GB2147855A

GB2147855A - Printing electronically produced information

Info

Publication number: GB2147855A
Application number: GB08425752A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Philip Crow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-13
Filing date: 1984-10-11
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: GB8327432D0; GB8425752D0

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for generating a hard copy of a block of information derived digitally from a source such as a memory, buffer store or modem, the block of information is transferred item by item electronically from the source to an electronically drivable coating member until the block of information is present as a whole on the collating member, whereafter the block of information is transferred optically or electrostatically from the collating member to a receptor sheet, such as a plain paper sheet, so as to become visible on the sheet. As shown, an LCD display 6 is associated with a plain-paper copier 1. In another embodiment, the image produced is electrostatic which can be toned and transferred. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Digital to hard copy device This invention relates to the field of electronically processable digital information, and specifically to the reproduction in hard copy form of information derived in digital form from a source, such as a memory, buffer store, or modem, direct or down line.

Hitherto it has been necessary to transfer each item of a block of information digitally from the source to a printer which transfers the information item by item, or letter by letter, onto a hard copy, such as a sheet of paper. Printers are being continuously developed to provide faster and faster speeds of printing, but the time required to generate an entire block of information, say a page of script, on a hard copy is necessarily related to the quotient of the time which the printer requires to create each item on the hard copy, and the number of items in the block of information to be provided on the hard copy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the transfer of information from a source, such as a memory, a buffer store, or a modem, to hard copy in block form so as to eliminate the necessity to imprint each item of the block of information. It is also an object of the invention to provide means for carrying out that method.

According to the present invention a method, of generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source, comprises: (i) transferring the block of information item by item electronically from the source to an electronically drivable collating member until the block of information is present as a whole on the collating member, (ii) transferring the block of information as a whole optically or electrostatically from the collating member to a receptor sheet so as to become visible on the sheet.

With such a method, the total time required for acquisition of the block of information, e.g. from the memory or store, and its encapsulation in the form of hard copy, need be no more than the sum of the time required to download, i.e. to run digitally, the block of information onto the surface, e.g.

of a visual or a non-visual unit, and the time of "exposure" required for actuating a modifiable sheet material, or for actuating a copier.

By the term collating member there is meant a sheet-like member having a large number of isolated zones which can be caused to change their state by induced electrical charges.

The collating member may be such as to present the block of information visually, e.g. a liquid crystal display, or as a pattern of electrostatic charges (or absence of charges) on a charge plate having chargeable island sites, e.g. a digital pad.

The receptor sheet may be such as to be directly modified by the transfer of the block of information to it, e.g. by "exposure" to a visible display or to a charged area, and may be subject to a "development" stage to produce the information in a visible form on it.

The receptor sheet may alternatively be a nonmodifiable sheet, e.g. plain paper, and may receive marking material, e.g. toner, transferred to it electrostatically from the collating member, and there may be a stage of fixing of the marking material after transfer.

Advantageously the collating member forms, or is part of, the surface of a cylinder which can be rotated for successive transfer of successive blocks of information to successive receptor sheets.

Where the collating member presents the information visually, the transfer to the receptor sheet may be by touching or close proximity presentation of the sheet to the collating member, but alternatively an optical system, particularly for change of dimensions, may be included between the collating member and the receptor sheet.

The apparatus may have provision for reversal of information taken from the obverse of a liquid crystal display or of a charge plate.

Where the collating member presents the information visually, a convenient embodiment comprises in combination the collating member, and a known visual copying machine, the collating member being movable into a first position, relatively remote from the input face of the copying machine, for display and reading of the information, and a second position presented to the input face for normal operation of the copying machine.

The known copier could be, for example, of the kind in which an electrostatically chargeable drum acquires charges which attract toner, the toner being then transferred electrostatically to a plain paper sheet and fixed thereon by heat and pressure.

In a preferred arrangement, the collating member is incorporated in a first plate pivotably coupled to a second plate itself pivotably coupled to runners along which the first plate can move, thereby to permit the first and second plates to assume both an upstanding triangular formation for reading of a collated display, and a folded down formation with the first plate below the second plate for presenting the collated information to a copying machine. Conveniently, the runners are provided on or adjacent to the input face, e.g. flat top, of a copying machine. Alternatively, the collating member may slide or run on rollers, in its own plane, across the input surface of the copier.

Driving means for the collating member may include a buffer and/or a store, plus a modem for direct inputting of speech, and those items may be included as a unit in the collating member, or in a copier with which it is associated.

