Segmented reflective optical system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJack H Schmidt, John Herman Arterberry, Dennis J Schissler, Mark W. Majette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical system, used for scanning, forms an image using reflective optical surfaces. The system may be telecentric, and may form an image that is reduced in size as compared with the scanned original. Several image-forming optical channels may be combined to form a page-wide scanning array.
Claims38
A scanner optical system, comprising:
- at least two discrete image-forming optical channels;
- a generally linear electronic light sensor segment in each image-forming optical channel;
- and
- at least two non-planar minor segments in each discrete image-forming optical channel;
- and wherein each discrete image-forming optical channel forms an image of a discrete portion of a scan line on the sensor segment using the at least two non-planar mirror segments.
An imaging device, comprising:
- a carriage comprising at least discrete two image-forming optical channels, each discrete channel forming an image of a discrete portion of a scan line;
- at least two non-planar minor segments in each discrete image-forming optical channel;
- and
- a generally linear electronic light sensor in each discrete image-forming optical channel;
- and wherein the image is formed in each discrete image-forming optical channel on the respective generally-linear electronic light sensor using the respective two non-planar minor segments.
A optical carriage for a scanner, comprising:
- a carriage housing;
- at least discrete two image-forming optical channels substantially contained within the carriage housing;
- at least two non-planar minor segments in each discrete image-forming optical channel;
- and
- a generally linear electronic light sensor in each discrete image-forming optical channel;
- and wherein each discrete image-forming optical channel, using the non-planar mirror segments, forms an image on the light sensor of a discrete portion of the scan line.
A method of scanning, comprising:
- forming, in an optical carriage module, images of at least two scan line segments, the optical carriage module comprising at least two discrete image-forming optical channels, each discrete image-forming optical channel further comprising a generally linear optical sensor and at least two non-planar reflective surfaces, and each discrete image-forming optical channel forming one of the images using the non-planar reflective surfaces of the discrete channel;
- illuminating, with a light source, the scan line on an original item;
- causing relative motion between the original item and the optical carriage;
- and generating digital values representing the distribution of light on the generally linear optical sensors.
A multi-purpose optical element in an optical system that comprises at least two discrete image-forming optical channels, each discrete image-forming optical channel forming an image of a discrete portion of a scan line on a generally linear electronic light sensor, the multi-purpose optical element comprising:
- at least two non-planar minor segments associated with each discrete image forming optical channel;
- and
- an optical aperture associated with each discrete image forming optical channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.