JPS59143122A - Input/output scanner for copying equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to input/output scanning devices, and more particularly to integrated input/output scanning devices for use in electronic document processors and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Much effort and investment has been made to develop electronic document processors capable of performing a variety of document processing functions, including facsimile transmission, computer printing, and document editing and storage. One of the fundamental goals is to develop such electronic document processing capabilities.
The aim was to combine the normally used silence with the ability to copy in a mobile and economical manner. Regarding this, T, Fi
[Multl, - Purpose 0pt by sli
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,990, issued December 60, 1980, for an application entitled ical Data Processor J, co-pending with this application and assigned to the same assignee; 198
"Mult" by T. Fisli, filed August 5, 1999
i-Function Document Processes
See US Patent Application No. 290,136, entitled sor j.

As is known, electro-optic elements with multiple individually addressable electrodes can be used as multi-state light valves for electro-optic line glinting. Regarding this, please refer to the article by A. Sprague et al.
tro-Optic Modulator with engineering nclivisually Addressable
19 for the application entitled ElectrocLes j.
U.S. Patent No. 4,282,90 issued August 4, 1981
Please refer to No. 4. Also, Blectronic D
esign, Jtl1719 + 1979 + p
[Light Gates G] published on p-31-32
ive DataRecorder engineer improved
Hardcopy Re5solution j, and Machine Design, Mo1.51,
A 17 r Ju1726.1979. [Polarizing Filters Plo
t Analog Waveforms J, and Design Nevrs, February 4
, 1989 + pX).

56-57, “Data Recorder E
limitsProblem of Llnea
rl'l;7 J°C1° Indeed, significant progress has been made in the development of such light valves and their application to electro-optical line printing. For example, an application co-pending with the present application and assigned to the same assignee, '! [Electro-
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 187,911, entitled OptJc LinePrinter It is disclosed that the image is printed on a recording medium.

This disclosure is notable primarily for presenting an input date sample hold technique to minimize the power required for the light source. Furthermore, a patent application filed September 1980, co-pending with the present application and assigned to the same assignee;
W, D filed on May 17th.

“Proximity Couple” by Turner
ed Electro-Optic Deviceθe”
U.S. Patent Application No. 187.936 entitled
It is shown that the electrodes and electro-optical elements of the light valve can be physically separate elements pressed together or held rigidly together to achieve "proximity coupling." has been done. Another application co-pending with this application and assigned to the same assignee, 1980
``Integratea Electronics f'' by R.A., Sprague et al., filed September 17, 2013.
orProximity 0ouplecL Klec
US patent application Ser. No. 188,171 entitled ``tro-Optic
Making the necessary electrical connections to the numerous electrodes of a typical close-coupled multi-date light valve is relatively simple if the electrodes are formed by appropriately patterning the metallization layers of the silicon electrode drive circuit. It has been shown to be easy. Another application co-pending with this application and assigned to the same assignee is W. D. Turner et al., filed September 17, 1980.
tlalFlincoding for Fringe
Field, Re5ponsive Field
U.S. patent application Ser. It has been shown that the number of electrodes can be reduced by a factor of 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, multiple r-tote light valves of the type described above are arranged to provide an integrally constructed input/output scanning device for use in electronic document processing and the like. For this purpose, the input/output scanning device consists of a photodetector array and an individually addressable electrode array supported on a suitable substrate such as a silicon integrated circuit and a light-transparent electro-optic device. the electrode array held in close proximity to a longitudinal surface of the target element. In output scanning, a sheet of light beam is sent generally longitudinally through the electro-optic element and spatially modulated in response to data applied to the electrodes. The reading optics are adapted to convert the spatial in-phase wavefront modulation or polarization modulation of the light beam into a correspondingly modulated intensity distribution for exposing the recording medium.