Provision may be made for direct character generation, such as two computer devices communicating directly, or with speech digitally translated.

Where the collating member presents the block of information as a charge pattern, it may be used to receive a toner material which is then transferred electrostatically to a sheet of plain paper and thereafter fixed by pressure and heat in known manner.

In a first simple embodiment, an LCD plate is structurally linked to a receptor unit such that the two are relatively movable between an "open" position, in which the screen is available for inspection, and a "closed" position in which the screen and a receptor sheet in the receptor unit are offered up to each other. Advantageously, the receptor unit is made as a base upon which the LCD plate can be moved, e.g. by hingeing, between the "open" and "closed" positions. The receptor unit may include means for processing a receptor sheet, where necessary, and/or for fixing the information on the sheet, and may include provision for storage of a plurality of sheets or a continuous roll, which may be used serially, and for delivery of exposed sheets to an external delivery point such as a tray.The apparatus may include means to cause offering of a new receptor sheet to the surface of the LCD plate each time the block of material on the LCD is changed, e.g. for rapid hard copying of all of the pages of a book stored in a memory. The information, when originally stored in the memory, can readily incorporate a "change page" signal positioned at the end of the block of information and providing the necessary actuation of the receptor unit after a very short exposure time.

In a second simple construction, the block of information is made to appear as a non-visual pattern of electrostatic charges on a screen having a very large number of island sites which can be fed electronically with individual charges so as to give rise to a pattern of charging corresponding to the block of information, e.g. as in a so-called digital pad. The charge discharge pattern of the screen is transferred to a receptor sheet which (a) may be directly modified, e.g. chemically, by the charge/ discharge pattern so as to cause the pattern to become visible and permanent, or (b) may receive a toner to cause the pattern to become visible, and there may be included a step of fixing the toner.

Structural linkage may be provided to act between the LCD display unit and the reproductive unit so that the display may be read visually, such as with an electronic mail reproduction on a screen beside a telephone or computer, prior to obtaining very rapid hard copies, in a stable manner, manually or automatically.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, some embodiments of apparatus adapted to operate in accordance therewith are hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation of a first embodiment of "desk-top" hard copier; Figure 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating possible method steps; Figure 4 is a perspective elevation of a third embodiment, seen in "open" or "display" condition; Figure 5 is a perspective elevation of the third embodiment, seen in a half-closed condition; Figure 6 is a perspective elevation of the third embodiment seen in a "closed" or "copying" condition; Figure 7 shows a detail of an LCD driver with buffer;store and modem;; Figure 8 illustrates a possible use of the apparatus in combination with a telephone and double terminal; Figure 9 illustrates a possible use of the apparatus in combination with a computer terminal.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus comprises an LCD unit 1 and a base receptor unit 2. These are linked structurally, as by hinges 3, or any other convenient known linkage permitting movement of the LCD unit relative to the receptor unit 2 into an "open" erect position as shown, and into a "closed" position in which the LCD unit 1 is positioned horizontally over and closely adjacent to or closed onto the base receptor unit.

The LCD has a flat screen 4 upon which a block of information may be presented visually from any suitable source, e.g. an electronic memory, coupled by a connector 5.

The base receptor unit 2 has a top plate 6 upon which a suitable modifiable copy sheet 7 may be placed so as to be exposed when the LCD unit 1 is closed down onto the base. The base receptor unit 2 may include provision for storage of a stack or roll of receptor sheets, and for presenting them serially at a position for exposure, and for ejecting them serially at 7a after exposure to a tray 8 or to a delivery device such as a stacker (not shown).

Controls such as a "start" knob 9 and a "print density" slider 10 may be provided.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown another embodiment wherein a digital pad 11 has a very large number of pixels (isolated electrostaticallychargeable point sites) 12 each of which can be fed with a chargeidischarge quantum from a source providing the block of information.

A receptor sheet 13 of electrostatically-chargeable material is presented on or very closely adjacent to the pad 11 and acquires a corresponding pattern of charged and discharged zones. Toner powder may be made present between the pad 11 and the sheet 12, or the receptor sheet 12 may be subsequently treated with toner after separation from the pad 11, and the toner subsequently fixed by a further step if necessary.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a series of steps corresponding to the arrangement of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 4 to 7, a plain paper copier 1 has on its top surface 2 a glass sheet 3 for the presentation of material to be copied. Along the sides of the top surface 2 are provided lateral runners 4. At the rear end of the top surface 2 there is provided a hinged mounting for the rear end of a lid 5 pivotable about a horizontal axis. To the front end of the lid there is hinged the upper end of an LCD plate 6. The lower end of the LCD plate 6 is arranged to run along the runners 4,4.

