JP2000209398A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the quality of read image data from deteriorating owing to the quantity of illumination light from a light source by using simple constitution and control. SOLUTION: The kind of a photographic film 22 to be read which is set on a film carrier 38 is specified according to the kind of an extension box 40 and the voltage value of a voltage applied to a lamp 32 is set selectively among predetermined voltage values according to the kind (size) of the photographic film 22. The application of this voltage allows the lamp 32 to emit the illumination light by a proper quantity corresponding to the kind of the photographic film 22 and the illumination light is passed through the diffusion box 40 and transmitted through the photographic film 22; and the transmitted light is photodetected by a line CCD 116 through a lens unit 50, etc., to obtain image data of high quality.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, and more particularly, to an image reading apparatus that reads an image recorded on a document to be read such as a photographic film using illumination light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a film image recorded on a photographic material such as a photographic film (hereinafter simply referred to as a photographic film) is separated into R, G, and B component colors and read. A photographic processing method has been proposed in which image processing such as various corrections is performed on image data obtained, and thereafter, an image is recorded on a recording material, an image is displayed on a display, and the like. Here, the photographic film is a film in which a negative image or a positive image is visualized after the subject is photographed and developed.

In an image reading apparatus used when reading a film image by this type of photographic processing method, generally, light is irradiated from a light source to the photographic film, and transmitted light from the photographic film is imaged. A film image recorded on a photographic film is read as image data by an image sensor (image sensor) such as a line CCD or an area CCD provided at an image forming position.

By the way, photographic films include 135 size, 110 size, 240 size, 120 size, and 22 size.
There are many types having different dimensions such as 0 size, and in an image reading apparatus for reading a film image recorded on a photographic film as described above, a photographic film having an illumination area of illumination light emitted from a light source as an object to be read is used. It was switched according to the type.

On the other hand, as a technique for adjusting the amount of illumination light for illuminating a document to be read, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-19775 discloses a technique.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 3-114208 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-114208, the amount of light emitted from the light source is detected and fed back to finely adjust the voltage value of the voltage applied to the light source, thereby realizing the light amount of the light source in real time. Was fine-tuned.

[0006]

However, in the above-described image reading apparatus for reading a film image, as described above, the illumination area of the illumination light emitted from the light source is switched according to the type of the photographic film to be read. Therefore, if the amount of illumination light emitted from the light source is constant regardless of the type of photographic film, when reading a film image of a photographic film with a large dimension and when reading a film image of a photographic film with a small dimension Thus, there has been a problem that the amount of illumination light applied to the photographic film differs, and the quality of image data obtained by image reading differs for each type of photographic film.

That is, when the amount of illumination light from the light source is set so that high quality image data can be obtained for a certain type of photographic film, high quality image data is obtained for other types of photographic film. Can not do.

In order to solve such a problem, the amount of light emitted from a light source is adjusted by adjusting a light amount adjusting aperture provided on the optical axis of the emitted light according to the type of photographic film. A method of controlling the image reading speed or the like can be considered, but in this case, there is a problem that the control is complicated.

On the other hand, in the techniques described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 9-197573 and 9-114208, as described above, the amount of light emitted from the light source is detected and fed back to be applied to the light source. Since the light amount of the light source was finely adjusted in real time by finely adjusting the voltage value of the voltage, the color temperature of the illumination light from the light source changed each time this fine adjustment was performed, and the spectral characteristics changed slightly. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the quality of the resulting image data at a high quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can prevent the quality of read image data from deteriorating due to the amount of illumination light from a light source with a simple configuration and control. It is an object to provide an image reading device.

[0011]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus for illuminating an original to be read on which an image is recorded with a light amount corresponding to a value of an applied voltage. Setting means for setting a voltage of any of a plurality of predetermined voltage values; voltage applying means for applying the set voltage to the light source; and And an image sensor for decomposing the image into a plurality of pixels, reading the image, and outputting the image data as image data.

According to the image reading apparatus of the first aspect,
A document to be read on which an image is recorded is illuminated by a light source with a light amount corresponding to the value of the applied voltage.

[0013] Here, the voltage of any one of a plurality of predetermined voltage values is set by the setting means,
The set voltage is applied to the light source by voltage applying means. Therefore, the document to be read is illuminated with illumination light of an amount corresponding to the voltage value set by the setting means out of the predetermined plurality of voltage values. The original to be read includes a transparent original such as a photographic film and a reflective original such as a photographic print.

Further, the image recorded on the document to be read is decomposed into a plurality of pixels by the image sensor, read and output as image data. Note that the image sensor includes a line CCD, an area CCD, and a photoelectric conversion element other than the CCD.

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the first aspect, a plurality of voltages to be applied to the light source for illuminating the original to be read are determined in advance, and the values of the plurality of voltages are determined from the plurality of voltages. Since any one of the values is selectively set, it is possible to use a simple configuration and control to make the amount of illumination light suitable for the document to be read, and as a result, the reading caused by the amount of illumination light from the light source can be performed. It is possible to prevent the quality of the image data from deteriorating.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the setting means sets the voltage in accordance with the size of the document to be read.

