JP2003179730A - Scanner unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanner unit in which user-friendliness can be improved. <P>SOLUTION: When a user places an original on a feed part 12 and matches a guide with the width of the original, a control part 13 detects the width of the original from the position of the guide and instructs a scanner part 11 to read the original with a resolution preset corresponding to the width of the original. The scanner part 11 reads the original with the instructed resolution and read and generated image data are outputted to a personal computer 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scanner device for reading a document, and more particularly to improving convenience.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A scanner device generally comprises an optical sensor arranged in a main scanning direction for reading and an optical system for forming an image of an original surface placed on a platen glass with respect to the optical sensor. Image data of the document is generated while moving these in the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.
Further, a scanner device of a certain type is provided with a plurality of lenses having different focal lengths as an optical system, and by switching the plurality of lenses, the enlargement ratio of the projected image of the original document with respect to the optical sensor is changed to achieve a high resolution for reading the original document. There are things to try to achieve. When the resolution is increased by optically enlarging the document in this way, the readable range of the document in the main scanning direction is narrowed, but it is sufficiently practical for small documents such as photographs. The basic structure of such a scanner device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-2466, "Image Input Device".

Further, generally, a scanner device is equipped with a plurality of originals and comprises a supply unit for supplying the plurality of originals one by one onto the platen glass, a scanner unit, and a control unit. , Connected to a personal computer. A width of the document with respect to the supply direction (width in the reading main scanning direction, hereinafter simply referred to as “width”) is defined in the supply unit to prevent the document from moving on the supply path in a direction perpendicular to the supply direction. A guide is provided.

Usually, the user mounts the original on the supply unit and adjusts the guide according to the width of the original. Then, the personal computer is operated to set the reading resolution to the normal resolution, and an instruction to start reading is given. In response to this instruction, the scanner device starts the supply and reading of the document, and outputs the image data as the result of the reading to the personal computer.

When reading a small original such as a photograph with high resolution, the user adjusts the guide to fit the width of the small original. Then, the personal computer is operated to set the reading resolution to a high resolution, and an instruction to start reading is given. The scanner device receives this instruction and
The supply and reading of the original is started, and the image data as the result of the reading is output to the personal computer.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional scanner device, the adjustment of the position of the guide and the setting of the resolution must be performed individually. Therefore, when you want to read in a normal resolution, even if you adjust the position of the guide according to a normal document (for example, A4 size document),
If the resolution is set incorrectly, the reading range in the main scanning direction becomes narrow as described above, so that only a part of the original can be read. Further, even if the guide is set in accordance with a small original such as a photograph, the desired image quality cannot be obtained if the resolution is erroneously set to the normal resolution. As described above, in the conventional scanner device, although the width of the document and the setting of the resolution are substantially related to each other, the setting is made individually. It is inconvenient because it does not support setting the resolution that suits.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a scanner device which can improve convenience.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems of the prior art is a scanner device including a scanner section for reading an original and a supply section for supplying the original to the scanner section. The scanner unit is characterized in that the original is read at a resolution corresponding to the width of the original in the supply direction.

Here, the supply unit includes a guide that suppresses movement of the document in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction, and the scanner unit supplies the document detected based on the position of the guide. It is also preferable to read the document at a resolution according to the width in the direction. Further, the scanner unit has an optical system for forming an image on a document on an optical sensor, and the guide matches the optical axis of the optical system with the center of the width of the document in the feeding direction. It is also preferable that the position can be changed while maintaining the state. Further, it is also preferable that the scanner unit changes the reading resolution by changing the enlargement ratio of the image on the document projected on the optical sensor by the optical system.

The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems of the prior art is a scanner device including a scanner section for reading an original and a supply section for supplying the original to the scanner section. The unit is characterized in that it receives a reading resolution instruction within a predetermined numerical range defined according to the width of the document in the supply direction, and performs reading at the instructed reading resolution.

Further, the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems of the prior art is a scanner device, and includes a first original feeding section and a second original feeding section for feeding originals having different widths in the feeding direction.
It is characterized in that a document supply unit is provided, and the documents supplied by the first document supply unit and the second document supply unit are read at different resolutions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a scanner device including a scanner section for reading an original document and a supply section for supplying the original document to the scanner section. It is characterized in that the reading resolution of the document is controlled according to the width in the direction.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [Embodiment 1] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the scanner device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a scanner unit 11, a supply unit 12, and a control unit 13, and is connected to a personal computer 2. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the scanner device according to the present embodiment, and FIG.
It is the top view which looked at from the platen glass side.

The scanner unit 11 is a CCD (Charge Coupled Devic) as an optical sensor arranged in the reading width direction.
e) It includes a group 21 and an optical system 22 for forming an image on a document placed on the platen glass on the CCD group 21. The optical axis of the optical system 22 is a substantially central portion in the width direction (y-axis direction in FIG. 1B). The scanner unit 11 also has a full-rate carriage F and a half-rate carriage H, which scan the document while mechanically moving in the z-axis direction in FIG. 1, and guide the image on the document to the optical system 22. ing. Since these operations are widely known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, the optical system 22 displays the original image at a magnification of C according to the designation of the reading resolution inputted from the control unit 13.
An image is formed on the CD group 21. Here, the change of the magnification can be realized by changing the zoom ratio by using a zoom lens in the optical system. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-2466, a plurality of different focal lengths can be used. It can also be realized by switching between lenses.

