Multi-beam scanning system with time sharing beam control
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorKunihiko Miura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of light sources generate beams having predetermined light amounts, respectively. An optical scanner receives the beams from the plurality of light sources and directs the beams as a plurality of scanning beams to an object to be scanned. A photodetector has a predetermined number of photosensors smaller than that of the plurality of light sources and substantially detects light amounts of the plurality of scanning beams by the optical scanner in a time sharing manner. A controller outputs a control signal for independently controlling the light amounts of the respective beams from the plurality of light sources in accordance with time-sharing light amount detection signals corresponding to the plurality of scanning beams from the photosensors of the predetermined number.
Claims15
A multi-beam scanning apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of light sources each for generating a beam;
- optical scanning means for receiving the beams from said plurality of light sources and directing the beams as a plurality of scanning beams to an object to be scanned;
- photodetecting means, having a predetermined number of photosensors smaller than that of said plurality of light sources, for substantially detecting light amounts of the plurality of scanning beams by said optical scanning means in a time sharing manner;
- and
- control means for controlling the light amounts of the respective beams from said plurality of light sources in accordance with time-sharing light amount detection signals corresponding to said predetermined number of photosensors of said photodetecting means.
A multi-beam scanning apparatus comprising:
- laser oscillating means for outputting first and second scanning laser beams in a first direction and outputting first and second monitoring laser beams having light amounts respectively corresponding to light amounts of the first and second scanning laser beams in a second direction;
- laser monitoring means for commonly receiving the first and second monitoring laser beams from said laser oscillating means and outputting monitoring signals respectively proportional to received light amounts;
- optical scanning means for receiving the first and second scanning laser beams from said laser oscillating means and directing the first and second scanning laser beams as first and second scanning beams to an object to be scanned;
- and
- control means for receiving the monitoring signals output from said laser monitoring means and supplying a control signal for controlling the light amounts of the first and second scanning laser beams from said laser oscillating means to predetermined values in a time-oscillating sharing manner.
A multi-beam scanning type image forming apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of light sources each for generating beams;
- optical recording means for recording an image by said beams on an object to be scanned;
- photodetecting means, having a predetermined number of photosensors smaller than that of said plurality of light sources, for detecting light amounts of said beams in a time-sharing manner;
- control means for outputting a control signal for independently controlling the light amounts of the respective beams from said plurality of light sources in accordance with time-sharing light amount detection signals corresponding to the plurality of scanning beams from said predetermined number of photosensors of said photodetecting means;
- and
- image forming means for developing the image on said object to be scanned which is recorded by said optical recording means and transferring a developed image to an image forming medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.