The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 1997
Filed:
May. 03, 1995
Eduard Wagensonner, Aschheim, DE;
AGFA-Gevaert AG - Fototechnik, Munich, DE;
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.