Image-forming system with enhanced gray levels
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMarek W. Kowarz, John C. Brazas, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image-forming system with enhanced gray levels, including: a primary beam of light having a primary intensity value; a secondary beam of light having a secondary intensity value significantly less than the primary intensity value; a first modulator array of discrete devices receiving the primary beam of light and producing an output with coarse gray levels; a second modulator array of discrete devices receiving the secondary beam of light and producing an output with fine gray levels; a controller for synchronously controlling the first and the second modulator array; and optics that combine the output with fine gray levels and the output with coarse gray levels to form an image with the enhanced gray levels.
Claims9
A method for forming an image with enhanced gray levels, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a primary beam of light having a primary intensity value;
- b) providing a secondary beam of light having a secondary intensity value significantly less than the primary intensity value;
- c) receiving the primary beam of light at a first modulator array of discrete devices;
- d) producing an output with coarse gray levels with the first modulator array of discrete devices;
- e) receiving the secondary beam of light at a second modulator array of discrete devices;
- f) producing an output with fine gray levels with the second modulator array of discrete devices.
- g) synchronously controlling the first and the second modulator array;
- and
- h) combining the output with fine gray levels and the output with coarse gray levels to form the image with enhanced gray levels.
A method for forming an image with enhanced gray levels, comprising the steps of:
- a) choosing a state of polarization of a polarized light beam,
- b) dividing the polarized light beam unequally, based on the chosen polarization, into a primary beam of light having a primary intensity value, and a secondary beam of light having a secondary intensity value significantly less than the primary intensity value;
- c) receiving the primary beam of light at a first modulator array of discrete devices;
- d) producing an output with coarse gray levels with the first modulator array of discrete devices;
- e) receiving the secondary beam of light at a second modulator array of discrete devices;
- f) producing an output with fine gray levels with the second modulator array of discrete devices;
- g) synchronously controlling the first and the second modulator array;
- and
- h) combining the output with fine gray levels and the output with coarse gray levels to form the image with enhanced gray levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.