Method and apparatus for image production by selective or random exposure element activation
AssigneeAlliant Techsystems Inc.
InventorKerry L. Shaklee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for improving the image quality of a CRT recorder wherein image information is transmitted to the image receiving medium through a plurality of tracks provided on a phosphor stripe of the CRT. An algorithm in the memory determines the deflection of the electron beam so that the tracks are activated in a predetermined order. As the image receiving medium is scrolled past the CRT faceplate, the image will be exposed on the image receiving medium so that no two adjacent image lines are exposed by adjacent tracks. In a further embodiment, image lines are produced by activating the tracks in a random order.
Claims17
A method of producing on an image receiving medium an image formed of a sequence of adjacent image lines from stored image data representative of individual image lines by means for producing the image including an array of exposure elements, each of the exposure elements when the activated accepting the stored image data representative of an individual image line and producing a corresponding adjacent image line on an are of the image receiving medium in a predetermined position relative to the exposure elements being activated, comprising the steps of:
- selectively activating the exposure elements;
- moving the image receiving medium relative to the array of exposure elements in a direction transverse to the adjacent image lines between successive activations of the exposure elements;
- and
- supplying the stored image data to the exposure elements being activated in coordination with the predetermined position of the image receiving medium relative to the array of exposure elements so that no adjacent image lines on the medium are produced by adjacent exposure elements of the array of exposure elements.
Apparatus for producing on an image receiving medium an image formed of a sequence of adjacent image lines from stored image data representative of individual image lines, comprising:
- first means for receiving the stored image data and for producing on the image receiving medium the image representative of the individual image lines, the first means including a plurality of parallel adjacent exposure elements which are individually and selectively activated to produce an adjacent image line on the image receiving medium;
- second means for controlling the activation of the exposure elements so that no two adjacent image lines on the image receiving medium are produced by adjacent exposure elements;
- and
- third means responsive to the second means for stepping the image receiving medium past the exposure elements so the image receiving medium moves one adjacent image line between activations of the exposure elements.
A hard copy recorder comprising:
- a cathode ray tube having a faceplate carrying a phosphor band having a length and a width, the length being large relative to the width, an electron beam generator means for producing an electron beam which impinges on the phosphor band, and beam control means for causing the electron beam having a beam intensity to sweep along the length of the phosphor band, the beam control means further including means for modulating the beam intensity in response to an intensity control signal and means for positioning the electron beam across the width of the phosphor band in response to a trace control signal so that the beam is positioned to sweep a trace along any of a plurality of parallel tracks located across the width of the phosphor band;
- drive means for moving a photo sensitive recording sheet over the faceplate of said cathode ray tube across the width of the phosphor band in response to a drive control signal;
- a memory including means for accepting image data representative of lines of an image formed of a plurality of image lines and means for transmitting the image data representative of the image lines in response to a data transmission signal;
- and
- control means connected to said cathode ray tube, said drive means and said memory for supplying the data transmission signal to said memory to cause said means for transmitting to transmit the image data to said cathode ray tube as the intensity control signal, said control means further being operable to supply the trace control signal to said cathode ray tube and the drive control signal to said drive means in coordination with transmission of the image data to said cathode ray tube so that adjacent image lines of an image formed on the recording sheet are produced by traces along non-adjacent tracks of the plurality of parallel tracks on the phosphor band.
A method of producing on an image receiving medium an image formed of a sequence of adjacent image lines from stored image data representative of individual image lines by means for producing the image including an array of exposure elements, each of the exposure elements when activated accepting the stored image data representative of an individual image line and producing a corresponding adjacent image line on an area of the image receiving medium in a predetermined position relative to the exposure elements being activated, comprising the steps of:
- activating the exposure elements in a random order;
- moving the image receiving medium relative to the array of exposure elements in a direction transverse to the image lines between successive activations of the exposure elements;
- and
- supplying the stored image data to the exposure elements being activated in coordination with the predetermined position of the image receiving medium relative to the array of exposure elements.
Apparatus for producing on a image receiving medium an image formed of a sequence of adjacent image lines from stored image data representative of individual image lines, comprising:
- first means for receiving the stored image data and for producing on the image receiving medium the image representative of the individual image lines, the first means including a plurality of parallel adjacent exposure elements which are individually activated to produce an adjacent image line on the image receiving medium;
- second means for controlling the activation of the exposure elements in a random order;
- and
- third means responsive to the second means for stepping the image receiving medium past the exposure elements so the image receiving medium moves one image line between activation of the exposure elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.