Laser-induced thermal imaging with masking
AssigneeKodak Polychrome Graphics LLC
InventorDallas K. Pierson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for compensating for imaging aberrations that result from repeated passes by an imaging laser array. The techniques provide for printing overlapping swaths and providing masking for at least one printing pass. The masks generally expand and contract the breadth of the printing swath.
Claims36
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape, and
- wherein the spatial frequency of the first set of first logical values spatially clustered in the first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values spatially clustered in the second triangle-like shape is greater than the spatial frequency of neighboring halftone dots.
A mask for a laser thermal printer comprising a first subset mask and a second subset mask,
- each subset mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values in the first subset mask is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values in the first subset mask is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape different from the first triangle-like shape.
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising a first subset mask and a second subset mask, each subset mask comprising at least one set of first logical values and at least one set of second logical values, wherein the set of first logical values in the first subset mask has a first triangle-like shape and wherein the set of first logical values in the second subset mask has a second triangle-like shape, wherein the first triangle-like shape is different than the second triangle-like shape.
A method for printing with a laser thermal printing system, the method comprising:
- printing a swath on a thermally sensitive medium as a function of a set of data;
- and
- varying the breadth of the swath during printing, wherein varying the breadth of the swath comprises irregularly contracting the breadth of the swath and irregularly expanding the breadth of the swath.
A method comprising:
- generating a first set of first logical values in a first triangle-like shape;
- generating a second set of first logical values in a second triangle-like shape different from the first triangle-like shape, and
- generating a mask for a laser thermal printer comprising a set of second logical values, the first set of first logical values in the first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values in the second triangle-like shape.
A method comprising:
- generating a first subset mask comprising a first set of first logical values and a first set of second logical values;
- generating a second subset mask different from the first subset mask comprising a second set of first logical values and a second set of second logical values;
- and
- assembling a mask for a laser thermal printer from the first subset mask and the second subset mask.
A system comprising:
- a thermally sensitive color donor including colorant;
- a receptor positioned to receive colorant from the donor;
- a controller;
- and
- a set of lasers, each of the lasers receiving a signal from the controller and emitting a beam directed at the donor as a function of the signal, the beams forming a swath having a breadth,
- wherein the controller varies the breadth of the swath during printing by irregularly contracting the breadth of the swath and irregularly expanding the breadth of the swath.
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape and
- wherein a boundary between the set of second logical values and the first and second sets of first logical values is an irregular zigzag.
A mask for a laser thermal printer, the mask comprising:
- a first set of first logical values;
- a second set of first logical values;
- and
- a set of second logical values,
- wherein the first set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a first triangle-like shape and the second set of first logical values is spatially clustered in a second triangle-like shape, wherein the first triangle-like shape is different than the second triangle-like shape, and
- wherein the first triangle-like shape is defined as a function of a random element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.