According to the image reading apparatus of the second aspect,
The value of the voltage applied to the light source is set according to the size of the document to be read by the setting means according to the first aspect of the present invention. If the document to be read is, for example, a photographic film,
The larger the size of the document to be read, the larger the area of the image to be read (in this case, a film image), and it is necessary to widen the illumination area by the illumination light from the light source. Therefore, as the size of the document to be read is larger, the amount of illumination light from the light source needs to be increased, and the value of the voltage applied to the light source needs to be increased. Therefore, in the invention according to claim 2, the value of the voltage applied to the light source is set according to the size of the document to be read.

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the second aspect, since the value of the voltage applied to the light source is set according to the size of the original to be read, the read target can be obtained with a simple configuration and control. Illumination light having a suitable light amount according to the size of the document can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to prevent the quality of the read image data from deteriorating due to the light amount of the illumination light from the light source.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the setting means sets the voltage in accordance with the amount of illumination light from the light source.

According to the image reading apparatus of the third aspect,
The value of the voltage applied to the light source is set according to the amount of illumination light from the light source by the setting means in the first aspect of the present invention.

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the third aspect, the same effect as that of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and the value of the voltage applied to the light source can be reduced by the illumination light from the light source. Since the setting is made according to the light amount of the illumination light, the light amount of the illumination light can be maintained in a suitable state even when the light amount of the illumination light from the light source fluctuates for some reason.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects.
One of the plurality of voltage values is smaller than a voltage value set when an image of the document to be read is read.

According to the image reading apparatus of the fourth aspect,
In one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, one of the plurality of voltage values is set to a value smaller than the voltage value set when an image of a document to be read is read. In general, the light source has a shorter life as the value of the applied voltage is larger. Therefore, the life of the light source can be extended as the value of the voltage applied to the light source decreases. Therefore, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, one of the plurality of voltage values in the first to third aspects is set to a value smaller than a voltage value set when an image of a document to be read is read. Thus, by setting the value at times other than the time of image reading, the life of the light source can be extended.

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the fourth aspect, the same effects as those of the first to third aspects can be obtained, and one of the plurality of voltage values can be obtained. One of them is smaller than the value of the voltage set at the time of reading the image of the document to be read, so that the life of the light source can be extended.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.
It is characterized in that the values of the plurality of voltages are at least half the rated voltage of the light source.

According to the image reading apparatus of the fifth aspect,
According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the values of the plurality of voltages are at least half the rated voltage of the light source. When the light source is constituted by a halogen lamp, the halogen lamp is more likely to be blackened or to break down when a voltage smaller than one half of the rated voltage is applied. Therefore, claim 5
In the invention described in the claims, the values of the plurality of voltages in the inventions of the first to fourth aspects are set to values equal to or more than half the rated voltage of the light source.

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the fifth aspect, the same effects as those of the first to fourth aspects of the invention can be obtained, and the values of the plurality of voltages correspond to the rated values of the light source. Since the value is equal to or more than half of the voltage, blackening of the light source and failure can be prevented.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a line CCD scanner 14,
The line CCD scanner 14 is provided on a work table 27 provided with an image processing unit 16, a mouse 20, two types of keyboards 12A and 12B, and a display 18.

The keyboard 12A is used for the work table 2
7 is buried in the work surface 27U. When the other keyboard 12B is not in use, the drawer 2 of the work table 27 is used.
4 and, when used, removed from drawer 24,
It overlaps on one keyboard 12A. At this time, the cord of the keyboard 12B is connected to the jack 110 connected to the image processing unit 16.

The cord of the mouse 20 is connected to the image processing unit 16 through a hole 108 provided in the work table 27. The mouse 20 is a mouse holder 20A when not in use.
When used, it is taken out from the mouse holder 20A and placed on the work surface 27U.

The image processing section 16 is stored in a storage section 16 A provided on a work table 27, and is closed by an opening / closing door 25. The image processing unit 16 can be taken out by opening the door 25.

The line CCD scanner 14 is for reading a film image recorded on a photographic film such as a negative film or a reversal film (positive film).
Size photographic film and photographic film on which a transparent magnetic layer is formed (240 size photographic film: so-called AP
S film), 120 size and 220 size (hereinafter, referred to as
A film image of a photographic film having a brownie size can be read. The line CCD scanner 14 converts the film image to be read into a line CCD
And output image data.

The photographic films to be read are 135-, 110-, and 240-size photographic films each having a width of 35 mm or less, and 120-size photographic films each having a width of approximately 60 mm. And 220-size photographic films (Broni-size photographic films).

The image processing section 16 receives image data output from the line CCD scanner 14 and performs various types of correction and other image processing on the input image data to obtain image data for recording. Output to a laser printer (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
The optical system of the scanner 14 includes a light source unit 30 disposed below the work table 27, a diffusion box 40 set on the work table 27, a film carrier 38 set on the work table 27, and a light source A reading unit 43 is provided on the opposite side of the unit 30.

The light source unit 30 is accommodated in a metal casing 31, and a lamp 32 composed of a halogen lamp is disposed inside the casing 31. The lamp 32 is held on an XY stage (not shown) that is movable in two directions, that is, the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the photographic film 22 and the width direction of the photographic film 22.
The position of the ramp 32 can be finely adjusted by moving the position of the Y stage.

A reflector 33 is provided around the lamp 32, and a part of the light emitted from the lamp 32 is reflected by the reflector 33 and emitted in a certain direction.

A plurality of fans 34 are provided beside the reflector 33. The fan 34 is operated while the lamp 32 is on, and prevents the inside of the casing 31 from being overheated.

