IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
US006552855B1
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: us 6,552,855 Bi
Kowarz et al. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 22,2003
(54) IMAGE-FORMING SYSTEM WITH ENHANCED GRAY LEVELS
(75) Inventors: Marek W. Kowarz, Henrietta, NY
(US); John C. Brazas, Jr., Hilton, NY
(US)
(73) Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 10/184,280
(22) Filed: Jun. 27, 2002
Related U.S. Application Data
(62) Division of application No. 09/993,034, filed on Nov. 6, 2001.
(51) Int. CI.7 G02B 27/10
(52) U.S. CI 359/627; 359/618
(58) Field of Search 359/618, 627,
359/385, 387, 485, 487, 483; 382/162, 199, 181; 348/625, 252
An image-forming system with enhanced gray levels, including: a primary beam of light having a primary intensity value; a secondary beam of light having a secondary intensity value significantly less than the primary intensity value; a first modulator array of discrete devices receiving the primary beam of light and producing an output with coarse gray levels; a second modulator array of discrete devices receiving the secondary beam of light and producing an output with fine gray levels; a controller for synchronously controlling the first and the second modulator array; and optics that combine the output with fine gray levels and the output with coarse gray levels to form an image with the enhanced gray levels.
9 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
