Patent ID: 6204875
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: B33Y,B41J,G02B

Abstract:
A light modulation and exposure system for exposing imaging data including:(a) an extended light source having a spatial extent;(b) a light sensitive material located on a focal plane;(c) a multi-channel light modulator containing a row of light modulating elements;(d) illumination optics for illuminating the multi-channel light modulator with the output of the light source, the illumination optics configured to transform light from the spatial extent of the light source into a line shaped pattern on the light modulator with the long dimension of the line shape substantially in the same direction as the direction of and covering the extent of the row of elements of the multi-channel light modulator;(e) imaging optics for imaging the multi-channel light modulator output onto the light sensitive material on the focal plane to form an image of a row of modulated elements;(f) means for generating relative motion between the multi-channel light modulator and the light sensitive material on the focal plane, the direction of relative motion substantially parallel to the direction of the row of elements in the image of the row of light modulating cells on the light sensitive material, the relative motion at a relative motion speed; and(g) data synchronizing means for shifting the imaging data into the row of elements of the multi-channel modulator at a shifting speed determined by the speed of relative motion with the shifting speed referred to the focal plane equal to and in opposite direction to the relative motion speed, such that the image of any data pattern produced in the output of the multi-channel modulator is maintained substantially stationary on the light sensitive material to prohibit the data pattern from moving on the light sensitive material in the direction of the row of elements a distance more than the distance between modulated elements in the image of the row of modulated elements.