In the position seen in Figure 4, the assembly of lid 5 and LCD plate 6 is in erected position for ease of reading a block of information presented on the LCD plate 6. The lid 5 and the LCD plate 6 can then be folded by moving the LCD plate 6 rearwardly on its runners (see Figure 5) until flush against the underside of the lid 5. The assembly of lid 5 and LCD plate 6 can then be folded down to present the LCD plate 6 flat against the glass sheet 3 of the copier (see Figure 6) for a copying operation to be carried out by the copier 1. Hard copy sheets 7, supplied from an internal roll and parted off by an internal cutter, are delivered on a receiving pan 8.

The copier 1 has, for example, a known "D" plug 9 for connection of digital input, and a lead 10 for a power supply. The usual controls would be provided for "on/off" switching, density, number of copies, etc.

Figure 7 shows a detail of a unit 11 incorporating an LCD driver and control with buffer/store and modem, with an input line 12 and an output line 13 linked to the LCD plate 6.

Figure 8 shows a possible use of the apparatus in combination with a telephone 14, both being connected to a known double terminal 15.

Figure 9 shows a possible use of the apparat ls in combination with a computer terminal 16 to which it is coupled.

With such methods and apparatus any block of information, whether in a script form or diagrammatic, can be substantially instantaneously transferred as a whole to the receptor sheet, without the need for any printing function of each item, and thus in an extremely short space of time as compared with existing printing methods.

A liquid crystal display has a number of segments of liquid crystal, which is an organic liquid consisting of long-chain molecules which line up under the influence of an electric field to give a quasi-crystalline structure to the liquid. A change in applied field causes a change in the reflectivity of the liquid. Each segment has in it sufficient elements, each of which can be varied, to permit the building up in that segment of an item of information such as a letter or numeral, which thus becomes visible. A charge plate has a number of segments of dielectric material each containing elements which can be electrostatically charged and discharged to permit the building up of a pattern of charged or discharged elements corresponding to an item of information. In this invention the LCD, or the charge sheet, contains sufficient segments to receive an entire block of information,

Claims

1. A method, of generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source, comprising: (i) transferring the block of information item by item electronically from the source to an electronically drivable collating member until the block of information is present as a whole on the collating member, (ii) transferring the block of information as a whole optically or electrostatically from the collating member to a receptor sheet so as to become visible on the receptor sheet.

2. The method claimed in Claim 1 wherein the collating member presents the block of information visually to a plain-paper copying apparatus.

3. The method claimed in Claim 1 wherein the collating member acquires a pattern of electrostatically charged or discharged areas so as to accumulate toner material which is transferred to a plain paper sheet and thereafter fixed.

4. Apparatus, for generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source, comprising: (a) an electronically drivable collating member, (b) means for transferring a block of information item by item electronically from the source to the collating member until the block of information is present as a whole on the collating member, (c) an optically or electrostatically modifiable receptor sheet for presentation to the collating member such that the block of information may be made visible on the receptor sheet.

5. Apparatus, for generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source, comprising: (a) an electronically drivable collating member, (b) means for transferring a block of information item by item electronically from the source to the collating member until the block of information is present as a whole on the collating member, (c) optical and/or electrostatic means for transferring the block of information from the collating member to a plain paper sheet.

6. Apparatus, as claimed in either of Claims 4 and 5, wherein the collating member is a liquid crystal display.

7. Apparatus, as claimed in either of Claims 4 and 5, wherein the collating member is a charge plate.

8. Apparatus, as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the optical and/or electrostatic means for transferring the block of information from the collating member to a plain paper sheet is a plain paper copier.

9. Apparatus, as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the collating member is a liquid crystal display plate mounted in pivotable and slidable manner on a copier for presentation in a first upstanding position for reading and display, and in a second folded down position on the input face of the copier.

10. Apparatus, as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 9, incorporating a modem.

11. Apparatus, as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 10, incorporating a buffer.

12. Apparatus, as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 11, incorporating a store.

13. The method of generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source substantially as described herein.

14. Apparatus, for generating a hard copy of a block of information available digitally from a source, substantially as described herein with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.