The light exit side of the reflector 33 cuts light having wavelengths in the ultraviolet and infrared regions along the optical axis L of the light emitted from the reflector 33, thereby preventing a chemical change of the photographic film 22 and UV / IR cut filter 35 and lamp 32 to prevent temperature rise and improve reading accuracy
Aperture 39 for adjusting the amount of light from the light source and the light emitted from the reflector 33, and the photographic film 22 and the reading unit 43
The turret 36 (in which a balance filter 36N for a negative film and a balance filter 36P for a reversal film) in which a color component of light reaching the photographic film is appropriately set in accordance with the type of the photographic film (negative film / reversal film). (See also FIG. 4B).

The turret described above (FIG. 4)
(See FIG. 5 (B).) As shown in FIG. 5, a turret 36C for a cyan filter that absorbs red light, a turret 36M for a magenta filter that absorbs green light, and a turret 36M for a yellow filter that absorbs blue light. Turret 36
Y may be used. The turret 36C includes a plurality of cyan filters 36C1, 36C2, 36 having different densities.
C3 is fitted. The cyan filter 36C
The density increases in the order of 1, 36C2, 36C3.
The other turrets 36M and 36Y have the same configuration. And each turret 36C, 36M, 36Y
Are rotatably supported such that the selected filters of each turret overlap on the optical axis L.

The stop 39 is composed of a pair of plate members arranged with the optical axis L interposed therebetween, and is slidable so that the pair of plate members approaches and separates from each other. As shown in FIG.
A pair of plate members of the aperture 39 has a notch 39A at one end side so that a cross-sectional area along a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction continuously changes from one end side along the sliding direction to the other end side. The notches 39A are formed so as to face each other.

In the above configuration, a filter (36N, 36N,
36P) is located on the optical axis L, and the amount of light passing through the stop 39 is finely adjusted to a desired light amount depending on the position of the stop 39.

The length of the diffusion box 40 in the conveying direction of the photographic film 22 conveyed by the film carrier 38 becomes narrower toward the upper part, that is, closer to the photographic film 22 (see FIG. 2). The width (in the width direction of the photographic film 22) perpendicular to the direction (see FIG. 3) is increased.

The diffusion box 40 is for a brownie-sized photographic film. However, the other diffusion box is a diffusion box for a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less in the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment. (Not shown) is also provided. Since the width of a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less is smaller than the width of a photographic film having a brownie size, the diffusion box for a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less is smaller than the diffusion box 40 for a photographic film having a brownie size. The length in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is configured to be short.

Light diffusing plates (not shown) are attached to the light incident side and the light emitting side of each diffusion box, respectively.

The light incident on the diffusion box is directed to a film carrier 38 (ie, photographic film 22).
The light is converted into slit light whose longitudinal direction is the width direction of the photographic film 22, and is diffused by a light diffusion plate and emitted. In this manner, the light emitted from the brownie-sized photographic film diffusion box 40 or the photographic film diffusion box (not shown) having a size of 35 mm or less is used as the diffused light, so that the photographic film 22 is irradiated. The light quantity unevenness of light is reduced, the film image is irradiated with a uniform amount of slit light, and even if the film image is scratched, the scratches become less noticeable.

Each diffusion box is provided with a projection 40A at a different position for each diffusion box, and a micro switch 40B is provided at a position corresponding to the projection 40A when the diffusion box is set on the work table 27. The image reading apparatus is configured so that the type of the diffusion box set on the work table 27 can be specified by the combination of the ON / OFF states of the microswitch 40B.

The film carrier 38 is prepared for each type of the photographic film 22 to be read. The film carrier 38 is selected according to the photographic film 22 and set on the work table 27.

At the positions corresponding to the optical axis L on the upper and lower surfaces of the film carrier 38, elongated openings (not shown) longer than the width of the photographic film 22 are provided in the width direction of the photographic film 22. The slit light from the diffusion box is applied to the photographic film 22 through the opening provided on the lower surface of the film carrier 38, and the transmitted light of the photographic film 22 passes through the opening provided on the upper surface of the film carrier 38. And reaches the reading unit 43.

The film carrier 38 is provided with a guide (not shown) for guiding the photographic film 22 so as to be curved at a position (reading position) where the slit light from the diffusion box is irradiated. Thereby, the flatness of the photographic film 22 at the reading position is ensured.

The diffusion box is supported by the work table 27 so that the upper surface approaches the reading position. Therefore, a notch is provided on the lower surface of the film carrier 38 so that the diffusion box does not interfere with the film carrier 38 when the film carrier 38 is loaded.

In the image reading apparatus according to this embodiment, when reading a film image, a preliminary reading (hereinafter, referred to as a pre-scanning) for reading the film image at a relatively high speed and with low definition using the film carrier 38 is performed. ), And based on the image data obtained by the pre-scan, a reading condition and a fine scan for performing a main scan (hereinafter, referred to as a fine scan) for reading a film image at a relatively low speed and a high definition. Determines the processing conditions of various image processing for the image data obtained by the above, performs the fine scan under the determined reading conditions, and performs the image processing based on the determined processing conditions on the image data obtained by the fine scan. ing.

Therefore, the film carrier 38 is configured to be able to convey the photographic film 22 at a plurality of speeds according to the density of a film image to be fine-scanned during pre-scanning or fine scanning.

An optical sensor 118 is provided between the reflector 33 and the diaphragm 39, so that the image reading device can detect the amount of illumination light at any time.

