System and method for calibrating a laser line illumination system for use in imaging systems

A calibration system for use with an imaging system including a laser line illumination source, said calibration system comprising:

• an imaging head for that is movable along a slow scan direction with respect to an imaging surface for imaging a line of laser illumination in said slow scan direction;
• a calibration signal source for producing a calibration signal at said imaging head, said calibration signal providing that every nth picture element of said illumination line is illuminated where n is greater than 1;
• a mask having a calibration opening therein through which illumination for each picture element may pass as said imaging head is moved in said slow scan direction, said calibration opening having a width in the slow scan direction that is larger than a width of said illumination for each picture element;
• and
• a calibration unit including a detector for receiving the illumination for each picture element through said calibration opening and for processing illumination for each picture element received through said calibration opening at least in part by identifying a maximum amplitude of a received illumination signal for each picture element.

A calibration system for use with an imaging system including a laser line illumination source, said calibration system comprising:

• a calibration signal source for producing a calibration signal at an imaging surface, said calibration signal providing that every nth picture element of a laser illumination line is illuminated where n is greater than 2;
• a mask having a calibration opening therein through which illumination for each picture element may pass as the laser illumination line is moved in a slow scan direction, said calibration opening having a width in the slow scan direction that is larger than a width of the illumination for each picture element;
• and
• a calibration unit including a detector for receiving the illumination for each picture element through said calibration opening and for processing illumination for each picture element received through said calibration opening at least in part by identifying a maximum amplitude of a received illumination signal for each picture element.

A method of calibrating a laser line illumination signal in an imaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a calibration signal at an imaging surface, said calibration signal providing that every nth picture element of a laser illumination line is illuminated where n is greater than 2;
• passing the laser illumination line with every nth picture element illuminated over a mask having a calibration opening therein through which illumination for each picture element may pass as the laser illumination line is moved in a slow scan direction, said calibration opening having a width in the slow scan direction that is larger than a width of the illumination it for each picture element;
• receiving the illumination for each picture element through said calibration opening;
• and
• processing illumination for each picture element received through said calibration opening at least in part by identifying a maximum amplitude of a received illumination signal for each picture element.

A calibration system for use with an imaging system including a laser line illumination source, said calibration system comprising:

• an imaging head for that is movable along a slow scan direction with respect to an imaging surface for imaging a line of laser illumination in said slow scan direction;
• a calibration signal source for producing a calibration signal at said imaging head, said calibration signal providing that every nth picture element of said illumination line is illuminated where n is greater than 1;
• a mask having a calibration opening therein through which illumination for each picture element may pass as said imaging head is moved in said slow scan direction, said calibration opening having a width in the slow scan direction that is larger than a width of said illumination for each picture element;
• and
• a calibration unit including a detector for receiving the illumination for each picture element through said calibration opening and for processing illumination for each picture element received through said calibration opening at least in part by identifying a maximum intensity of a received illumination signal for each picture element.