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US 5,691,759 AGranted
Method and apparatus for interleaving raster scan lines in a multi-beam laser imaging device
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorGary Hanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorGary Hanson
Estimating the term…
A laser printer produces a raster image of plural scan lines of image pixels, each raster scan line separated from an adjacent raster scan line by a pitch distance p. The printer includes a movable photoreceptor and n laser sources, where n.ltoreq.2. The laser sources produce n optical beams, separated by a distance of (n+1)p in a direction of movement of the photoreceptor. A scanner scans the n optical beams in parallel paths across the photoreceptor as they are modulated in accordance with pixel data provided from an image buffer. Control circuitry modulates the n optical beams, respectively, with pixel values from one set of n raster scan lines. The n raster scan lines of the set are separated from each other by a distance of (n+1)p. At the completion of each scan, the photoreceptor is moved by a distance (n.times.p). The n optical beams are again modulated with pixel values from another set of n raster scan lines that are respectively, (n+1)p distant from the n raster scan lines of the first set. In such manner, an interleaving of the scan lines is achieved, using plural optical beams from a laser diode chip to produce the n laser beams.
A laser printer for producing a raster image comprising plural raster scan lines of pixels, each raster scan line separated from an adjacent raster scan line by a pitch distance p, said printer comprising:
A method for controlling a laser printer to produce a raster image comprising plural raster scan lines of pixels, each raster scan line separated from an adjacent raster scan line by a pitch distance p, said printer including a movable photoreceptor, n laser source means, where n.gtoreq.2, for producing n optical beams which, when incident on said photoreceptor, are separated by a distance of (n+1)p in a direction of movement of said photoreceptor, scan means for scanning said optical beams in parallel paths across said photoreceptor and image buffer memory means for storing plural raster scan lines of pixel values comprising an image, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.