Multicolor electrophotographic reproduction apparatus and method for producing color accented copies

A method for faithfully electrophotographically reproducing multicolored information in a document original and yet providing the reproduction with color accenting of selected other information found in the original, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating signals related to the desired color and position of the image area to be reproduced in a color different from that in the original;
• (b) uniformly charging each of several image frames with a respective primary charge;
• (c) exposing each of the several image frames to light modulated by the original with some of said image frames being exposed through respective color filters to form a plurality of color separation images of the document;
• (d) exposing in accordance with the signals of step (a) a portion of at least one of the image frames used to reproduce the information to be color accented to reduce the charge level of such information in said image frame to a level which will permit development without similarly reducing the level of charge to the same extent in another image frame used to reproduce the same information to be color accented and which said another image frame is also used to faithfully reproduce the multicolored information;
• (e) developing the latent electrostatic images with the said one and another image frames each being developed with differently colored electroscopic toners;
• and
• (f) transferring the developed images in registered relationship to a support wherein a sufficient number of transfers are made to faithfully reproduce the multicolored information that is to be so reproduced and providing additional transfers of other image frame(s) used for color accenting of the information to be so accented.

A method for electrophotographically reproducing an original document with faithful reproduction of multicolored information and color accenting of other information in the document, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating signals related to the desired color and position of the image area to be reproduced in a color different from that on the original;
• (b) uniformly charging each of several image frames with a respective primary charge;
• (c) exposing each of the image frames to light modulated by the original while forming a plurality of color separation images of the information to be faithfully reproduced;
• (d) selectively erasing from one or more image frames information directed to the multicolor information to be reproduced to preclude development of such information on said one or more frames;
• (e) reducing the charge remaining on the one or more image frames to a level(s) which will allow development of the information to be color accented in accordance with the color selected;
• (f) developing the latent electrostatic images in the image frames with respectively colored electroscopic toners;
• and transferring the developed images in registered relationship to a support.

An electrophotographic reproduction apparatus for producing copy in a desired color, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a photoconductive member;
• (b) means for depositing respective primary charge(s) to two or more image frames of the member;
• (c) means for exposing each of at least two of the image frames so as to form electrostatic charge patterns of the information to be reproduced in the desired color;
• (d) means for generating a signal indicative of the said desired color;
• (e) means responsive to the said signal for adjusting the primary charge level in at least one of the said two image frames to a still developable level, without use of image information bearing illumination, to control the amount of development material used to develop the information in said frame and thereby effect the resulting color of the information reproduced;
• (f) means for developing the image frames with differently colored development materials;
• and
• (g) means for transferring the images on the frames in register to a support so that there is formed on said support a visible image of the information in a color different than that used to develop any of the image frames.

An electrophotographic reproduction method for producing copy in a desired color, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming respective primary charges on two or more image frames of a photoconductive member;
• (b) exposing each of at least two of the image frames so as to form electrostatic charge patterns of the information to be reproduced in the desired color;
• (c) generating a signal indicative of the said desired color;
• (d) in response to said signal, adjusting the primary charge level accordingly to a still developable level in at least one of the said two image frames, without the use of image information bearing illumination, to control the amount of developable material used to develop the information in said frame and thereby effect the resulting color of the information reproduced;
• (e) developing the image frames with differently colored development materials;
• and
• (f) transferring the images on the frames in register to a support so that there is formed on said support a visible image of the information in a color different than that used to develop any of the image frames.

An electrophotographic reproduction apparatus comprising:

• (a) a photoconductive member;
• (b) means for depositing respective primary charge(s) to two or more image frames of the member;
• (c) means for forming an electrostatic charge pattern of the same information on each of said at least two image frames;
• (d) means for generating a signal of the desired color to reproduce said information;
• (e) means independent of the means in (c) and responsive to said signal for modulating the charge on at least one of the image frames so that the charge level reproducing the information is adjusted to a still developable level;
• (f) means for developing the two image frames with differently colored materials;
• and
• (g) means for transferring the information on the image frames in register to a support so that there is formed on said support a visible image of the information in a color different than that used to develop any of the image frames.

