Scanning method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of scanning an information bearing object using radiation sensing means, comprising the steps of irradiating a set of reflective surfaces corresponding to different regions of said information bearing object with radiation traveling away from or towards said information bearing object;
- and adjusting said surfaces independently of one another to successively direct radiation from respective ones of said regions to said sensing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A scanner has a light sensing unit, and a reflecting unit which reflects light to the sensing unit either directly or indirectly. The reflecting unit receives light from an object being scanned or from a light source. In the former case, the light is reflected to the sensing unit directly. In the latter case, the light is reflected to the sensing unit indirectly. Thus, the reflecting unit directs light to an object being scanned and the object transmits or reflects the light to the sensing unit. The reflecting unit is made up of a series of micromirrors, and each of the micromirrors corresponds to a respective point of the object being scanned. The micromirrors are independently movable between rest positions in which they reflect light away from the sensing unit and active positions in which they reflect light towards the sensing unit. The micromirrors are successively moved from the rest positions to the active positions and back to the rest positions so that only one micromirror at a time directs light to the sensing unit. In this manner, scanning is accomplished point-by-point. The scanner can be used in a photographic copier to measure the densities of film frames and thereby regulate the exposure times during copying.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of scanning an information bearing object using radiation sensing means, comprising the steps of irradiating a set of reflective surfaces corresponding to different regions of said information bearing object with radiation traveling away from or towards said information bearing object;
- and adjusting said surfaces independently of one another to successively direct radiation from respective ones of said regions to said sensing means.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for scanning an information bearing object, comprising a set of reflective elements corresponding to different regions of the information bearing object;
- means for irradiating said elements with radiation; and
means for adjusting said elements independently of one another to successively direct radiation from respective regions of the information bearing object to said sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- means for irradiating said elements with radiation; and
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21. An apparatus for copying a master, comprising first means for determining the densities of different regions of the master, said first means including means for scanning the master, and said scanning means comprising a set of reflective elements which respectively correspond to the different regions of the master, means for irridating said elements with radiation traveling away from or towards the master, means for sensing radiation and means for adjusting said elements independently of one another to successively scan the respective regions of the master;
- second means for making a copy of the master on copy material, said second means including means for exposing the copy material, and means for controlling said exposing means as a function of the densities of the master; and
means connecting said first means to said controlling means. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
- second means for making a copy of the master on copy material, said second means including means for exposing the copy material, and means for controlling said exposing means as a function of the densities of the master; and
Specification