JP2000316070A - Picture reading system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continuously read a large amount of originals by judging the termination of reading originals by respective picture readers and informing the other picture reader of the termination of picture reading by means of one picture reader. SOLUTION: In a system, two systems of, namely, two picture readers are used and one reader reads a picture. A means for judging the termination of a reading original by the respective picture readers and a means informing the other picture reader of the termination of picture reading by one picture reader are installed. When the reading of the picture is started (401), picture data which is read is transferred to a host computer (402) and the original is judged to be terminated or not (403). When the original exits, the transfer of picture data is continued (403 NO). When the original does not exit, (403 YES), a reading termination notice is given to the other connected picture reader (404) and a processing is stopped (405).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image reading system using two image reading devices and performing image reading by either of them.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a device for reading a document image, for example, when recording data from a plurality of information input means including a scanner on a recording sheet, an information input / output device which preferentially records an already downloaded one is used. (JP-A-10-3
No. 22486), a network system using a plurality of digital copiers having a scanner and a plotter (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-322488), having two hand scanners, and reading with a scanner close to the image size of the document to be read (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-50868), a scanner having a function of notifying the MPU of the end of reading (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-14716), and a copier in which a plurality of digital copiers are connected. There is known a system (JP-A-7-203104) for simultaneously outputting the same image for each group.

[0003]

However, it is practically impossible for the above-mentioned conventional document reading apparatus to continuously read a large number of documents without a break. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the problem, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily set a document while the document is being read, thereby enabling image reading that can continuously read a large number of documents. Is to provide a system.

[0004]

According to the present invention, using two image reading apparatuses, for example, an original is set in a feeder of both image reading apparatuses, and image reading is started, and one of the image reading apparatuses is completed. By notifying the other image reading device at that time, while the other image reading device is reading an image, a new document is set on the stopped image reading device, and this is repeated. Thus, interruption due to replacement of the original is prevented, and the original can be read continuously. The present invention will be specifically described below for each claim. The invention of claim 1 is an image reading system for reading an image by any one of two image reading devices, wherein each of the image reading devices reads the image. Means for determining the end of the manuscript,
An image reading system comprising means for notifying an end of image reading by the one image reading device to the other image reading device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading system according to the first aspect, the other image reading apparatus starts image reading upon receiving a notice of completion of image reading. System.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading system for reading an image by one of two image reading apparatuses, wherein the means for judging the end of the read original by each of the image reading apparatuses, and the one image Means for notifying the other image reading device of the end of image reading by the reading device, wherein the other image reading device maintains a reception standby state of the document reading completion notification during image reading of the one image reading device, Further, the image reading system is characterized in that the image reading is started in response to the notification of the completion of the image reading.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing the image reading system of the present invention, an example of an image reading apparatus used in the image reading system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image reading apparatus used in the image reading system of the present invention. The original placed on the platen glass 1 is illuminated by an illumination lamp 3 integrally formed with the first mirror 2, and its reflected light is reflected by the first mirror 2, the second mirror 4 integrally formed, and the second mirror 4. Scanning is performed by three mirrors 5. The reflected light is then focused by lens 38,
The light is irradiated on the CCD 6 and photoelectrically converted. The first mirror 2, the illumination lamp 3, the second mirror 4, and the third mirror 5 are movable in the direction A (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) using the traveling body motor 7 as a drive source. The document stacked on the document tray 8 is sent to the pair of paper discharge rollers 13, 13 via the reading position D by the pickup roller 9, the pair of registration rollers 10, the transport drum 11, and the transport roller 12, and is placed on the paper discharge tray 15. Is discharged. When the original passes through the reading position D, the original is irradiated by the illumination lamp 3 moved to the vicinity of the reading position D, and the reflected light is reflected by the first mirror 2 and the second mirror integrally formed as described above. 4. Scanning is performed by the third mirror 5. After that, the reflected light passes through the lens 38.
The light is further focused, irradiated on the CCD 6, and photoelectrically converted. The pickup roller 9 and the pair of registration rollers 10 are driven by a feed motor (not shown), and
1, the transport roller 12, the paper discharge roller pair 13, 14,
It is driven by the transport motor 16.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of the entire image reading apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 17 denotes an SBU (Sensor Board Unit), and the reflected light of the document incident on the CCD 6 on the SBU is converted into an analog signal having a voltage value according to the light intensity in the CCD 6. Converted,
The converted analog signal is divided into odd bits and even bits and output. This analog image signal is
BU (Mother BoadUnit) 18
The dark potential portion is removed by the upper AMP 19, the odd-numbered bits and the even-numbered bits are combined, the gain is adjusted to a predetermined amplitude, and then input to the A / D converter to be converted into a digital signal. The image signal digitized in this way is
U3 (Scanner Control Unit: Scanner Control)
After shading correction, gamma correction, MTF correction, and the like are performed by an SIP (Scanner Imaging Peripheral) (21) on the unit 20, the image is binarized, and a page synchronization signal, a line synchronization signal, and an image It is output as a video signal together with the clock.

