Light Beam Scanning Apparatus With Controller for Varying Spacing Between a Plurality of Scanning Beams

The present invention relates to a light beam scanning apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus using a plurality of light sources for scanning a plurality of light beams in parallel.

In a conventional light beam scanning apparatus such as a laser beam printer, light beam scanning is effected by moving a rotating polygonal mirror or a vibrating mirror at a high speed. With such arrangement, to attain higher speed operation and improved resolution, it becomes necessary to increase the operating speed of the rotating polygonal mirror or the vibrating mirror a great deal. However, there is a limit in its attainable speed. To cope with such a situation, a light beam scanning apparatus using a plurality of light sources so that a plurality of light beams are scanned in parallel on a scanned plane, while the beam spacing is kept constant, is proposed in Japanese Laid-open Pat. No. 60-166916, for example.

Such a hitherto proposed apparatus, however, has been designed to keep the spacing between the scanning beams at a predetermined constant value at all times, and there has not been given any consideration to have the beam spacing suitably changed so that its recording (pixel) density may be changed. Therefore, it has been difficult to change the recording density of the printer to a desired value.

An object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance light beam scanning apparatus adapted such that its recording density can be changed according to the change of the object to be recorded (such as, whether letters of simple form or patterns of complicated form), or more particularly, adapted such that its pixel density for information processed can be changed so that the information may be transferred or printed at high speed and with high precision.

To achieve the above described object, the light beam scanning apparatus of the present invention is provided with capability of simultaneous parallel scanning of a plurality of light beams and adapted, in particular, to be able to change the pixel density to prescribed values according to letters and patterns to be recorded or displayed.

Hence, the light beam scanning apparatus according to the present invention comprises (1) a plurality of light sources, (2) modulation means to turn on/off, and/or change intensity of, the beams from the light sources according to information to be recorded (all of which will hereinafter be referred to as "intensity modulation means", (3) scanning means for scanning the plural beams modulated for intensity in parallel on a scanned plane, (4) apparatus for variable beam spacing for controlling spacing between the scanning beams to thereby vary the display pixel density, and (5) control system for varying each of the modulating frequency provided by the intensity modulation means, and the scanning speed and the spacing between the scanning beams provided by the scanning means in accordance with the pixel density of the information to be recorded.

The present invention is further characterized by having detectors for detecting the position of each of the plural beams and beam path adjusters disposed in each of the optical paths of the beams and controlled by outputs from the detectors, of which photodetecting regions are changed as described later, so that the spacing between the scanning beams is varied.

FIG. 1 is an overall structural diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed structural diagram showing a light detector system for use in the present invention for detecting and controlling the beam position and spacing;

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of the scanning control system for operating the apparatus of the present invention; and

FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g and 4h show time charts indicating operations in the present invention.

In the light beam scanning apparatus of the present invention, it is adapted such that intensity of each beam emitted from each of a plurality of light sources is modulated in accordance with recorded information and the beams are scanned on a scanned plane in parallel with the spacing between the modulating beams kept constant. At this time, corresponding to prescribed pixel density, modulating frequency of light intensity is adjusted to provide suitable pixel density in the scanning direction and the value of scanning speed is adjusted to provide suitable pixel density in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. Further, by the provision of the detectors for detecting the spacing between the beams and the adjusters for adjusting the optical path of each beam, the beam spacing can be controlled so as to obtain suitable values on the scanned plane in accordance with prescribed pixel density (for example, such values that provide uniform pixel density both in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction on the picture), and therefore multi-beam scanning adapted for changed pixel density can be achieved. Thereby, letters and patterns can be recorded in high quality at all times. Further, the aforesaid adjustments can be made quickly in a stabilized manner.

The present invention will be described below according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Two light sources 1a and 1b emitting linearly polarized light beams are used with the polarization direction of each light beam virtually put in orthogonal arrangement with respect to each other (P and S polarization). Beams 4a and 4b emitted from the light sources are led into a polarizing beam splitter 5 through lenses 2a, 2b and mirrors 3a, 3b provided with beam path adjusters 211, 212 (which adjust the optical paths, for example, through such mechanism as rotary drive members attached to the mirrors 3a, 3b driven by outputs 331, 332 of differential amplifiers 221, 222). The beam splitter 5 performs a function of allowing the P-polarized light to go straight on and to deflect the S-polarized light through a right angle, and hence, the beams 4a and 4b, after passing through the beam splitter 5, advance virtually in the same direction that is parallel to each other. Then, they are deflected by a rotating polygonal mirror 6 driven by motor 7, as their deflecting means and passed through a scanning lens 8 so as to make parallel beam scanning on a scanned plane 9 as scanning lines 141 and 142.

