Abstract: An apparatus, for example, the imager of a printer is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an elongate member including an optical element. At least one bearing supports the member to allow rotation about a lengthwise axis of the member. An actuator comprises a plurality of load sharing motors to apply torque to the member at a plurality of locations, the locations being spaced apart along the length of the member.

Abstract: In an example, a method comprises: directing a sensing beam towards a reflective component of a print apparatus in a direction; detecting a reflected portion of the sensing beam at a detector comprising a two-dimensional sensing region; obtaining an indication of a location of the reflected portion of the sensing beam incident on the two-dimensional sensing region; and determining an orientation of the reflective component based on a correspondence between the location of the portion of the sensing beam on the two-dimensional sensing region and the direction of the sensing beam reflected by the component according to its orientation.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided an imaging system that comprises a housing, a rotatable polygon comprising multiple mirrored facets located in the housing, a laser to generate a laser beam to shine onto the polygon mirror and to reflect onto a target, and wherein, in use, the density of gas within the housing is such that turbulence-related optical distortion within the housing is not greater than a predetermined limit.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided an imaging system that comprises a housing, a rotatable polygon comprising multiple mirrored facets located in the housing, a laser to generate a laser beam to shine onto the polygon mirror and to reflect onto a target, and wherein, in use, the density of gas within the housing is such that turbulence-related optical distortion within the housing is not greater than a predetermined limit.

Abstract: An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes: an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams; a plurality of corresponding microlenses to receive the optical beams; and a variable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the microlenses. The microlenses and variable collimator are arranged to decouple the illumination spot size of the optical beams from the illumination spot separation of the optical beams such that the illumination spot size and the illumination spot separation at a scanning surface are independently controllable.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided an imaging system that comprises a housing, a rotatable polygon comprising multiple mirrored facets located in the housing, a laser to generate a laser beam to shine onto the polygon mirror and to reflect onto a target, and wherein, in use, the density of gas within the housing is such that turbulence-related optical distortion within the housing is not greater than a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A method determines an identification value of a rotatable element having a plurality of mirror facets. The identification value is determined based on a facet scan duration obtained of the mirror facets or based on a prismatic error of the mirror facets.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, a system and a method of optical scanning independently determine illumination spot size and spacing. The apparatus includes an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams and a plurality of microlenses to receive the optical beams. The microlenses form an intermediate image of the array at substantially unity array magnification. The apparatus further includes an adjustable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the intermediate image, a beam scanner to scan the optical beams in an in-scan direction, and a scan lens to focus the scanned optical beams. An arrangement of illumination spots forms an image of the array.

Abstract: A method determines an identification value of a rotatable element having a plurality of mirror facets. The identification value is determined based on a facet scan duration obtained of the mirror facets or based on a prismatic error of the mirror facets.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, a system and a method of optical scanning independently determine illumination spot size and spacing. The apparatus includes an array of optical emitters to provide a plurality of optical beams and a plurality of microlenses to receive the optical beams. The microlenses form an intermediate image of the array at substantially unity array magnification. The apparatus further includes an adjustable collimator to receive the plurality of optical beams from the intermediate image, a beam scanner to scan the optical beams in an in-scan direction, and a scan lens to focus the scanned optical beams. An arrangement of illumination spots forms an image of the array.

Abstract: An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.

Abstract: An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.

Abstract: A correction method for correcting unintended spatial variation in lightness across a physical image produced by a xerographic process, the method comprising producing a test image using the xerographic process, measuring a difference between actual lightness and intended lightness across at least part of the test image, and varying the light source level used subsequently in the xerographic process to correct for the measured unintended difference.

Abstract: An optical beam is selectively output towards a scanner in accordance with image data for a scan line of an image. The optical beam has a beam irradiance distribution that is elliptical in shape. The optical beam passes through an aperture stop, ordinarily creating side lobes within a focus irradiance distribution of the optical beam. The scanner scans the optical beam to form the scan line on a photosensitive surface by selectively exposing positions along the scan line in accordance with image data. The optical beam is modified before it reaches the photosensitive surface to substantially remove the side lobes that have been created within the focus irradiance distribution and/or to substantially prevent the side lobes from being created within the focus irradiance distribution of the optical beam.

Abstract: A method of determining presence of variations in interline spacing in a first image comprising a first plurality of parallel lines of pixels comprising: providing a second image comprising a second plurality of parallel lines; orienting the images so that the lines in the first and second pluralities are superimposed and angled with respect to each other to generate an interference image comprising a Moiré interference pattern; and using the Moiré interference pattern to determine presence of said variations.

Abstract: A correction method for correcting unintended spatial variation in lightness across a physical image produced by a xerographic process, the method comprising producing a test image using the xerographic process, measuring a difference between actual lightness and intended lightness across at least part of the test image, and varying the light source level used subsequently in the xerographic process to correct for the measured unintended difference.

Abstract: A method of pixelized image formation on a photosensitive surface, comprising: providing relative motion of the photosensitive surface relative to a multiplicity of light sources, such that pixels on the surface pass a plurality of said light sources; and exposing a plurality of the pixels of the surface to one or more, but fewer than the plurality, of said light sources, such that the exposure of the exposed pixels is the same.

Abstract: An imager comprising a photosensitive surface; a light source which produces at least one scanning light beam; a deflector, arranged to deflect the at least one scanning light beam onto the photosensitive surface; and a sensor which measures the orientation of the deflector. The imager also comprises a controller operative to determine a placement error of said at least one scanning beam on the photosensitive surface, responsive to the orientation measurement by the sensor: and an actuator, responsive to the displacement error, and arranged to change the direction of deflection of the at least one light beam by the deflector. The sensor is configured to measure the orientation of the deflector substantially at a null in a vibrational mode of the deflector.

Abstract: An anamorphic optical element and an adjustment mechanism for selectively rotating the optical element either around an axis substantially in a vertical direction, an axis substantially in an optical axis direction, an axis substantially in a plane formed by the vertical direction and the optical axis direction, or combination of axes thereof is used to vary a vertical separation between two or more spots.