The video signal output from the SIP 3 (21) is output to an IEU (Image Enhance Unit) 28 via a connector 29. The video signal output to the IEU 28 is
Predetermined image processing is performed in 28 and input to the SCU 20 again. Here, the video signal re-input to the SCU 20 is input to the selector 30. The other input of the selector 30 is a video signal output from the SIP3 (21) in order to select whether or not to perform image processing in the IEU 28. The output of the selector 30 is input to the selector 31. The other input of the selector 31 is a video signal from an RCU (Reverse Side Control Unit) 38 (FIG. 3), and is configured to be able to select a document reading surface. The RCU 38 is a unit that controls reading of the back side of the document when reading both sides of the document at the same time. The RCU 38 is controlled by serial communication by the CPU 25 in the SCU 20, and the read back side image data is converted into a video signal via the MBU 18. The data is transferred to the SCU 20.

A video signal output from the selector 31 is connected to a selector 32 and a connector 33. A video adapter 39 can be connected to the end of the connector 33, and the other input of the selector 32 is a video signal from the video adapter 39. The video signal output of the selector 32 is input to an SBC (Scan Buffer Controller) 22.

The video signal output from the SIP3 (21) is transmitted to the SBC which manages the DRAM through the above-described path.
(Scan Buffer Controller: Scan Buffer Contol
ler) 22 and input to a SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module).
e) The image data including the image data 23 is stored in the image memory composed of the DRAM. The image memory is connected to a selector 34 and a connector 35, and a DCU (Data Compression Unit) 36 for compressing input image data is connected to the connector 35. The image data compressed by the DCU 36 is configured to be the other input of the selector 34. Here, it is configured to select whether to compress the image data or not. The image data output of the selector 34 is sent to the host computer via the SCSI controller 24.

On the SCU (scanner control unit) 20, a CPU 25, an EPROM 26, a RAM
27 is mounted and controls the SCSI controller 24 to communicate with the host computer. Also, C
The PU 25 also controls the timing of the traveling body motor 7 as a stepping motor, the sheet feeding motor, and the transport motor 16. An ADU (ADF Driving Unit) 37 used here has a function of relaying power supply of electrical components used in the ADF section of the automatic document feed mechanism.

