Color filter configurations for linear photosensor arrays
An imaging apparatus, such as would be used in a digital copier, includes at least one linear array of photosensors. Along a direction of the array, the photosensors are filtered to different primary colors, such as RGB, according to a repeating pattern. The repeating pattern includes at least one substantially clear photosensor, or a photosensor sensitive to a non-primary color (K). Some possible repeating patterns thus include RGBK, RKB, BKRK, and RGBGKG.
1 . An imaging apparatus, comprising
a first linear array of photosensors arranged along an array direction;
the photosensors exhibiting a repeating pattern along the array direction, the repeating pattern including a first photosensor filtered to a first primary color, a second photosensor filtered to a second primary color, and a non-primary photosensor.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the repeating pattern further including a third photosensor filtered to a third primary color.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the repeating pattern further including a third photosensor filtered to the second primary color.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second primary color is green.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern includes only the first photosensor, the second photosensor, and the non-primary photosensor.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first primary color is red and the second primary color is blue.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
means for moving a substrate relative to the linear array along a process direction, and
wherein the array direction is substantially perpendicular to the process direction.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a second linear array of photosensors, parallel to the first linear array, the photosensors of the second linear array exhibiting a repeating pattern along the array direction identical to the repeating pattern of the first linear array.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , the pattern in the second linear array being offset relative to the pattern in the first linear array.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising
a third linear array of photosensors, parallel to the first linear array, the photosensors of the third linear array exhibiting a repeating pattern along the array direction identical to the repeating pattern of the first linear array.
11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , the pattern in the third linear array being offset relative to the repeating pattern in the second linear array.
12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising
a fourth linear array of photosensors, parallel to the first linear array, the photosensors of the third linear array exhibiting a repeating pattern along the array direction identical to the repeating pattern of the first linear array.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , the pattern in the fourth linear array being offset relative to the repeating pattern in the third linear array.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-primary photosensor is clear.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-primary photosensor is filtered orange.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-primary photosensor is filtered blue-green.
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern assigns filtering for six photosensors.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein three of the photosensors in the repeating pattern are filtered green.