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Non mechanical optical beam steering mechanism for laser printers

  • US 10,462,323 B1
  • Filed: 06/28/2018
  • Issued: 10/29/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2018
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of laser printing, comprising:

  • receiving image data from a computing device at a laser printer controller;

    activating a laser using the printer controller in accordance with the received image data to produce a modulated laser light beam;

    receiving the laser light beam into an array of waveguide cores of an optical waveguide having a controllable index of refraction, wherein an insulating layer is provided adjacent the array of waveguide cores with one or more openings through the insulating layer configured to expose different amounts of different waveguide cores of the array of waveguide cores to portions of a liquid crystal cladding layer;

    controlling a voltage applied to the liquid crystal cladding layer to separately tune all of the waveguide cores and produce a different phase shifting effect for each different waveguide core by selectively changing an effective index of refraction of the liquid crystal cladding layer, thereby causing the laser light beam to exit the waveguide in a scanning motion; and

    directing the scanning laser light beam across a photoconductive layer on a rotating photoreceptor drum in a direction parallel to a central axis of the drum.

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