Next, a system according to the present invention including the image reading apparatus having the above configuration and its operation will be described with reference to FIGS. The image reading system according to claim 1 is, for example, an image reading system that uses two systems of the image reading apparatus having the above-described configuration and reads an image by using one of two systems. It is provided with means for judging the end of the read document and means for notifying the end of the image reading by the one image reading apparatus to the other image reading apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the image reading system according to the first embodiment. When reading of an image is started (401), the read image data is transferred to the host computer (40).
2) Then, it is determined whether or not the document is completed (40).
3). Here, if there is a document, the transfer of the image data is continued (403, NO), and if there is no document (403, YES).
A reading completion notification is executed to the other connected image reading apparatus (204), and the operation is stopped (205).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading system according to the first aspect.
In the above image reading system, the other image reading apparatus is configured to start image reading upon receiving a notice of the completion of image reading. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the image reading system according to the second embodiment. When the processing is started (501), first, it waits for transmission of an end notification from the other connected image reading apparatus (501). ), Upon receiving the end notification (502, YES)
Image reading is started (503), and the read image data is transferred to the host computer (504). If there is a manuscript, that is, if the manuscript is not finished (506,
NO) Transfer of the image data is continued, and if there is no original, that is, if the original is finished (YES in 506), the transfer is stopped (50)
6).

An image reading system according to a third aspect of the present invention is an image reading system for reading an image by one of two image reading apparatuses, wherein the means for judging the end of the original read by each of the image reading apparatuses is provided. Means for notifying the other image reading apparatus of the end of image reading by the image reading apparatus, and the other image reading apparatus maintains a standby state for receiving the document reading end notification during image reading of the one image reading apparatus. Then, the image reading is started upon receiving the notification of the completion of the image reading. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the image reading system according to the third embodiment. When the operation is started (601), image reading is started (602), and then the read image data is transferred to the host computer. (603), it is determined whether or not the original is completed (604).
04, NO) The transfer of image data is continued), and if there is no original (604, YES), an end notification is issued to the other image reading device (605), and the end notification waiting state from the other image reading device is set. (606). When an end notification is received in this state (607), the process returns to step 602, and the processing after image reading is repeated again.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the completion of reading of one image of the two image reading apparatuses can be automatically recognized by the other image reading apparatus, so that the other image reading apparatus does not bother the user. The reading of the document image by the automatic reading device can be started. Advantageous Effects According to Claims 2 and 3: Since two image reading devices can be used alternately, while one image reading device is reading a document image, the other is not reading a document. A new document can be set on the image reading device. That is, reading of a large number of documents can be performed continuously, and the document reading can be efficiently read without interruption of document reading due to running out of the document unlike the related art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image reading apparatus used in an image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a part of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a remaining portion of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG. 1 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining another operation of the image reading system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining another operation of the image reading system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... platen glass, 2 ... first mirror, 3 ... certification lamp,
Reference numeral 4: second mirror, 5: third mirror, 6: CCD, 7: traveling motor, 8: original tray, 9: pickup roller, 10: registration roller pair, 11: transport drum, 12
... Conveying rollers, 13, 14 ... Discharge roller pair, 15: Discharge tray, 16 ... Convey motor, 17 ... SBU (sensor board unit), 18 ... MBU (motherboard unit), 20 ... SCU (scanner control unit), 21: SIP3 (scan imaging peripheral 3), 22: SBC (scan buffer controller), 23: SIMM (single in-line memory module), 24: SCSI controller, 25: CP
U, 26: ROM, 27: RAM, 28: IEU (Image Enhancement Unit), 29: Connector, 30, 3
1 selector, 32 RCU (reverse side control unit), 36 DCU (data compression unit), 37 ADU (ADF driving unit), 38 lens, 39 video adapter,

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image reading system for reading an image by one of two image reading devices, a means for determining the end of a document to be read by each image reading device, and an image reading by one of the image reading devices An image reading system comprising means for notifying the other image reading device of the end of the image reading. 2. The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein said other image reading apparatus starts image reading upon receiving a notice of completion of image reading. 3. An image reading system for reading an image by using one of two image reading devices, a unit for judging the end of a document to be read by each image reading device, and an image reading by one of the image reading devices. Means for notifying the other image reading device of the end of the reading, the other image reading device maintains the document reading completion notification reception standby state during the image reading of the one image reading device, and terminates the image reading. An image reading system which starts image reading in response to a notification of the image reading.