The reading section 43 is disposed in a state housed inside the casing 44. A mounting table 4 having a line CCD 116 mounted on the upper surface thereof is provided inside the casing 44.
The lens barrel 49 is hung from the mounting table 47. A lens unit 50 is supported inside the lens barrel 49 so as to be slidable in a direction A in which the work table 27 approaches and separates from the work table 27 for zooming such as reduction and enlargement.

A support frame 45 is provided upright on the work table 27. The mounting table 47 is mounted on the guide rail 42 attached to the support frame 45 to secure the conjugate length at the time of the above-described zooming and autofocusing.
Is supported so as to be slidable in a direction B approaching and moving away from the camera.

The lens unit 50 includes a plurality of lenses, and a lens diaphragm 51 is provided between the plurality of lenses. As shown in FIG. 4C, the lens diaphragm 51 includes a plurality of diaphragm plates 51A formed in a substantially C shape. Each of the diaphragm plates 51A is evenly arranged around the optical axis L, and one end is pivotally supported by a pin, and is rotatable about the pin. The plurality of aperture plates 51A are connected via a link (not shown), and rotate in the same direction when a driving force of a lens aperture drive motor (described later) is transmitted. With the rotation of the diaphragm plate 51A, a portion that is not shielded by the diaphragm plate 51A about the optical axis L (FIG. 4).
The area of the (substantially star-shaped portion in (C)) changes, and the amount of light passing through the lens diaphragm 51 changes.

The line CCD 116 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD cell or a photodiode, and a photographic film 22.
Are arranged in a row in the width direction, and three sensing units provided with an electronic shutter mechanism are provided in parallel with each other at intervals, and R, G, and B are provided on the light incident side of each sensing unit. One of the color separation filters is attached to each other (a so-called three-line color CCD). In addition, in the vicinity of each sensing unit, a large number of transfer units are provided corresponding to each sensing unit, and charges accumulated in each CCD cell of each sensing unit are sequentially transferred via the corresponding transfer unit. Will be transferred.

On the light incident side of the line CCD 116,
A CCD shutter 52 is provided. FIG.
As shown in (D), the CCD shutter 52 has an ND
The filter 52ND is fitted. The CCD shutter 52 rotates in the direction of the arrow u to perform dark correction and line CCD.
In order to protect the color separation filter provided on the line CCD 116, the light incident on the line CCD 116 is blocked (N
The portion 52B or the like where the D filter 52ND is not fitted is located at the position 52C including the optical axis L), and is in a fully opened state where light is incident on the line CCD 116 for normal reading and bright correction (FIG. 4D). ND filter 52ND to switch to any one of the dimming state (ND filter 52ND is located at position 52C) where the light incident on line CCD 116 for linearity correction is dimmed by ND filter 52ND.

As shown in FIG. 3, a work table 27 is provided with a compressor 94 for generating cooling air for cooling the photographic film 22. Compressor 9
The cooling air generated by 4 is guided by a guide tube 95 to a reading unit (not shown) of the film carrier 38 and supplied. Thus, the area of the photographic film 22 located at the reading unit can be cooled. The guide tube 95
Penetrates a flow sensor 96 for detecting the flow rate of the cooling air.

Next, referring to the main part of the optical system of the line CCD scanner 14 shown in FIG. 6, the schematic structure of the electric system of the line CCD scanner 14 and the image processing unit 16 will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

The line CCD scanner 14 has a line CC
A microprocessor 4 for controlling the entire D scanner 14
6 is provided. The microprocessor 46 includes a bus 6
6, a RAM 68 (for example, an SRAM), a ROM 70
(For example, a ROM whose storage contents can be rewritten), a lamp driver 53, a compressor 94,
Flow sensor 96, motor driver 48, and optical sensor 1
18 are connected.

The lamp driver 53 can switch the voltage applied to the lamp 32 in accordance with an instruction from the microprocessor 46. In addition,
As shown in Table 1, the lamp driver 53 in the present embodiment is configured to be able to apply three levels of voltage to the lamp 32 according to the type (dimension) of the photographic film to be read. . Here, the respective voltage values shown in Table 1 indicate that the rating of the lamp 32 according to the present embodiment is 36 V,
It is assumed that the power is 400 W.

[0065]

[Table 1]

That is, the lamp driver 53 applies a voltage of 33 V to the lamp 32 in response to an instruction from the microprocessor 46 when the photographic film to be read is a brownie-size photographic film, and If the photographic film to be processed is a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less, a voltage of 29 V is applied to the lamp 32,
In the illuminance down mode, a voltage of 20 V is applied to the lamp 32.

The illuminance down mode is a mode set when a film image is not being read. Generally, the life of the lamp 32 becomes longer as the applied voltage is lower. On the other hand, when the lamp 32 is formed of a halogen lamp, if the voltage applied to the lamp 32 is lower than one half of the rated voltage, the halogen cycle does not run and blackening or failure occurs. Therefore, in the illuminance down mode of the present embodiment, when a film image is not read, the voltage value of the illuminance down mode is set to the rated voltage (36 V) of the lamp 32 for the purpose of extending the life of the lamp 32. 20 which is more than half of
V.

On the other hand, when reading a film image on the photographic film 22, the microprocessor 46 operates the compressor 94 to supply cooling air to the photographic film 22. The flow rate of the cooling air is detected by the flow rate sensor 96, and the microprocessor 46 detects an abnormality.

The turret 36 is attached to the motor driver 48 so that either the negative film balance filter 36N or the reversal film balance filter 36P of the turret 36 is positioned on the optical axis L in FIG.
(B) A turret drive motor 54 that rotates in the direction of arrow t and a turret position sensor 55 (FIG. 4B) that detects a reference position (a notch (not shown)) of the turret 36.
See also) is connected.

The motor driver 48 further includes an aperture 39
Drive motor 56 that slides the diaphragm, a diaphragm position sensor 57 that detects the position of the diaphragm 39, a reading unit drive motor 58 that slides the mounting table 47 (that is, the line CCD 116 and the lens unit 50) along the guide rail 42, A reading unit position sensor 59 for detecting the position of the mounting table 47, a lens drive motor 60 for sliding the lens unit 50 along the lens barrel 49, a lens position sensor 61 for detecting the position of the lens unit 50, and an aperture of the lens aperture 51. A lens aperture driving motor 62 for rotating the plate 51A, a lens aperture position sensor 63 for detecting the position of the lens aperture 51 (the position of the aperture board 51A), and one of a fully closed state, a fully opened state, and a dimmed state of the CCD shutter 52. Shutter drive motor 64 for switching to the state of Position sensor 65, a fan motor 37 for driving the fan 34 is connected.

The microprocessor 46 has a line CCD.
When performing pre-scan and fine scan by the turret 116, the turret position sensor 55 and the aperture position sensor 5
7, the turret drive motor 54 drives the turret 36 to rotate based on the positions of the turret 36 and the stop 39, and the stop drive motor 56
The diaphragm 39 is slid and moved to adjust the light emitted to the film image.

Further, the microprocessor 46 determines the zoom magnification according to the size of the film image, whether or not to perform trimming, and the like, so that the film image is read by the line CCD 116 at the determined zoom magnification.
Based on the position of the mounting table 47 detected by the reading section position sensor 59, the mounting table 47 is driven by the reading section drive motor 58.
Is slid, and the lens unit 50 is slid by the lens drive motor 60 based on the position of the lens unit 50 detected by the lens position sensor 61.

When performing focusing control (autofocus control) for matching the light receiving surface of the line CCD 116 to the image forming position of the film image by the lens unit 50, the microprocessor 46 is controlled by the reading unit drive motor 58 to the mounting table 47. Only slide to move.

This focusing control is performed, for example, by a line CCD.
This is performed so as to maximize the contrast of the film image read by 116 (so-called image contrast method).
Alternatively, a distance sensor for measuring the distance between the photographic film 22 and the lens unit 50 (or the line CCD 116) using infrared rays or the like may be provided, and the distance detected by the distance sensor may be used instead of the film image data. It may be performed on the basis of.

On the other hand, a timing generator 74 is connected to the line CCD 116. The timing generator 74 generates various timing signals (clock signals) for operating the line CCD 116, an A / D converter 82 described later, and the like.

The signal output terminal of the line CCD 116 is connected to an A / D converter 82 via an amplifier 76, and the signal output from the line CCD 116 is amplified by the amplifier 76 and digitally output by the A / D converter 82. Converted to data.

The output terminal of the A / D converter 82 has a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 88 and an interface (I /
F) is connected to the image processing unit 16 via the circuit 90 in order. The CDS 88 samples the feedthrough data indicating the level of the feedthrough signal and the pixel data indicating the level of the pixel signal, and subtracts the feedthrough data from the pixel data for each pixel. Then, the calculation result (pixel data accurately corresponding to the amount of charge stored in each CCD cell) is sequentially output to the image processing unit 16 as scan image data via the I / F circuit 90.

Note that R, G,
Since the photometric signals of B are output in parallel, the amplifier 76, A
Three signal processing systems including a / D converter 82 and a CDS 88 are also provided, and R, G, and B image data are input from the I / F circuit 90 to the image processing unit 16 in parallel as scan image data. Is done.

Further, the display 18, the keyboards 12A and 12B, the mouse 20, the film carrier 38, and the microswitch 40B are connected to the image processing section 16.

The image processing section 16 performs dark correction and light correction on the R, G, and B image data input in parallel from the line CCD scanner 14.

The dark correction is for canceling a dark current which is a current flowing in the line CCD 116 when no light is incident on the light incident side of the line CCD 116.
In a state where the light incident side of the line CCD 116 is shielded from light by the CCD shutter 52, data input from the line CCD scanner 14 (data representing the dark output level of each cell of the sensing unit of the line CCD 116) is stored for each cell. The line CCD 116 is used for the photographic film 22
Is corrected by subtracting the dark output level of the cell corresponding to each pixel from the image data input from the line CCD scanner 14 by reading.

The brightness correction is for correcting the variation of the photoelectric conversion characteristics of the line CCD 116 in each cell unit, and a film image for adjusting the entire screen is set on the line CCD scanner 14 at a constant density. In this state, the adjustment film image is read by the line CCD 116 so that the image data of the adjustment film image input from the line CCD scanner 14 (the variation in the density of each pixel represented by this image data is the photoelectric conversion of each cell). The gain (brightness correction data) is determined for each cell based on the variation of the conversion characteristic), and the image data of the film image to be read input from the line CCD scanner 14 is determined for each cell. Correction is made for each pixel according to the gain.

The image processing section 16 performs various types of processing such as gradation conversion, color conversion, hypertone processing for compressing the gradation of an ultra-low frequency luminance component of an image, and hyper sharpness processing for enhancing sharpness while suppressing graininess. Image processing.

The photographic film 22 is used as the original to be read according to the present invention, the lamp 32 is used as the light source according to the present invention, the microprocessor 46 is used as the setting means according to the present invention, and the lamp driver 53 is used.
Corresponds to the voltage applying means of the present invention, and the line CCD 116 corresponds to the image sensor of the present invention.

Next, as an operation of the present embodiment, the line C
The process performed by the microprocessor 46 of the CD scanner 14 when reading an image on the photographic film 22 will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts of an image reading process executed by the microprocessor 46 when reading an image on the photographic film 22. The line CCD scanner 14 has predetermined modes of “pre-scan mode” and “fine scan mode” as modes for reading a photographic film, and states of each part of the line CCD scanner 14 in each mode. Is also predetermined. When the image reading process is performed, a diffusion box for brownie-sized photographic film and a 35 mm
One of the diffusion boxes for photographic film having the following sizes is set on the work table 27. further,
In this embodiment, a case where the photographic film 22 is a single negative film will be described.

At step 200 in FIG. 8, the mode shifts to the "pre-scan mode", and the state of each part which is predetermined as the "pre-scan mode" so that the pre-scan for the photographic film 22 is performed under a predetermined reading condition. The operation of each part is controlled according to.

That is, the iris 39 is moved to the pre-scanning position by the iris drive motor 56, and the turret 36 is moved by the turret drive motor 54 to the position of the negative film (the position where the negative film balance filter 36N is positioned on the optical axis L). ) To rotate the lens unit 50
Then, the mounting table 47 and the lens unit 50 are slid by the reading unit drive motor 58 and the lens drive motor 60 so that the zoom magnification by 1.0 becomes 1.0, and the lens aperture 51 is moved to the fully open position by the lens aperture drive motor 62. The CCD shutter 52 is moved to the fully open position by the shutter drive motor 64. Further, the shortest value t is set to the timing generator 74 as the operation time of the electronic shutter of the line CCD 116 (read cycle (charge storage time) of the line CCD 116 in line units), and the photographic film 22 is set to the film carrier 38. Is the fastest value of 5 × v (5 times the normal transport speed of the normal film image (high-density, standard-density, and low-density film images in this embodiment) when the transport speed at the time of fine scan is v. Transfer speed). Therefore,
The prescan for the photographic film 22 is performed at a high speed with a relatively coarse resolution, and the processing is completed in a short time.

In the next step 202, a lamp voltage setting process for setting the voltage applied to the lamp 32 in accordance with the type (dimension) of the photographic film to be read is executed. This lamp voltage setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case will be described in which the type of the photographic film to be read is specified by detecting the type of the set diffusion box.

First, at step 250, the type of diffusion box set on the work table 27 is detected. In the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment, as described above, the type of the diffusion box that is set is determined by turning on / off the microswitch 40B provided on the work table 27.
It is configured so that it can be specified by the state of the combination of OFF. Therefore, by detecting the state of the microswitch 40B, the microprocessor 46 can specify the type of the diffusion box that has been set.

When the type of the set diffusion box is specified, in the next step 252, it is determined whether or not the specified type of the diffusion box is for a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less. If it is determined that the type of the diffusion box is not for a photographic film of the following size, the process proceeds to step 254 to determine whether or not the type of the specified diffusion box is for a photographic film of the brownie size. If it is determined that the photographic film is not for photographic film, the process proceeds to step 256 to display an error message on the display 18, and then returns to step 250.

That is, step 252 and step 2
If both of the determinations of 54 are negative, the diffusion box not used by the image reading apparatus in this embodiment is set, the setting state of the diffusion box is abnormal, Since the state of the projection 40A is abnormal, the diffusion box is not set, or the like, an error message indicating that is displayed on the display 18 in this case. When this message is displayed on the display 18, the operator checks the area around the diffusion box and sets the abnormal state to the normal state.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 252 that the type of the specified diffusion box is a diffusion box for a photographic film having a size of 35 mm or less, the process proceeds to step 258 and the lamp 32 is controlled. After setting the lamp driver 53 so that the applied voltage becomes 29 V, the lamp voltage setting process ends.

If the result of the determination in step 254 is that the type of the specified diffusion box is a diffusion box for brownie-sized photographic film, the process proceeds to step 260 and the voltage is applied to the lamp 32. Voltage 3
After setting the lamp driver 53 to 3 V, the lamp voltage setting process is terminated.

When the lamp voltage setting process is completed, in step 204 in FIG. 8, the film carrier 38 is instructed to convey the photographic film 22 in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2), and the fastest conveying speed ( The photographic film 22 conveyed at 5 × v) is read by the line CCD 116 at the shortest read cycle (t), and the signals output from the line CCD 116 are sequentially subjected to A / D conversion to obtain an image processing unit as prescan data. The pre-scan for sequentially outputting the data to 16 is started.

In the next step 206, the photographic film 22
It is determined whether or not the pre-scan has been performed up to the rear end, and the process waits until the determination is affirmed.

During the pre-scanning, the image processing section 16 sequentially stores the image data input from the line CCD scanner 14 in a storage section (not shown), and when the image data for a plurality of frame images is stored, Based on the stored image data, the edge positions of both ends (upstream and downstream) of the film image recorded on the photographic film 22 in the transport direction of the photographic film 22 can be determined by a known technique (for example, -304932).

The image processing section 16 determines the frame position of the film image in association with the perforation position and the like based on the determined edge position, and stores the determined frame position in the storage section (not shown). Based on the frame position, the image data of the area where the film image is recorded is cut out from the image data stored so far and stored in the storage unit (not shown).

When the prescan has been completed up to the rear end of the photographic film 22 (if the determination in step 206 in FIG. 8 is affirmative), in step 208, the illuminance down mode is set for the lamp driver 53. Lamp driver 53
When the illuminance down mode is set, the lamp 32
Is configured to have a voltage of 20V.
Therefore, thereafter, the voltage applied to the lamp 32 is changed from the voltage value corresponding to the type of the diffusion box being set to two.
It is shifted to 0V.

At the next step 210, a setup process is performed by the image processing section 16 to calculate a predetermined image feature amount of the film image from the prescan image data stored in the storage section (not shown) at the time of prescan. Note that the predetermined image feature value also includes a color balance value of the film image (specifically, a ratio of a minimum density value (maximum luminance value) for each component color of the film image).

In the setup process of step 210, the type of film image (size and density type) and the processing conditions for image processing for fine scan image data are set by calculation based on the calculated image feature amount.

The photographic film 22 to be read is 13
In the case of a 5-size photographic film, the size of the film image (in this case, the frame size of the film image) falls within the image recording range for a standard-size film image, and the image size for a non-standard-size film image such as a panoramic size. The determination can be made based on whether or not the density and tint of the predetermined portion outside the recording range are the density and tint corresponding to the unexposed portion (the clear portion in the case of a negative film).

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 8-304932, Hei 8-304933, Hei 8-304934
JP-A-8-304935, based on the density value of each pixel represented by the image data at the time of pre-scan, the density change value along the film width direction is calculated for each pixel, and Density change values of pixels along the film width direction are integrated for each line along the film longitudinal direction, and the integrated value of each line is compared to determine the size (aspect ratio) of the film image and density histogram. The image is binarized by determining a threshold from, and the determination is made based on the existence ratio of the image in each area in the image, or the determination is made based on the variance and average value of the density change value in the above-described predetermined portion, The determination may be made by combining the methods.

The photographic film 22 to be read is AP
If the film is an S film, the size of the film image (print size in this case) can be determined by reading the print size magnetically recorded as data on the magnetic layer of the APS film.

The density type of the film image is classified into low density / normal density / high density / ultra high density by comparing the average density, maximum density, minimum density and the like with a predetermined value. be able to. The processing conditions for image processing include, for example, processing conditions for image processing such as image enlargement / reduction ratio, hypertone and hypersharpness (specifically, the degree of gradation compression for an ultra-low frequency luminance component of an image, , The gain (emphasis level) for the high-frequency component and the medium-frequency component, and the gradation conversion condition are calculated.

When the types and the processing conditions of the image processing have been set for all the frame images as described above, in the next step 212, the film carrier 38 is moved to the film carrier 38 in order to perform a fine scan of the film image. An instruction is given to convey the photographic film 22 in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (the direction opposite to the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2).

In the next step 214, the above step 2
The lamp voltage setting process is performed in the same manner as in step S02. As a result,
The voltage applied to the lamp 32 is shifted from 20 V corresponding to the illuminance down mode to a voltage (29 V or 33 V) corresponding to the type of the diffusion box set.

In the next step 216, the operation of each part of the line CCD scanner 14 is controlled so that the fine scan is performed on the film image to be processed under the reading conditions suitable for the type of the film image to be fine scanned. .

That is, first, the type of the film image to be fine-scanned (in this case, the film image which reaches the reading position first by transporting the photographic film 22 in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction) is fetched. Is determined, and the fine scan mode is set in accordance with the type. For example, when the type is “high density frame”, the operation of each unit is controlled in accordance with the state of each unit predetermined as the fine scan mode for the high density frame.

That is, the stop 39 is moved to the position for fine scanning of high density frames, the turret 36 is rotated to the position of the negative film, and the mounting table 47 and the mounting table 47 are set so that the zoom magnification by the lens unit 50 becomes 1.0. The lens unit 50 is slid and the lens aperture 51 and the CCD shutter 52 are moved to the fully open position. Further, a line CCD 116 is provided to the timing generator 74.
Is set as the operation time (reading cycle) of the electronic shutter, and v is set as the transport speed of the photographic film 22 with respect to the film carrier 38. The high-density film image has a small amount of transmitted light, and in order to read the high-density film image with a high dynamic range and high accuracy, the position of the aperture 39 at the time of fine scanning of the high-density frame is set to a position close to full open.

In the next step 218, the image processing section 16
It is determined whether the edge of the film image to be fine-scanned from now on has reached the reading position (optical axis position) of the line CCD 116 based on the frame position stored in the storage unit (not shown), and waits until the determination is affirmed. I do.

If the determination in step 218 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 220 where the film image reaching the reading position is read by the line CCD 116 and
A / D conversion is sequentially performed on the signals output from the image processing unit 116, and the image processing unit 16 performs the conversion as fine scan image data.
Fine scan is performed to sequentially output to This allows
Fine scanning of the film image is performed under optimum reading conditions for each type of film image.

The fine scan image data output from the line CCD scanner 14 to the image processing unit 16 is subjected to image processing in the image processing unit 16 under the previously stored processing conditions, and is output to a laser printer unit (not shown). Is printed.

