Patent ID: 8022976

Claim:
A laser scanning apparatus, comprising: a laser producing a laser beam; a scanner receiving the laser beam and scanning the laser beam through a scan pattern; a laser beam detector disposed in the scan pattern for detecting the laser beam and producing a timing signal when the laser beam is detected; a laser driver connected to the laser for controlling the power of the laser beam produced by the laser; a reference device for producing a beam detection power reference signal; and the laser driver controlling the laser to produce a laser beam at a predetermined desired power level when the laser beam strikes the laser beam detector, said predetermined desired power level being set by the laser driver based on the beam detection power reference signal; wherein the reference device further comprises a local power reference device having: a printing power reference holding capacitor; a beam detect power reference holding capacitor; a second switch for selectively connecting one of the printing power reference holding capacitor and the beam detect power reference holding capacitor to the laser driver.