The scanning beam detector 15 is for indicating the scan starting position for each beam scanning. Signals h.sub.1, h.sub.2 are output from this detector 15, corresponding to the two beams, separated by distributor 41, and respectively passed to synchronizers 451, 452, and each is used as a sync signal at the time when data for recording (printing) are delivered.

Here, the spacing d between the scanning lines 141 and 142 must be maintained at a suitable value corresponding to a prescribed pixel density. To achieve this, portions of incident beams 4a and 4b on the beam splitter 5 are taken out of it as beams for control 101 and 102 and introduced into a detector 13, composed of beam position detectors 111 and 112. The detectors, as shown in FIG. 2, are each of the arrangement basically divided into two sections in the direction of lines 141, 142 perpendicular to the scanning direction, and adapted such that illumination power on both sides of the boundary of the divisional area between the sections are photoelectrically converted and taken out as electrical signals. Then, the signals are supplied to differential amplifiers 221 and 222 so that differential signals 331, 332 are produced to be supplied to beam path adjusters 211 and 212, whereby orientations of the mirrors 3a and 3b are adjusted so that the differential signals 331, 332 may be kept to zero at all times, and thus, the beams for control 101 and 102 can be steadily kept in positions in the center of the respective boundary of divisional area between the sections of the detectors 111 and 112.

Now, suppose, in the detector 111 shown in FIG. 2, that a terminal C of a lead wire is terminal B, and the output 331 resulting from the spot 601 is kept to zero, while, in the detector 112, that the output 332 resulting from the spot 602 is kept to zero. In that event, since the detectors 111 and 112 are put in such relative positions as to bring the spacing d between the scanning beams on the scanned plane 9 into being as shown in FIG. 1, the beams for control 101 and 102 are held stabilized and the spacing d between the scanning beams at this time can be kept constant as will be explained later in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing structure of scanning control system 24 (which is also shown in FIG. 1) for driving the above described optical system. Operation for changing pixel density is started by a dot density transfer command 17 from a control electronics system 16.

Now, when a moving speed of the scanned plane 9 perpendicular to lines 141, 142 is keep constant, operations for changing pixel density both in the beam scanning direction of lines 141 and in the direction perpendicular thereto will be consdered in the following.

First, in the scanning direction, the change in pixel density is achieved by adjusting the pulse width for beam intensity modulation on the pixel signal thereby changing the exposed area. Signals 301 and 302 therefor are delivered from the scanning control system 24 to the intensity modulators 201 and 202. At this time, either of oscillation frequencies f D.sub.1 and f D.sub.2 from oscillators 431 and 432 is selected by a selector 44 in response to the dot density transfer command 17. Then, data for printing (recording) 301, 302 from memories of recording data 421 and 422 are delivered, at the selected frequencies, by synchronizers to their respective intensity modulators 201 and 202, whereby the laser beams are turned on/off at prescribed rates to control pixel color intensity.

In order to change the pixel density in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction, the number of revolutions of the rotating polygonal mirror 6 for deflecting the beams of light must be changed.

To achieve this, either of frequencies f M.sub.1 and f M.sub.2 from oscillators 461, 462 for driving the rotating polygonal mirror is selected by selector 47 within the scanning control system 24 in response to the dot density transfer command 17, and this selected frequency is passed through a driving pulse circuit 48. Therein, a clock pulse 32 for controlling the rotating speed is generated to operate a polygon mirror motor driver 23 so that a suitable rotating speed is obtained to attain a prescribed number of scans within a time period.

When a plurality of beams, two beams 141 and 142 in FIG. 1, for example, perform scanning at the same time, the spacing d between the plural scanning beams must be changed by the amount (which is preset) corresponding to the change in the pixel density. This is achieved by moving the boundary of divisional area (between either of 53 and 54, to be described later) of one detector 111 of those for detecting beam position in accordance with the spacing between the scanning beams.

The above mentioned operation is also performed through the scanning control system 24 in response to the dot density transfer command 17. A detector system to perform the operation is shown in FIG. 2. Illustrated is the case where the spacing d between beams is varied in two ways.