An apparatus for reproducing information located in a portion of a document sheet, the reproduction being in a selected color different than that of the original, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for providing signals identifying the said portion of the document;
• (b) operator-accessible means for selecting a color and generating a signal indicative of such selection;
• (c) a support for supporting an electrostatic image;
• (d) means responsive to said signals of said means in both (a) and (b) for forming an electrostatic charge pattern of the information on two or more image frames of the support in accordance with the color selected;
• (e) means for developing the image frames with differently colored development materials, the development materials being of a different color than said selected color;
• (f) means for transferring the images on the frames in register to a different support so that there is formed on the different support a visible image of the information in the selected color.

An apparatus for producing a copy sheet having a first set of information in a first selected color and a second set of information in a second selected color different than first color, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means providing signals identifying the portion having the first set of information;
• (b) means providing signals indicating selection of the first color for said first set of information and the second color for said second set of information;
• (c) a support for supporting an electrostatic image;
• (d) means responsive to said signals of said means in both (a) and (b) for forming an electrostatic charge pattern of the first set of information on two or more image frames of the support in accordance with the color selected and for forming an electrostatic charge pattern of the other set of information on at least one image frame of the support in accordance with the second color selected;
• (e) means for developing the image frames with differently color development materials;
• the development materials being of a different color then said first selected color;
• and
• (f) means for transferring the images on the frames in register to a different support so that there is formed on the different support a visible image of the first set of information in the first selected color and a visible image of the second set of information in the second selected color.

An apparatus for producing a copy sheet having a first set of information in a first selected color and a second set of information in a second color different than said first;

• the apparatus comprising:
• (a) means providing signals identifying the portion having the first set of information;
• (b) means providing signals indicating selection of the first color for said first set of information;
• (c) a support for supporting an electrostatic image;
• (d) means for forming an electrostatic charge pattern of the first and second sets of information;
• (e) means for developing into colored visible images the electrostatic charge patterns of the first and second sets of information using color development materials different in color than said first selected color;
• (f) means for transferring the colored visual images to a copy sheet so that there is formed on the copy sheet a visible image of the first set of information and a visible image of the second set of information;
• and
• (g) means for adjusting, in accordance with the signals provided by the means in (b), the relative amounts of each of the color development materials transferred to the copy sheet for providing the visible images of the first set of information in the first selected color.

A method for producing a copy sheet having a first set of information in a first selected color and a second set of information in a second selected color different than said first color, the method comprising:

• (a) generating signals identifying the portion having the first set of information;
• (b) generating signals indicating selection of the first color for said first set of information;
• (c) forming an electrostatic charge pattern on a support of the first and second sets of information;
• (d) developing into colored visible images the electrostatic charge patterns of the first and second sets of information using color development materials different in color than said first selected color;
• (e) transferring the colored visual images to a copy sheet so that there is formed on the copy sheet a visible image of the first set of information and a visible image of the second set of information;
• and
• (f) adjusting, in accordance with the signals provided in step (b), the relative amounts of each of the color development materials transferred to the copy sheet for providing the visible image of the first set of information in the first selected color.

An apparatus for producing a copy sheet having information in a selected color that is different than the colors of the materials used to develop same and their complementary colors;

• (a) operator accessible control panel means identifying a plurality of specific colors for selection by the operator including colors substantially different than the colors of pg,37 the materials used to develop same and their complementary colors;
• (b) means responsive to selection of the selected color for generating a signal specific to such selection;
• (c) support means for supporting an electrostatic charge;
• (d) means for establishing on no more than two image frames of the support means a respective electrostatic charge of the image information;
• (e) means for developing into colored visible images the electrostatic charge patterns on the first and second image frames using two differently colored development materials, one for each of the image frames, the colors of the materials and their complementary colors being substantially different than the selected color;
• (f) means for transferring the colored visible images in register to a copy sheet so that there is formed on the copy sheet a visible image of the information in the selected color;
• and
• (g) means for adjusting, in accordance with the signal generated by the means in (b), the relative amounts of the color development materials transferred to the copy sheet for providing the information on the copy sheet in the selected color.