In the input scan, on the other hand, the object is imaged onto the photodetector array independently of or through the electro-optical elements. The input imaging axis is selected such that no significant mixing occurs between the input image and the output scanning beam, so that little, if any, interference occurs between the input and output scanning features. There is no such thing. Additionally, if the input imaging is performed via an electro-optical element, the input imaging axis should be at the incidence of the electro-optic element to avoid undesirable distortion of the image detected by the photodetector array. Substantially perpendicular to the surface.

In the following, the invention will be explained in some detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments, but the invention is not limited to these embodiments.

On the contrary, the following description is intended to cover all modifications, changes, and equivalent arrangements falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

1 and 2, an electronic document processor 11 is shown having an integral input/output scanning device 12 (only relevant parts are shown). In the present invention, the scanning device 12 includes a light-transparent electro-optical element 13, a linear photodetector array 14 or an equivalent device, and individually addressable electrodes 15A-15.
(Arrays 14 and 15 are shown in FIG. 4). Preferably, photodetector array 14 and electrode array 15 are supported on separate substrates 16, such as VLSI silicon circuits, and held in close proximity to the longitudinal surface IT of electro-optical element 13.

For example, substrate 16 is pressed against electro-optical element 13 as shown by arrows 18 and 19;
Thereby the photodetector 7 Louis 14 and the electrode array 15
essentially abuts the surface 17.

For input scanning, the document processor 11 includes a transparent platen 21 supporting an object 22, such as an original document, which in operation is illuminated by a device (not shown) and equipped with a linear photodetector. As indicated by the arrow 23 with respect to the array 14, it is advanced in a direction perpendicular to the line, i.e. in the scanning pitch direction (i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the electro-optic elements 13), also by a device not shown. I am forced to do it. Furthermore, the object 2
Photodetectors 14A-14 (FIG. 4) represent the information content of object 22 by imaging two successive lines through electro-optical element 13 onto photodetector array 14. A further imaging lens 24 is provided for generating data samples. As shown,
The optical axis 25 of the input scanning device is connected to one of the electro-optical elements 13.
It is perpendicular to the opposing entrance surfaces 17 and 26 with paired longitudinal directions, thereby minimizing the image distortion effects of the electro-optical element 13.

In an output scanning or printing operation, a sheet-like collimated light beam 31 is directed through the electro-optical element 13 in a generally longitudinal direction. The light beam 31 is provided by a suitable light source (not shown) such as a laser;
It is expanded laterally to illuminate substantially the entire width of electro-optical element 130 (FIG. 6). The data applied to the electrodes 15A-15 causes a local variation in the refractive index of the electro-optical element 13, thereby spatially changing the in-phase wavefront or polarization state of the light beam 31, depending on the applied data. To change the shrine. Thus, the input/output scanning device 12 converts the phase modulation or polarization modulation of the light beam 31 into a correspondingly modulated intensity distribution, thereby producing an intensity modulated light beam focused onto the photosensitive recording medium 34. A reading optic 32 is provided which provides a beam 33. During operation, the recording medium 3
4 is advanced with respect to the light beam 33 in a direction perpendicular to the line, i.e. in the line pitch direction, as indicated by the arrow 35, and sets of data samples representing picture elements in successive lines of the image. are sequentially electrodes 15A to 15I
is applied to In this way, the output scanning device functions as a line printer.

Electro-optic element 13 is formed from any one of a variety of electro-optic materials that are transparent to light. the current,
The most promising electro-optical materials are LiNbO3 and Li
Although considered to be TaO3, others worth considering include BSN, KDP, KDxP, B
a2NaNb5015, and PLZT. In the illustrated embodiment, input/output scanning device 12 is operated in total internal reflection (T) mode during output scanning. Thus, the electro-optical element 13, suitably a Y-plate crystal of LiNbO3, for example, has opposing input faces 38 and output faces 39 that are optically polished; It has opposing longitudinal surfaces 17 and 26. The longitudinal surface 17 of the illustrated 1/1 crystal internally reflects the light beam 31 to provide TIR
Achieve mode operation.

