Image exposing apparatus and image exposing method

An image exposing apparatus comprising:

• a GaN-based semiconductor laser for emitting an optical beam, which includes laser light and emitted light other than the laser light;
• an optical system for focusing the optical beam onto a photosensitive material;
• a scanning and exposing component for scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam, which has been modulated in accordance with image data to be recorded;
• an input component for inputting a type of the photosensitive material;
• a setting component for setting both a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• a driving component for driving the GaN-based semiconductor laser such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated onto the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data;
• a monitoring optical system for monitoring the optical beam;
• and
• a light receiving component for receiving an optical beam transmitted through the monitoring optical system;
• wherein,
• the monitoring optical system is arranged in such a manner that a component ratio of the laser light of the optical beam received by the light receiving component to the emitted light is substantially equal to a component ratio of the laser light received by the photosensitive material to the emitted light;
• and wherein,
• the driving component drives the GaN-based semiconductor laser in such a manner that a light amount of an optical beam received by the light receiving component becomes equal to one of the sensitive level and the non-sensitive level.

An image exposing method comprising the steps of:

• emitting an optical beam, which contains laser light and emitted light other than the laser light;
• focusing the optical beam to a photosensitive material;
• scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam which has been modulated in response to image data to be recorded;
• inputting a type of the photosensitive material;
• setting a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• and
• driving the optical beam such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated to the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level, and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data,
• wherein
• the setting step comprises the steps of;
• storing a ratio of a first preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is sensitized by a predetermined level, to a second preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized, in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• inputting a measuring sensitive level, which is determined based upon a colorimetry result of a test pattern recorded on the photosensitive material, such that the photosensitive material is sensitized by a predetermined level;
• and
• setting the measuring sensitive level as the sensitive level, and calculating and setting the non-sensitive level from both the ratio and the sensitive level corresponding to the type of the photosensitive material.

An image exposing method comprising the steps of:

• emitting an optical beam, which contains laser light and emitted light other than the laser light;
• focusing the optical beam to a photosensitive material;
• scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam which has been modulated in response to image data to be recorded;
• inputting a type of the photosensitive material;
• setting a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• driving the optical beam such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated to the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level, and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data;
• monitoring the optical beam with a monitoring optical system;
• and
• receiving an optical beam transmitted through the monitoring optical system;
• wherein,
• a component ratio of the laser light to the emitted light of the received optical beam is arranged to be substantially equal to the component ratio of the laser light received by the photosensitive material to the emitted light;
• and
• the optical beam is driven in such a manner that a light amount of the received optical beam becomes equal to one of the sensitive level and the non-sensitive level.

An image exposing apparatus comprising:

• a GaN-based semiconductor laser for emitting an optical beam, which includes laser light and emitted light other than the laser light;
• an optical system for focusing the optical beam onto a photosensitive material;
• a scanning and exposing component for scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam, which has bean modulated in accordance with image data to be recorded;
• an input component for inputting a type of the photosensitive material;
• a setting component for setting both a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• and
• a driving component for driving the GaN-based semiconductor laser such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated onto the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data,
• wherein the setting component comprises:
• a ratio storage component for storing, in accordance with each type of the photosensitive material, a ratio of a first preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is sensitized to a predetermined level, to a second preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized.

An image exposing method comprising the steps of:

• emitting an optical beam, which contains laser light and emitted light other than the laser light;
• focusing the optical beam to a photosensitive material;
• scanning and exposing the photosensitive material with an optical beam which has been modulated in response to image data to be recorded;
• inputting a type of the photosensitive material;
• setting a sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is sensitized and a non-sensitive level at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material;
• and
• driving the optical beam such that a light amount of an optical beam irradiated to the photosensitive material becomes one of at least equal to the sensitive level, and no more than equal to the non-sensitive level in accordance with the image data,
• wherein the setting step comprises;
• storing a ratio of a first preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is sensitized by a predetermined level, to a second preset reference sensitive level, at which the photosensitive material is not sensitized, in accordance with the type of the photosensitive material.