Laser units
AssigneeHP Indigo B.V.
InventorsYuval Yunger, Benny Kimelman, Tsahi Geller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a laser unit in order to negate heat build-up caused by a laser modulation current, and eliminating artifacts caused by image related thermal effects. Upon receipt of an activation signal, an activation current is applied which causes lasing of the laser unit. Upon receipt of a deactivation signal, the method ceases lasing by selectively applying either an idle current below the activation current, or a cooling current below the idle current.
Claims20
A method of controlling a laser unit, the method comprising:
- in response to receiving an activation signal, applying an activation current which causes lasing of the laser unit;
- monitoring accumulated heat energy by the laser whilst the activation current is applied;
- and
- in response to receiving a deactivation signal, selectively applying either:
- an idle current below the activation current;
- or
- a cooling current below the idle current, wherein the selectively applying is carried out at least on the basis of the monitoring of the accumulated heat energy.
A laser unit having a laser diode, the laser unit configured to:
- apply an activation current to the laser diode in response to receiving an activation signal, which causes lasing of the laser unit;
- monitor heat energy accumulated by the laser diode whilst the activation current is applied;
- apply a cooling current to the laser diode in response to receiving a deactivation signal, which ceases lasing of the laser unit;
- monitor heat energy dissipated by the laser diode whilst the cooling current is applied;
- and
- in response to the heat energy dissipated by the laser diode balancing the heat energy accumulated by the laser diode, apply an idle current to the laser diode, the idle current being above the cooling current and below the activation current.
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions to:
- cause application of an activation current to a laser diode in response to receiving a first activation signal, which causes lasing of the laser diode;
- in response to receipt of a first deactivation signal, selectively cause application of an idle current below the activation current;
- cause application of an activation current to the laser diode in response to receiving a second activation signal;
- and
- in response to receipt of a second deactivation signal, selectively cause application of a cooling current below the idle current, to the laser diode, which ceases lasing of the laser diode.
A method of controlling a laser unit, the method comprising:
- in response to receiving an activation signal, applying an activation current which causes lasing of the laser unit;
- monitoring the heat energy dissipated by the laser;
- and
- in response to receiving a deactivation signal, selectively applying either:
- an idle current below the activation current;
- or
- a cooling current below the idle current, wherein the selectively applying is carried out at least on the basis of the monitoring of the dissipated heat energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.