More specifically, in the T-R mode of operation, the light beam 31 is at a very small angle with the longitudinal surface 17 of the electro-optical element 13 (i.e., at a critical incidence for total internal reflection). The beam is incident on the reflective surface 17 (by a device not shown) in the shape of a wedge at the center line in the longitudinal direction of the hollow electrode array 15 (FIG. 4). I am forced to do it. The light beam 31 is therefore totally internally reflected from the surface 17 and, before and after its total reflection, interacts with the peripheral electric field coupled into the electro-optical element 13 by the electrodes 15A-15. As can be easily seen, the close coupling in the illustrated embodiment directs these electric fields to the electro-optical element 1.
This is being done in order to have them infiltrate into the 3rd party. There is little, if any, interference between the input and output scanning functions of scanning device 12. The reason is that
(1) the light beam 31 does not mix with the input image; (2)
Photodetector 1 detects in-phase wavefront modulation or polarization of the input image.
This is because it does not affect the images detected by steps 4A to 14 (FIG. 4).

In this discussion, it is assumed that the in-phase wavefronts of light beam 31 are modulated by data applied to electrodes 15A-15. Therefore, 5chlieren
Using central dark-field or bright-field imaging optics,
The spatial in-phase wavefront modulation of the light beam 31 is converted into a correspondingly modulated intensity distribution, and the recording medium 3
The necessary magnification to obtain an image of the desired size on 4 is achieved. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
top) 42 and an imaging lens 43. Field lens 41 is optically aligned between output surface 39 of electro-optical element 17 and stop 42 and directs substantially all of the O-order diffraction component of modulated light beam 31 onto stop 42. Focus. However, the higher-order diffraction components of the light beam 31 are scattered around the stop 42 and are collected by the imaging lens 43, resulting in an intense light beam 33 that exposes the recording medium 34.

Of course, if before the light beam 31 is supplied to the electro-optical element 13 (not shown by the device)
If the light is polarized, the polarization state is the same as that of the electrode 15A.
It will be spatially modulated by the data applied to ~15 steps. In that case, a polarization analyzer (also shown in °C) is used to generate an intensity-modulated light beam 3
3 can be created.

In FIG. 4, photodetector array 14 and electrode array 15 are preferably comprised of 'VLSI silicon circuitry 16 components to increase simplicity and reliability. Using standard VLSI circuit manufacturing techniques,
A plurality of charge coupled device (COD) or photodiode cells 14A-14 can be aligned and formed adjacent to this circuit.

Additionally, the metallization layers of this circuit are appropriately patterned to define individually addressable electrodes 15A-15. As shown, the photodetector array 14 and the electrode array 15 are arranged in spaced apart parallel rows on the VLSI circuit 16 and are substantially electro-optical elements 1
3 (FIG. 2). Usually, electrodes 15A to 15 are each about 10
They are made to have a width of microns, and the gaps between the electrodes are also approximately the same. In this particular embodiment, photodetector cell 14A
The number of electrodes 14A to 15A is equal to the number of electrodes 15A to 15A.
5A to 15 can be individually removed. However, even when document processor 11 is used for electrostatography, almost any ratio of the number of photodetector cells to individually addressable electrodes can be used.

Additionally, ground plane electrodes (not shown) may be inserted between the individually addressable electrodes 15A-151.

Of course, other circuitry may be included as part of or connected to VLSI circuit 16. for example,
The illustrated VLSI circuit 16 includes an integrated or "onboard" parallel data processor 51 that digitizes and digitizes data samples generated from photodetector cells 14A-14. These samples are differentially encoded and applied to electrodes 15A-15, thereby causing document processor 11 (FIG. 1) to
operated in electrostatography mode. A function generator (not shown) can also be incorporated into data processor 51 to create halftone prints by superimposing an electronic masking function on the differentially encoded data. . In order to explain the various image processing functions performed by data processor 51, electrode 15A will be described below.
The data samples applied to ~15 steps will be referred to as "1-processed samples," but this name does not imply that these samples have undergone any special transformation. To further explain this embodiment, a separate serial data processor 52 receives data samples serially shifted out from photodetector cells 14A-14 and passes these data samples through processor 51. The voltage is applied to electrodes 15A to 15. Serial data processor 52 may perform the digitizing, encoding, and shielding functions of parallel data processor 51, as well as communication with remote devices (not shown). The details of data processors 51 and 52 are beyond the scope of this invention, since a wide variety of devices exist, as will be apparent to those familiar with the image processing arts. Of course, it is not easy to comprehensively list the image processing functions that the data processors 51 and 52 can perform, but they include, of course, combinations of real images and artificial images by data interpolation,
and image enhancement included.