The detector 111 is for the beam 101 and detects the position of its spot 601. The detector 111 is constructed of five divisions of photodetecting elements 511 to 515. Of these elements, 511 and 512 as well as 514 and 515 are respectively electrically coupled through lead wires 56 and 57, to terminals A and B which in turn are coupled with a differential amplifier 221'. Meanwhile, the terminal C of a lead wire of the photodetecting element 513 is adapted to be selectively connected to either terminal A or B according to a signal 31 from the scanning control system 24. Preferably, signal 31 is the same as the dot density transfer command 17. When C is connected with A, the detector 111 functions as a divided-in-two detector with the boundary of divisional area 53 serving as the dividing line. By servo control corresponding to the differential signal 331 provided at this time, from differential amplifier 221' the beam spot comes to a stabilized state when it is positioned as shown by dotted line 611 on the detector 111 in FIG. 2. Meanwhile, as to the detector 112 being formed of divided-in-two photodetecting elements 521 and 522, the beam spot 602 is stabilized thereon corresponding to the differential signal 332 from differential amplifier 222', when it has the boundary of divisional area 58 serving as the dividing line in its center. At this time, the distance between the boundary of divisional area 53 and 58 of the two detectors is P.sub.2, and corresponding to this value, the spacing d between the scanning beams 141 and 142 on the scanned plane is determined. Then, when C is connected with terminal B in response to the signal 31 from the scanning control system 24, the detector 111 functions as a divided-in-two detector having the boundary of divisional area 54 as the dividing line. The beam spot is now stabilized at the position 601 by the servo control dependent on the differential signal 331 at this time from differential amplifier 221'. Then, the distance between the two beam spots becomes P.sub.1, and corresponding to which, the beam spacing d on the scanned plane can take another value.

Although the above embodiment as shown in FIG. 2 uses five independent photodetector elements for the divided photodetector elements, the present invention is also applicable to more than three independent photodetector elements for the divided photodetector elements.

As described above, when pixel density or printing dot density is changed in multi-beam scanning, the scanning beam spacing can always be maintained at a suitable value.

FIG. 4 shows time charts relating to operations of the scanning optical system of the present invention.

FIG. 4a shows states of two kinds of pixel densities (including dot density) S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 of which either one is selected. FIG. 4b shows the state of connection of the photodetecting element 513 of the detector 111 for controlling the beam position in FIG. 2, which occurs in succession to the state of the FIG. 4a (corresponding to the signal 31). FIG. 4c shows the state of the driving frequency f M.sub.1 or f M.sub.2 of the rotating polygonal mirror 6, which occurs following the state of FIG. 4a (corresponding to signal 32). Also, the laser modulating frequency f D.sub.1 and f D.sub.2 is similarly selected. FIGS. 4d and 4e show laser modulating signals (corresponding to signals 301 and 302). Of the same, the portion denoted by m, m' shows signal waveforms of the pattern to be recorded (printed) and the modulating frequency is f D.sub.1 or f D.sub.2. The scanning period K/fM is determined in a fixed proportion to the number of revolutions of the rotating polygonal mirror and K is the constant for that proportion. The portion denoted by g, g' is that where a laser is turned on (lighted) for detecting the beam position for each scanning. FIG. 4f shows the signal output waveform from the scanning beam detector 15 as a sync signal for determining the delivery timing of the dot signal representing the recording (printing) pattern. FIGS. 4g and 4h show sampling and holding times (corresponding to signals 331 and 332) of the sampled-data control system used for stabilizing the scanning beam spacing, in which TS.sub.1 and TS.sub.2 indicate sampling periods and TH.sub.1 and TH.sub.2 indicate holding periods. While the laser is turned on in the vicinity of the scanning starting position (TS, corresponding to g, g' in FIG. 4d, 4e), detection and control of the scanning beam spacing is performed, and this state is maintained during the period following it (TH), and these operations are repeated for each scanning.

As a concrete example of the beam path adjuster 211, 212, one employing electromagnetic drive represented by a galvano mirror or a piezoelectric element for minute adjustment of the mirror or the like being widely known may be used.

Further, when it becomes necessary to change the beam spot diameter depending on the value of the pixel density, such means as a beam power adjuster may be used combined with the present invention.

Although the case where two beams are used for scanning was described above, the present invention is applicable to beam scanning using more than two beams.

The present invention, as described so far, is provided with means to change the scanning beam spacing to prescribed values and to maintain the value in a stabilized manner in performing multi-beam scanning with the use of a plurality of light sources, and therefore, it can change pixel density or printing dot density using the same arrangement to thereby produce a high quality image at all times for image formation. Besides, these operations can be achieved without requiring troublesome adjustments such as mechanical adjustment but can be achieved through electrical adjustment. Since the adjustments can be performed relatively easily requiring no sophisticated adjustments, a great effect is obtained that a high-performance and easily operable light beam scanning apparatus can be provided.

While a preferred embodiment has been set forth along with modifications and variations to show specific advantageous details of the present invention, further embodiments, modifications and variations are contemplated within the broader aspects of the present invention, all as set forth by the spirit and scope of the following claims.