The supply unit 12 separates the stacked originals one by one and supplies them to the scanner unit 11. Further, the supply unit 12 includes a guide G that prevents the document from moving in the width direction with respect to the supply direction (direction orthogonal to the supply direction). The guide G includes a first guide 31 and a second guide 32 that move along a rail 30 as shown in FIG. 2, a first rack 33 that is integrated with the first guide 31, and a second guide 32. A second rack 34 that is integrated with the first rack 33 and a pinion 35 that meshes with the first rack 33 and the second rack 34. When the first guide 31 is moved along the rail 30, the first rack 33 moves integrally with the first guide 33, and the second rack 34 moves in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the first rack 33 via the pinion 35. Move in the direction. Then, the second guide 32 integrated with the second rack 34 moves in the opposite direction on the first guide 31 and the rail 30. As a result, the guide G sandwiches the sheet from both sides and aligns the sheet position with the central portion of the width of the supply unit 12. That is, the guide G supplies the paper to the so-called center registration position, and the guide G and the optical axis of the optical system 22,
Match the widthwise center of the document. This is the optical system 2
This is because the image quality of the read image data is further enhanced by reading the original document by using the range of 2 which has less optical aberration.

The control unit 13 detects information about the width of the document (width information) based on the position of the guide G of the supply unit 12. The control unit 13 holds the setting of the reading resolution according to (the range of) the width of the document as a table as shown in FIG. 3, and referring to this table, the reading resolution according to the detected width information. Information (resolution setting information) is acquired, and the scanner unit 11 is controlled so that reading is performed at the resolution indicated by the resolution setting information. Furthermore, the control unit 1
Reference numeral 3 outputs the image data of the original read by the CCD group 21 of the scanner section 11 to the personal computer 2. Here, regarding the relationship between the document width and the reading resolution, the reading resolution becomes higher as the document width becomes shorter.

Next, the operation of the scanner device of this embodiment will be described. When the user stacks the document on the supply unit 12 and changes the position of the guide G according to the width of the document, the guide G
The first guide 31 and the second guide 32 sandwich the document from both sides and feed it to the position of the center register. When the user instructs reading, the control unit 13 detects the width of the document from the position of the guide G, and the scanner unit 11 detects the width of the document at a predetermined resolution according to the width of the document.
To control. Then, the optical system 22 of the scanner unit 11 forms an image of the document on the CCD group 21 at the controlled magnification. The image data thus read by the CCD group 21 is output to the personal computer 2 via the control unit 13.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user adjusts the position of the guide G to the width of the document, the guide G is changed.
The reading is performed at a resolution according to the position of, that is, at an appropriate resolution that matches the width of the document, and it is not necessary to separately set the resolution, and convenience can be improved.

Although the width of the document is detected from the position of the guide G here, the width of the document may be directly detected by an optical or mechanical sensor.

[Second Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 4, a scanner device according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a scanner section 11, a first supply section 14a, and a second supply section 14.
b and the control unit 13. Here, since the scanner unit 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The first supply unit 14a and the second supply unit 14b use the scanner unit 11 to scan a document having a predetermined width.
The first supply unit 14a and the second supply unit 14
b is a guide G that defines the width of the document in the feeding direction.
And the width defined by this guide G is equal to
The widths of a and the second supply portion 14b are different from each other.

The control unit 13 is almost the same as the control unit 13 of the first embodiment, but the user gives an instruction to select either the first supply unit 14a or the second supply unit 14b. In response to the instruction, the first supply unit 14a or the second supply unit 14a
A document is supplied from the supply unit 14b to the scanner unit 11.

Next, the operation of the scanner device of this embodiment will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the width of the document defined by the guide G of the second supply section 14b is shorter than the width of the document defined by the guide G of the first supply section 14a.

When reading with a normal resolution, the user stacks the originals on the first supply unit 14a, and then the first supply unit 1
A document is supplied from 4a and an instruction is given to read it.
Then, the control unit 13 detects the width of the document from the position of the guide G of the first supply unit 14a, and controls the scanner unit 11 so that the document is read at a predetermined resolution according to the width of the document. Then, the optical system 22 of the scanner unit 11 forms an image of the document on the CCD group 21 at the controlled magnification. The image data thus read by the CCD group 21 is output to the personal computer 2 via the control unit 13.

