Polaroid Corporation

Bruce K Johnson

George D Whiteside

Philip D Chapnik

Donald H Hendry

David E Van Allen

John B Morse

Arthur G LaRocque

Kenneth J Launie

Alfredo G Kniazzeh

Philip G Baker

Chin-Loo Lama

Igor Blinow

Margaret A Obermiller

Robert M Goward

Joanne M Krawczyk

Magaret A Obermiller

Unhyi Yang

Stephen D Fantone

Peter F Costa

Fred M Finnemore

Richard G Egan

Conrad H Biber

Andrew S Ivester

John H Betts

Charles W Triggs

Joseph DelPico

John B Millard

Donald G Josephson

Judy Bagdis

Anthony J Schettino

Joseph F Deck

Irving Laskin

Kenneth P Black

Juan Estevez

Bruce C Vierstra

Frederick M Finnemore

Joseph J Abbadessa

An electronic camera utilizing a reflective flat panel display for printing and/or viewing images in disclosed herein. One such electronic camera comprises the following components: (a) an electronic image acquisition assembly for capturing an image and converting it into digital information; (b) a reflective liquid crystal microdisplay for producing a reflection image in response to said digital information; and (c) an optical system for directing the reflection image produced by the reflective liquid crystal microdisplay toward, and thereby imagewise exposing, photosensitive imaging film loaded in the camera. An advantage of employing a reflective flat panel display for exposing film in such an electronic camera is that the reflective flat panel display can be used also as a means for viewing or previewing digitally captured images.

Electronic camera employing reflective flat panel display for viewing and printing images

A readily portable imaging system for use in the field and, more particularly to an electronic camera and electronic printer housed and readily connectable with respect to each other in the field, and wherein the electronic printer includes a film unit drive assembly that advances the film unit (self-developing type) past a stationary print head for emitting consecutive lines of image data on the film unit to effect progressive exposure on the film unit simultaneously as a fluid spread system spreads the processing fluid over the film unit to effect processing of exposed portions of the film unit.

Film unit drive assembly for a detachable electronic photographic printer and camera

The present invention provides in one aspect, a method of controlling a SLM comprising the following steps: providing a sequential color SLM controller, and a SLM; providing a means whereby said sequential color SLM controller loads optimum values for a single color into control registers of said SLM, during all the field time slots of each video frame; also causing said SLM to modulate light of said single color, during said field time slots of each video frame, whereby the duty cycle for display of said color is increased relative to operation in a normal sequential color mode. Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for controlling a SLM comprising a single color SLM controller, a SLM, and a means for causing said single color SLM controller to load optimum values for a single color into control registers of said SLM during all the field time slots of each video frame; wherein said SLM is caused to modulate light of said single color, during said field time slots of each video frame, whereby the duty cycle for display of said color is increased relative to operation with a sequential color SLM controller in a sequential color mode. Another aspect of the current invention is a method for controlling a sequential color SLM with programmable grayscale characteristics comprising providing a programmable grayscale SLM; and programming the grayscale characteristic of said SLM to implement a grayscale characteristic that is adapted for printing onto photosensitive medium.

System for printing with programmable spatial light modulator and method

A photographic processing fluid spread system, for use with integral type self-processable film unit, by which the thickness of a layer of processing fluid is controlled and restricted in a uniform manner as the processing fluid is spread across preselected portions of the film unit, while the film unit is also simultaneously being progressively exposed and advanced.

Processing fluid spread system for an electronic photographic printer and camera and related method thereof

An optical system is disclosed that minimizes drop-off problems associated with the process of imaging a small light source to a line. In one embodiment, a singly-curved primary mirror is used to maintain a substantially constant magnification factor of the optical system. In another embodiment, the small light source projects radiation through a cylindrical optical component that partially collimates the light, prior to the light impinging upon a doubly-curved primary mirror. Additional embodiments are shown that combine the cylindrical lens with a Schmidt plate, include an optional aperture stop, and include an optional spatial light modulator, as well as embodiments which vary the positioning of the elements in the optical system along the optical path.

Optical system for use in a photographic printer

An electronic photographic printer having a film unit drive assembly that advances the film unit (self-developing type) past a stationary print head for emitting consecutive lines of image data on the film unit to effect progressive exposure on the film unit simultaneously as a fluid spread system spreads the processing fluid over the film unit to effect processing of exposed portions of the film unit.

