System and method for illuminating a platen in a live scanner and producing high-contrast print images
First Claim
1. A print scanner, comprising:
- a prism having an illumination surface, an illumination reflection surface, and a platen surface; and
an illumination source, wherein the illumination source injects rays of light into the prism at the illumination injection surface of the prism, the rays of light traveling internally through the prism to hit the illumination reflection surface of the prism, the rays of light hitting the illumination reflection surface at an angle less than the critical angle of the illumination reflection surface, which reflects rays of light, the reflected rays of light traveling internally through the prism to illuminate the platen surface.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Light from an illumination source is injected into a prism of a print scanner through an illumination injection surface that is not directly imaged by an optical system and an image sensor of the print scanner. This light travels across the prism and hits a highly reflective surface of the prism. When this light hits the highly reflective surface, it is scattered and becomes diffused. Some of this diffused light remains in total internal reflection (TIR) within the prism and is reflected off the inside of the platen surface of the prism. The diffused light reflected off the inside of the platen surface is imaged by the optical system and the image sensor.
12 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A print scanner, comprising:
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a prism having an illumination surface, an illumination reflection surface, and a platen surface; and
an illumination source, wherein the illumination source injects rays of light into the prism at the illumination injection surface of the prism, the rays of light traveling internally through the prism to hit the illumination reflection surface of the prism, the rays of light hitting the illumination reflection surface at an angle less than the critical angle of the illumination reflection surface, which reflects rays of light, the reflected rays of light traveling internally through the prism to illuminate the platen surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for producing a print patter with a print scanner, wherein the print scanner includes a prism and an illumination source, the prism having an illumination injection surface, an illumination reflection surface, and a platen surface, the method comprising:
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(a) injecting rays of light into the prism through the illumination injection surface of the prism such that the injected rays of light travel through the prism to hit the illumination reflection surface, the rays of light hitting the illumination reflection surface at an angle that is less than the critical angle of the illumination reflection surface;
(b) reflecting the injected rays of light with the illumination reflection surface of the prism; and
(c) illuminating the platen surface with the reflected rays of light from the illumination reflection surface of the prism. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification