Laser-induced thermal imaging with masking
AssigneeImation Corp.
InventorDallas K. Pierson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for compensating for imaging aberrations that result from repeated passes by an imaging laser array. The techniques provide for printing overlapping swaths and providing masking for at least one printing pass. The masks generally expand and contract the breadth of the printing swath.
Claims34
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape.
A mask for a laser thermal printer comprising a first subset mask and a second subset mask,
- each subset mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values in the first subset mask is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values in the first subset mask is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape.
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising a first subset mask and a second subset mask, each subset mask comprising at least one set of first logical values and at least one set of second logical values, wherein the set of first logical values in the first subset mask has a first triangle-like shape and wherein the set of first logical values in the second subset mask has a second triangle-like shape.
A method for printing with a laser thermal printing system, the method comprising:
- printing a swath on a thermally sensitive medium as a function of a set of data;
- and
- varying the breadth of the swath during printing.
A method comprising:
- generating a first set of first logical values in a first triangle-like shape;
- generating a second set of first logical values in a second triangle-like shape;
- and
- generating a mask for a laser thermal printer comprising a set of second logical values, the first set of first logical values in the first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values in the second triangle-like shape.
A method comprising:
- generating a first subset mask comprising a first set of first logical values and a first set of second logical values;
- generating a second subset mask comprising a second set of first logical values and a second set of second logical values;
- and
- assembling a mask for a laser thermal printer from the first subset mask and the second subset mask.
A system comprising:
- a thermally sensitive color donor including colorant;
- a receptor positioned to receive colorant from the donor;
- a controller;
- and
- a set of lasers, each of the lasers receiving a signal from the controller and emitting a beam directed at the donor as a function of the signal, the beams forming a swath having a breadth,
- wherein the controller varies the breadth of the swath during printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.