface circuit includes a port selector which establishes a connection pattern between the main and optional units in accordance with the identity information of each of the optional units connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetake Tanaka, Shigeru Yamazaki, Koji Yamanobe, Hiroaki Kotabe, Yasushi Nakazato, Masahiko Banno
  • Patent number: 4922266
    Abstract: A laser scanning apparatus is provided with a compensating arrangement whereby deviations of a synchronous drive are compensated for by adjusting the frequency with which the laser beam is modulated. The laser beam is directed onto a rotatable spinner which causes the laser beam to scan a synchronized moving medium in a number of sequential and parallel lines, each of which is determined during a cycle of the movement of the spinner. The spinner is driven by a synchronous motor. During each cycle, a period error is measured to determine a compensating signal which is held for the next successive cycle and is used to control the frequency of a variable oscillator which determines the clocking rate at which information is employed to modulate the laser beam. According to the method of the invention, lines of information are placed on a synchronized moving medium responsive to the aforesaid laser beam during successive cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Bidco Inc.
    Inventors: Harvey Bidner, James J. Zuber
  • Patent number: 4918463
    Abstract: Printer apparatus of the kind having a housing, a print zone and a serial printing device for printing along line sectors of print media that are successively advanced into and out of the print zone includes an integral subsystem for handling discrete sheets of print media. This subsystem includes (a) transport member having a peripheral surface that is movable around an endless path past a sheet ingress zone, the print zone and a sheet egress zone; (b) a drive for moving the transport member surface around the endless path; (c) a sheet supply station formed within the housing and including a device for positioning the face of a sheet-stack adjacent the path of the transport member at a position upstream of the sheet ingress zone; and (d) engagement device for effecting periodic feeding engagements between the transport means and successive face sheets of a positioned stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Michael J. Piatt
  • Patent number: 4918465
    Abstract: A multi-color beam exposure system produces light of plural colors focused to form a multi-color focused image on the photosensitive material issued around a drum. The exposure system produces a plurality of light beams of each of the multi-colors and focuses each plurality of beams of the same color along the axial direction of the drum to thereby simultaneously scan the photosensitive material along a plurality of scanning lines. To reduce the size and weight of the drum scanner, the light sources producing the multi-color beams are placed remote from the drum and an optical fibers system transmits and focuses the multi-color beams onto the photosensitive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoyuki Morita
  • Patent number: 4918466
    Abstract: An image recording method having a first step of recording an image on a first area of a recording medium by the major scanning by a light beam scanning optical system and a first subsidiary scanning in which the recording medium is moved relative to the light beam scanning optical system in a direction intersecting the major scanning, and a second step of recording an image on a second area of the recording medium by the major scanning and a second subsidiary scanning in which the recording medium is moved relative to the light beam scanning optical system so that the first area again crosses the scanning area of the light beam scanning optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takahashi, Keiichi Kawasaki, Yuji Itoh
  • Patent number: 4916467
    Abstract: A graphic recorder includes a moveable pen carriage and drive means associated with the pen carriage for causing it to travel back and forth under computer control. A media roller defines a continuous cylindrical member supported beneath the carriage path and coupled to a computer controlled media drive system. Recording pens supported on the pen carriage are selectively lowered into recording positions in which they write upon a flexible media and against the media roller directly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: AM International Corporation
    Inventor: Robert H. Niemeyer, III
  • Patent number: 4916465
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for recording a binary information signal (FIG. 2a) on a record carrier (1) having an information layer (2) whose optical properties are modified upon heating. An information pattern corresponding to this information signal (FIG. 2a) is obtained in that the record carrier 1 is moved relative to an optical system (3) for focussing a radiation beam (4) on the information layer (2), a subsequent recording mark (5) being written on the information layer (2) in selected time intervals (.tau.) by locally heating the information layer by means of the radiation beam (4). The amount of radiation energy (E) applied in a selected time interval depends on the position of the selected time interval (.tau.) in the sequence of consecutive selected time intervals (.tau.). This provides compensation for the influence of the radiation energy (E) applied in the preceding time interval (.tau.) on the temperature at the location of the recording mark (5) to be written in the time interval (.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Hendricus F. J. J. Van Tongeren, Martin A. J. P. Farla
  • Patent number: 4912488
    Abstract: Camera apparatus including a housing within which an exposure station is provided with a film handling means provided at the exposure station for supporting and disposing a strip of film and a linear array of electric-to-light transducers disposed to direct light from the array to the strip of film as it is moved past the exposure station. Another embodiment employs two linear arrays of electric-to-light transducers which are used to expose separate areas of the film as it is moved past the exposure station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Robert S. Berglund, Earl K. Hoyne
  • Patent number: 4912487
    Abstract: A laser pattern inspection and/or writing system which writes or inspects a pattern on a target on a stage, by raster scanning the target pixels. Inspection can also be done by substage illumination with non-laser light. A database, organized into frames and strips, represents an ideal pattern as one or more polygons. Each polygon's data description is contained within a single data frame. The database is transformed into a turnpoint polygon representation, then a left and right vector representation, then an addressed pixel representation, then a bit-mapped representation of the entire target. Most of the transformations are carried out in parallel pipelines. Guardbands around polygon sides are used for error filtering during inspection. Guardbands are polygons, and frames containing only guardband information are sent down dedicated pipelines. Error filtering also is done at the time of pixel comparisons of ideal with real patterns, and subsequently during defect area consolidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vernon R. Porter, William G. Manns, Anthony B. Wood, S. Charles Baber, Thomas C. Penn
  • Patent number: 4910532
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus which is possible to change the rise on-time of a scanning beam controlled in an on-off manner by a data signal corresponding to image information to reproduce the white portion sufficiently and to obtain a high quality image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hiraguchi