When reading a document with high resolution,
The user stacks the originals on the second supply unit 14b, causes the second supply unit 14b to supply the originals, and gives an instruction to perform reading. Then, the control unit 13 detects the width of the document from the position of the guide G of the second supply unit 14b, and the scanner unit 11 detects the width of the document at a predetermined resolution according to the width of the document.
To control.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, depending on which of the first supply section 14a and the second supply section 14b is selected by the user, the resolution is different between the two depending on the position of the guide G. That is, reading is performed at an appropriate resolution that matches the width of the document, and it is not necessary to separately set the resolution, and convenience can be improved.

In this embodiment, the control unit 1
3 does not detect the width of the document based on the position of the guide G, but detects the width of the document based on which of the first supply unit 14a and the second supply unit 14b the user selects. Alternatively, the width of the document may be directly detected by an optical or mechanical sensor. In addition, of the first supply unit 14a and the second supply unit 14b,
A short-width supply section (second supply section 14b in the above example; hereinafter referred to as a high-resolution supply section) of the document defined by the guide G supplies the document in a straight line without bending the document. It is preferable to use a straight path supply unit.
This is because many manuscripts read at high resolution use relatively thick paper, such as photographs.

Also in this embodiment, the high-resolution supplying section can supply the original with the optical axis of the optical system 22 of the scanner section 11 aligned with the center of the original in the width direction. preferable.

[Setting of Resolution] In the above description of the first and second embodiments, the control unit 13 sets the resolution according to the width of the original, but an original such as a photograph is set. Needs such as wanting to read in normal resolution are also expected. Therefore, when the control unit 13 of the first and second embodiments receives a resolution setting instruction from the user, the scanner unit 1 reads the data at the designated resolution.
It is also preferable to control 1.

In this case, the user's resolution is specified within a predetermined numerical range, and the upper limit of this numerical range is determined according to the width of the original. That is, as the width of the original becomes narrower, the upper limit of the numerical range becomes larger, and as the width of the original becomes wider, the upper limit of the numerical range becomes smaller. This upper limit value is defined by, for example, the table shown in FIG. As a result, the setting of the resolution according to the width of the document is supported, and the convenience can be improved. Although it may be possible to set the value exceeding the upper limit value (for example, when reading a part of an A4 original document with high resolution), in this case, when the resolution exceeding the upper limit value is specified. It is preferable to give a warning to the user. This warning may be issued by a buzzer (not shown) or by displaying a character such as "a value exceeding the upper limit is specified. Do you want to continue?" To the personal computer 2. Good.

[Example of Scanner Device Used in Copying Machine, etc.] In the first and second embodiments,
Although the case where the scanner device is connected to the personal computer 2 has been described, the scanner device may be connected to the control device of the copying machine instead of the personal computer 2. In this case, the control unit 13 of the scanner device outputs the image data read by the CCD group 21 to the control device of the copying machine.
Then, the control device of the copying machine receives the input of the image data and prints it out.

[0032]

According to the present invention, there is provided a scanner device having a scanner section for reading a document and a supply section for supplying the document to the scanner section, wherein the scanner section is adapted to the width of the document in the supply direction. Since the scanner device is configured to read the document at the different resolution, the user can read the document at an appropriate resolution according to the width of the document without setting the resolution, and the convenience can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a scanner device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a guide.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a table that sets a reading resolution for a document width.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a scanner device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 personal computer, 11 scanner section, 1
2, 14 supply unit, 13 control unit, 21 optical sensor, 2
2 optical system, 31 first guide, 32 second guide, 3
3 1st rack, 34 2nd rack, 35 pinion.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A scanner device comprising a scanner unit for reading an original document, and a supply unit for supplying the original document to the scanner unit, wherein the scanner unit is an original document with a resolution corresponding to a width of the original document in a supply direction. A scanner device characterized by reading the. 2. The scanner device according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit includes a guide that suppresses movement of the document in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction, and the scanner unit includes the guide. A scanner device, which reads a document at a resolution according to the width of the document in the supply direction detected based on the position of. 3. The scanner device according to claim 2, wherein the scanner unit has an optical system for forming an image on a document on an optical sensor for reading, and the guide has an optical axis of the optical system. The scanner device is characterized in that the position of the document can be changed while maintaining the state where the center of the width of the document in the feeding direction is matched. 4. The scanner device according to claim 3, wherein the scanner unit changes the reading resolution by changing the enlargement ratio of the image on the document projected on the optical sensor by the optical system. A scanner device characterized by performing. 5. A scanner device comprising a scanner unit for reading an original document, and a supply unit for supplying the original document to the scanner unit, wherein the scanner unit is defined according to a width of the original document in a supply direction. A scanner device which receives a reading resolution instruction within a predetermined numerical value range and performs reading at the designated reading resolution. 6. A first original supply unit and a second original supply unit for supplying originals having different widths with respect to the supply direction, and the originals supplied by the first original supply unit and the second original supply unit are provided. , A scanner device characterized by being read with different resolutions. 7. A method of controlling a scanner device comprising a scanner section for reading an original document and a supply section for supplying the original document to the scanner section, wherein the original document is supplied in accordance with the width of the original document in the supply direction. A method for controlling a scanner device, which comprises controlling a reading resolution.