US 10,462,323 B1 · Non mechanical optical beam steering mechanism for laser printers

Abstract

A laser printing system includes a laser configured to produce a beam of light modulated according to image data input to the laser printing system, a photoreceptor drum including a photoconductive layer disposed along an outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum, and a non-mechanical beam steerer configured for receiving the modulated light beam from the laser and steering the light beam in a scanning motion back and forth across the photoconductive layer of the photoreceptor drum. The laser printing system also includes a printer controller configured to structure the image data input to the laser printing system, and control an amount of electrical current flowing through portions of the non-mechanical beam steerer to change an effective index of refraction of the non-mechanical beam steerer and steer the modulated light beam in the scanning motion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of laser printing, comprising:

receiving image data from a computing device at a laser printer controller;
activating a laser using the printer controller in accordance with the received image data to produce a modulated laser light beam;
receiving the laser light beam into an array of waveguide cores of an optical waveguide having a controllable index of refraction, wherein an insulating layer is provided adjacent the array of waveguide cores with one or more openings through the insulating layer configured to expose different amounts of different waveguide cores of the array of waveguide cores to portions of a liquid crystal cladding layer;
controlling a voltage applied to the liquid crystal cladding layer to separately tune all of the waveguide cores and produce a different phase shifting effect for each different waveguide core by selectively changing an effective index of refraction of the liquid crystal cladding layer, thereby causing the laser light beam to exit the waveguide in a scanning motion;
and
directing the scanning laser light beam across a photoconductive layer on a rotating photoreceptor drum in a direction parallel to a central axis of the drum.

3 more elements

A method of operating a laser printer, comprising:

receiving a modulated laser light beam from a laser diode into an array of waveguide cores of an optical waveguide having a controllable index of refraction, wherein an insulating layer is provided adjacent the array of waveguide cores with one or more openings through the insulating layer configured to expose different amounts of different waveguide cores of the array of waveguide cores to portions of a liquid crystal cladding layer;
controlling a voltage applied to the liquid crystal cladding layer, using a printer controller, to separately tune all of the waveguide cores and produce a different phase shifting effect for each different waveguide core by selectively changing an effective index of refraction of the array of waveguide cores, thereby causing the laser light beam to exit the waveguide in a scanning motion;
and
directing the scanning laser light beam across a photoconductive layer on a rotating photoreceptor drum.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non mechanical optical beam steering mechanism for laser printers

Life of this patent

Non mechanical optical beam steering mechanism for laser printers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20