Referring now to FIG. 5, input samples are differentially encoded line by line to provide differentially encoded data samples to t[15A-15A in response to a serial flow of data samples. A differential encoder 61 for encoding and an electrode 15 for transmitting encoded data samples.
A multiplexer 62 for ripple (ripplθ) onto the A to 15 structures is shown. Controller 63 synchronizes encoder 61 and multiplexer 62 to match the data rate of the encoder. Alternatively, a data/XI sofa (not shown) may be used to accommodate these speed variations.

Although this is a matter of definition, each differentially encoded data sample after the first sample in each line of the image is not the same as the magnitude of the previously differentially encoded sunsol. , have sizes that differ by an amount that corresponds to the size of the particular input data sample. The first differentially encoded sample in each line of the image is referenced to a predetermined potential, such as ground. Therefore, the differentially encoded data samples for a certain line of the image are at electrodes 15A-15.
When applied to the line, all pixels in that line are
It is faithfully expressed by the magnitude of the voltage drop that appears between each adjacent pair of electrodes. Preferably, the differentially encoded data samples should be binary digital data, although differentially encoded analog data could also be applied to electrodes 15A-15; Obviously, modifications are possible. For example, it is possible to tilt the electrodes 15A to 15 by a Zorag angle with respect to the optical axis;
It is also possible to focus the lens 43 towards the entrance pupil of the imaging lens 43, thereby allowing the use of non-telescopic imaging optics.

From the foregoing description, it has been demonstrated that the present invention provides a compact, reliable, integrally constructed input/output scanning device for use in electronic document processing and other applications.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of an electronic document processor having an integrally configured input/output scanning device constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. , a side view; FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the document processor of FIG. 1, with a partial view better illustrating the readout optics of the scanning device; and FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the document processor of FIG. A schematic block diagram of a detector array and electrode array and a representative image processor, FIG.
5 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus for applying differentially encoded input data samples to the electrodes of the input/output scanning device of FIG. 4; FIG. 12... Input/output scanning device, 13... Electro-optical element, 14... Linear photodetector array, 14A-14... Photodetector, 15... Electrode array, 15A- 15...Electrode, 16...Substrate, 1
7... Longitudinal surface of the electro-optical element, 22... Object to be copied, 24... Image forming lens, 31... Collimated light beam, 32... Readout optical device, 33. ...Intensity modulated light beam, 34...Photosensitive recording medium, 51...Parallel data processor. Agent Akira Asamura 4 people FIG, 2 FIG, J

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An integrally constructed device for generating a first group of data samples representing the information content of an object to be copied and for exposing a photosensitive recording medium in accordance with a second group of data samples representing picture elements of an image. an input/output scanning device comprising: an electro-optical element transparent to light; an array of photodetectors; adjacent a longitudinal surface of the electro-optic element;
an array of individually addressable electrodes spaced apart laterally of the optical element; a substrate supporting the photodetector array and the electrode array; and collimated with respect to the lateral direction of the electro-optical element. a device for directing a beam of light generally longitudinally through the electro-optical element;
forming an image of the coated image on the photodetector array without appreciable mixing with the light beam, such that the photodetector array represents the information content of the coated image; an apparatus for applying the second group of data samples to the electrodes to spatially modulate the light beam in accordance with the picture elements; and a device for focusing a beam onto the recording medium to expose the recording medium in accordance with the image.