Light valve imaging apparatus having enlarged pixel exposing regions
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsRobert L. Lamberts, Jerry R. Varner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electronic imaging apparatus of the kind having light valve arrays operable to selectively pass light to an imaging zone in response to electrical activation according to an image signal features a light valve array having a plurality of pixel exposing regions that are each larger in area than the pixels to be imaged thereby at the imaging zone and means for directing light from respective pixel exposing regions to respective reduced-size pixels of the imaging zone.
Claims14
In electronic imaging apparatus having an imaging zone and including:
- (1) a light valve array having a plurality of pixel exposing regions each discretely activatable between a light transmitting and light blocking condition in response to an addressing electric field, (2) means for directing uniform illumination toward said imaging zone via said light valve array, and (3) addressing means for selectively activating the pixel exposing regions of said light valve array in accordance with the content of an image to be reproduced, the improvement wherein the pixel exposing regions of said light valve array are each larger in area than the pixels to be imaged at said imaging zone and wherein said apparatus includes means for directing light from respective pixel exposing regions of said array to respective reduced-sized pixel areas in said imaging zone.
In electronic imaging apparatus having an exposure zone past which a photosensitive medium can be moved for imagewise exposure and including:
- (1) a light valve array having a plurality of pixel exposing regions each including a modulator portion which is independently addressable by an electric field from an isotropic to a birefringent state, (2) means for directing illumination toward said exposure zone via said light valve array, (3) means for moving successive line portions of such photosensitive medium past said exposure zone and (4) addressing means for activating the pixel exposing regions of said light valve array between light transmitting and non-transmitting conditions in synchronization with the movement of said medium and in accordance with the density pattern of an image to be reproduced, the improvement wherein the pixel exposing regions of said light valve array are each substantially larger in area than the pixels to be imaged at said exposure zone and wherein said apparatus includes optical means for directing light from said pixel exposing regions to respective pixels of a reduced size at said exposure zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.