Back to results
US 3,944,323 AGranted
Variable spot size scanning system
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorGary K. Starkweather
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flying spot scanning system for scanning a laser beam to a photoreceptor is provided wherein the size of the spot may be varied for gray scale rendition. This is accomplished by providing a scanner with a reflecting surface which varies in width (scanning direction).
Claims5
An apparatus for recording information from an electrical signal onto a recording medium comprising:
- means for providing a beam of high intensity light, means for modulating the light beam in accordance with the information content of an electrical signal, a scanning mechanism having at least one reflecting surface rotatable about an axis in the path of said modulated beam for reflecting said beam, said reflecting surface having at least two portions arranged in an axial order, each of said portions being different in width from the other of said portions in a direction generally perpendicular to said axis, means for producing at said reflecting surface a beam width in said direction greater than the width of the portion with the minimum width, and means interposed between said modulating means and said scanning mechanism for selectively deflecting said modulated beam to any of said portions to control the amount of light reflected by said reflecting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.