Patent · US Expired

Spatial light modulator printer and method of operation

US5041851A · kind A · utility

106Cited by
8References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1989
Grant dateAug 20, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G15/043
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A printing system and method which uses an unmodulated light focused on a spatial light modulator (SLM) device. The light modulator device, in one embodiment, can be a deformable set of mirrors monolithically integrated onto a semiconductor substrate which act, under control of data signals, to selectively modulate light onto a focusing lens which in turn images the light to the drum of the xerographic printing process. The deformable mirrors are formed in one or more parallel rows and the selective timing of the rows is controllable in order to compensate for variations in xerographic process speed. A stepped light baffle removes the unmodulated light further enhancing the dark field effect.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.