Film unit drive assembly for an electronic photographic printer and camera and related method thereof

A readily portable imaging system for use in the field and, more particularly, to an electronic camera and electronic printer housed and readily connectable with respect to each other in the field, and wherein the electronic printer comprises a photographic processing fluid spread system, for use with integral type self-processible film unit, by which the thickness of a layer of processing fluid is controlled and restricted in a uniform manner as the processing fluid is spread across preselected portions of the film unit, while the film unit is also simultaneously being exposed and advanced.

Processing fluid spread system for a detachable electronic photographic printer and camera

An optical printer is disclosed which detects photo speed, cartridge presence, pick location and door closure using only two sets of photo detectors. The disclosed optical printer uses a low-profile gear and switching mechanism which allows placement of the optical printer within a standard computer bay.

Retractable print medium tray for use in an optical printer

An optical system is disclosed wherein an illumination device is used to project colored light into a lens and focus through a spatial light modulator onto a photosensitive medium wherein the illumination device is configured so as to produce a uniform light distribution through the use of an aperture stop, a symmetrical placement of solid state light sources such as LEDs, or by LEDs fabricated such that the top surface emitting the colored light is not obstructed by an electrode or contacts connecting the light-emitting diode to a current source. Such a configuration is accomplished by providing a substantially transparent attachment layer that may include an opaque conductive material, but preferably includes transparent conductive particles that, in combination, attach and electrically connect the LED to a first electrode disposed upon a substrate. The light source is configured and spaced so as to allow incorporation of the light source into a print head, such that the print head can expose a photosensitive medium and focus down to produce a relatively uniform strip of light. The print head remains in relative motion with the photosensitive medium and allows for a delayed printing of some of the color information of each uniform strip of light. The spacing employed in the lighting device separating light-emitting diodes is as precisely defined so as to ensure overlay of each of the colors red, green and blue on each line of the photosensitive medium.

Optical system for transmitting a graphical image

An illumination device configured so as to produce a uniform illumination distribution incorporating one or more LEDs fabricated such that the top surface emitting the colored light is not obstructed by an electrode or by contacts connecting the LED to a current source. Such a configuration is accomplished by providing a substantially transparent attachment layer that may include an opaque conductive material, but preferably includes transparent conductive particles that, in combination, attach and electrically connect the LED to an electrode disposed upon a substrate.

Light-emitting diode having uniform irradiance distribution

A spatial light modulator for use in a optical printer where the spatial light modulator includes a plurality of cells, having a shape that is defined to decrease artifacts in an image produced on a recording medium by the optical printer. The shape of the plurality of cells merges a portion of the optical radiation passing through an individual cell of the spatial light modulator with optical radiation from that of adjacent cell to form a pixel on the recording medium. In one implementation each of the cells of the spatial light modulator independently modulate the optical radiation so as to print horizontally-displaced pixels. When LEDs are used as the colored light source, the light is either first diffused to minimize shadows from electrical contacts on the LEDs, thus removing linear artifacts in the image.

Apparatus for reducing linear artifacts in an optically-printed image

An optical system is disclosed wherein an arcuate mirror is used to redirect light in a compact optical printing system in which a cylindrical lens is used to converge light over a predetermined distance so that light transmission through air is enabled.

An optical printer, suitable for use in printing upon a recording medium, includes a tubular compensator disposed between a print head and the recording medium. The print head directs an elongated exposing beam through the compensator to impinge upon the medium, and the beam effects a line exposure across the medium. A transport device introduces relative motion between the medium and the print head during a line exposure by the beam. The relative motion is perpendicular to the exposure line and introduces a smear to each exposure line as well as an overlap between exposure lines. The tubular compensator includes inner and outer cylindrical surfaces having centers of curvature displaced relative to each other resulting in a wedge-like cross-section to a wall of the tubular compensator. The wedge angle varies with rotation of the compensator to provide for a linear deflection of the beam during a line exposure by the beam, thereby offsetting the advancement of the medium during the line exposure.

Printer with exposure-line compensator

Compact folding photographic camera

A compact folding camera having a plurality of housing members which are mounted for movement between folded and erect positions includes a six-bar, revolute joint, erecting system for coordinating movement of these movable housing members between their folded and erect positions.

Growing community of inventors

Andover, MA, United States of America

Bruce K Johnson