Image processing apparatus employing a spatial light modulator

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a liquid modulator having a photoconductive material including an image-writing plane, a liquid crystal layer laminated on said photoconductive material, a pair of electrodes sandwiching said photoconductive material and said liquid crystal layer, and a spacer inserted between said photoconductive material and one of said electrodes surrounding said liquid crystal layer;
• an analog writing system for analogously writing an original image in said liquid modulator;
• a digital reading system for digitally reading the image written in said liquid modulator by emitting a laser beam for scanning said light modulator in two dimensions;
• a processing section for image-processing the read image data;
• a digital writing system for digitally writing processed image data in said light modulator by applying said laser beam for scanning on said light modulator in two dimensions;
• and
• an analog reading system for analogously reading an image written in said light modulator,
• wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal which is selected from a group consisting of:
• (1) a phase-transition type liquid crystal providing a storage function,
• (2) a p-type smectic A liquid crystal providing a storage function, and
• (3) a ferroelectric liquid crystal providing a storage function;
• wherein the phase-transition type liquid crystal is selected from a group consisting of:
• a p-type cholesteric liquid crystal,
• a mixture of p-type cholesteric liquid crystal and p-type nematic liquid crystal, and
• wherein the ferroelectric liquid crystal is selected from a group consisting of:
• a chiral smectic C liquid crystal,
• a mixture of chiral smectic C liquid crystal and non-chiral smectic C liquid crystal, and
• a mixture of chiral smectic C liquid crystal and a photoactive material.