When the fine scan for a single film image is completed, the flow shifts to step 222 to determine whether or not the fine scan for all film images has been completed. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 216, and steps 216 to 222 are repeated. Through these steps 216 to 222, fine scanning of each film image is performed under the optimum reading conditions according to the type of each film image. Then, if the determination in step 222 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 224 and proceeds to step 208
After setting the illuminance down mode in the same manner as described above, the present image reading process ends.

As described in detail above, in the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to apply only a plurality of predetermined voltage values to the lamp corresponding to the type (dimension) of the photographic film to be read. The voltage applied to the lamp is set according to the type of photographic film to be read, so that the amount of illumination light from the lamp can be read with a simple configuration and control. It is possible to set a suitable light amount according to the type, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the quality of read image data due to the light amount of the illumination light.

In the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the image is not read, the voltage applied to the lamp is set to a value not less than half of the rated voltage of the lamp and lower than that at the time of reading the image. , The life of the lamp can be extended.

In this embodiment, three types of voltage (20 V, 20 V) are applied to the lamp 32 in accordance with the operating state.
29V and 33V) are described in advance, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two or four or more types of voltages can be set in advance. It may be. When the configuration is such that two types of voltages can be set, the configuration of the device and the control procedure can be simplified as compared with the present embodiment. In the case where four or more types of voltages can be set, it is possible to set a high-precision light amount corresponding to more types of photographic films as compared with the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the case where the voltage applied to the lamp 32 is switched based on the type of the diffusion box has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any form can be used as long as the voltage applied to the lamp 32 can be switched according to the type of the film carrier. For example, the form can be switched according to the type of the film carrier.

In the present embodiment, the case where the voltage applied to the lamp 32 is set in accordance with the type (dimension) of the photographic film and the image is read while maintaining the lamp voltage has been described. The present invention is not limited to this. Feedback control is performed in which the light amount of the lamp 32 is detected by the optical sensor 118 and the lamp voltage is selectively changed from a plurality of predetermined voltage values in accordance with the fluctuation of the light amount. It is good also as a form.

In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an image reading apparatus for reading an image recorded on a photographic film (transparent original) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to an image reading apparatus that reads an image on a reflective original such as a photographic print.

Further, in this embodiment, the case where the original to be read is a negative film has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applicable to reading a reversal film (positive film). It goes without saying that is applicable.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the line CCD 116 is applied as the image sensor of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a form in which an area CCD is applied may be adopted. A configuration in which a photoelectric conversion element other than the above is applied may be adopted.

[0122]

According to the image reading apparatus of the first aspect,
A plurality of voltage values to be applied to the light source illuminating the document to be read are determined in advance, and any one of the plurality of voltage values is selectively set. Illumination light having a light amount suitable for the document to be read can be obtained, and as a result, the effect of preventing the quality of the read image data from deteriorating due to the light amount of the illumination light from the light source can be prevented.

Further, according to the image reading apparatus of the second aspect, the value of the voltage applied to the light source is set according to the size of the original to be read. Illuminating light having a suitable light amount according to the above, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the quality of the read image data from deteriorating due to the light amount of the illuminating light from the light source.

According to the image reading apparatus of the third aspect, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and the value of the voltage applied to the light source can be reduced by the amount of illumination light from the light source. Therefore, even if the light amount of the illumination light from the light source fluctuates for some reason, it is possible to maintain the light amount of the illumination light in a suitable state.

According to the image reading apparatus of the fourth aspect, the same effects as those of the first to third aspects of the invention can be obtained, and one of the plurality of voltage values can be read. Since the voltage is set to a value smaller than the value of the voltage set at the time of reading the image of the document, the effect of extending the life of the light source can be obtained.

Further, according to the image reading apparatus of the fifth aspect, the same effects as those of the first to fourth aspects of the invention can be obtained, and the value of the plurality of voltages is two times the rated voltage of the light source. Since the value is set to a value equal to or more than one-half, an effect is obtained that blackening of the light source and failure can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of an optical system of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of an optical system of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

4A is a plan view showing an aperture, FIG. 4B is a turret, FIG. 4C is a plan view showing an example of a lens aperture, and FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the turret.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing only a main part of an optical system of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electric system of a line CCD scanner and an image processing unit of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an image reading process executed by the microprocessor of the line CCD scanner in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a lamp voltage setting process executed during the execution of the image reading process of FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 14 Line CCD scanner 16 Image processing unit 22 Photo film (document to be read) 32 Lamp (light source) 38 Film carrier 39 Aperture 40 Diffusion box 43 Reading unit 46 Microprocessor (setting means) 52 CCD shutter 53 Lamp driver (voltage applying means) 116 line CCD (image sensor)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A light source for illuminating a document to be read on which an image is recorded with a light amount corresponding to a value of an applied voltage, and a voltage of any one of a plurality of predetermined voltage values is set. Setting means for applying a set voltage to the light source, and an image sensor for decomposing an image recorded on the original to be read into a plurality of pixels, reading the image, and outputting the image data as image data. Image reading device. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets a voltage according to a size of the document to be read. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the voltage according to the amount of illumination light from the light source. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of voltage values is smaller than a voltage value set at the time of reading an image of the document to be read. 2. The image reading device according to claim 1. 5. The light source according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of voltages have a value equal to or more than a half of a rated voltage of the light source.
The image reading device according to claim 4.