JP2003219122A - Facsimile machine with cordless hand scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a facsimile having a cordless hand scanner which improves the operationality of manual scanning. <P>SOLUTION: The cordless hand scanner is provided with a dot matrix LCD module, so that an image read by manual scanning is displayed by the dot matrix LCD module while being stored in an image memory. <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 facsimile machine with a cordless hand scanner that can be used even if the scanner unit is detached from the main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, there has been proposed a facsimile machine which is detachably mountable to a main body and has a hand scanner capable of reading a magazine or a book by manual scanning even when detached from the main body. In addition, recently, types in which a facsimile device main body and a hand scanner can be connected cordlessly have been proposed, and these types can read images of magazines and books at any place. Such a cordless hand scanner is composed of a reading unit, an image storage unit, and the like.

[0003]

In the case of such a facsimile machine with a cordless hand scanner, the hand scanner alone cannot be used to confirm the image read by the hand scanner. The only option was to print it out or send it to another fax machine. for that reason,
Whether the desired image has been read by the person reading the image, it is necessary to print out after connecting to the facsimile machine or send it to another facsimile machine. May cause excessive use of recording paper and ink, and when sending to another fax machine, problems such as communication fees and contact with the recipient for confirmation may occur. become.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points. When a hand scan is performed, the image being read is displayed on the dot matrix LCD module, so that the confirmation of the image is made for each scan of the facsimile apparatus main body. Can be performed by the hand scanner alone without printing back to the printer or sending to another fax machine.If the desired image cannot be obtained, the hand scan can be redone, and the recording paper or ink on the fax machine body cannot be printed. It reduces usage, and also reduces communication charges due to transmission to another fax machine,
It is possible to obtain the effect that it is not necessary to confirm the sent image. Further, when the reading means is compatible with color reading, the dot matrix LCD module can be adapted to color display. It is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus with a cordless hand scanner, which is more effective in view of the increase in image data due to color compatibility.

[0005]

As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, means for illuminating an original, reading means for reading an image signal by reflected light from the original, and image data obtained by the reading means Storage means for storing
Facsimile device having means for outputting a signal indicating the amount of movement relative to the object to be read by the reading means, power supply means by a rechargeable battery, and a cordless hand scanner that incorporates the various means and is capable of manually reading and scanning. In the above, the cordless hand scanner is provided with a dot matrix LCD module for displaying an image read by the reading means, and the image read by the reading means is stored in the storage means, and at the same time, the dot matrix LCD module. A facsimile machine with a cordless hand scanner, characterized in that

Further, in contrast to the above construction, in the case where the reading means is capable of reading a color image, the dot matrix LCD module is also compatible with color display, and a facsimile apparatus with a cordless hand scanner is provided. Is to provide.

The present invention can be summarized in the following configurations if it is summarized and summarized above.

(1) means for illuminating an original, reading means for reading an image signal by reflected light from the original, storage means for storing image data obtained by the reading means,
Facsimile device having means for outputting a signal indicating the amount of movement relative to the object to be read by the reading means, power supply means by a rechargeable battery, and a cordless hand scanner that incorporates the various means and is capable of manually reading and scanning. In the above, the cordless hand scanner is provided with a dot matrix LCD module for displaying an image read by the reading means, and the image read by the reading means is stored in the storage means, and at the same time, the dot matrix LCD module. A facsimile machine with a cordless hand scanner characterized by being displayed on.

(2) The facsimile device with a cordless hand scanner according to (1), wherein the dot matrix LCD module is also compatible with color display when the reading means is capable of reading a color image.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a facsimile main body which is an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 21 is a CPU composed of a microprocessor and the like, and RAM 23, a non-volatile RAM 24, a hand scanner interface unit 28, a printer unit 32, an operation unit 26, a display unit 25, a CODEC unit 29 according to a program stored in the ROM 22. , And controls the resolution conversion unit 30, the HV conversion unit 31, the MODEM unit 27, and the NCU unit 33. In addition to programs, ROM22 is C
It is a memory that also stores G. CG is character data such as JIS code and ASCII code, and character data corresponding to a predetermined code is taken out as needed under the control of the CPU 21.

The RAM 23 stores image data read by a hand scanner section, which will be described separately, or print image data recorded in the printer section 32, and also transmits encoded image data to be output to the MODEM section 27. The received encoded image data input from the MODEM unit 27 is stored.

The non-volatile RAM 24 surely stores the data (for example, abbreviated dial number) to be saved even when the power is cut off.

Reference numeral 28 denotes an interface portion with a hand scanner which is composed of a CPU, an image processing IC, an image sensor, a memory and the like and is detachably held in the main body. When the hand scanner unit, which will be described separately, is attached to the facsimile main body, the image signal read by using the contact image sensor (CIS) is processed under the control of the CPU 21 in the image processing IC, and the treatment data is processed. Finally RAM through this interface
Send to 23. The setting state of the document on the hand scanner can be detected by a document detection unit using a photosensor provided in the document transport path.
In addition to the line image sensor, the hand scanner unit has means for outputting a relative scanning amount by a rotary encoder, and at the time of hand scanning, the relative movement amount with respect to the document to be read by the hand scanner is detected by the output. Whether the hand scanner unit is attached to the device can be detected by both the hand scanner and the main body. Details will be described with reference to FIG.

The printer unit 32 includes a DMA controller,
The printing data is composed of an inkjet recording device, a CMOS logic IC, etc., and is stored in the RAM 23 under the control of the CPU 21, and is recorded and output to the inkjet recording device as a hard copy.

The operation unit 26 comprises a key for starting image transmission and reception, a mode selection key for selecting an operation mode such as resolution during transmission and reception, and a ten-key or one-touch key for dialing.

The display unit 25 includes a 7-segment LCD for displaying a clock, a pictographic LCD for displaying various modes, and a 5 × LCD.
It is composed of an LED module and an LCD module in which a dot matrix LCD capable of displaying 7 dots 16 digits × 1 line is combined.

The CODEC unit 29 is composed of a hard circuit, and assists the CPU 21 in decoding the reception encoded data and encoding the read data for transmission. The CODEC unit 29 includes a conversion circuit from raw data to RL (run length), a conversion circuit from RL to raw data, and the like. In the facsimile, codes called MH, MR and MMR are used.

The resolution conversion unit 30 includes read data stored in the RAM 23 from the hand scanner unit 28 and MOD.
This is a block for converting the reception data decoded from the reception encoded data stored in the RAM 23 via the EM unit 27 into a recording resolution of 360 dpi (360 dots per inch). In the resolution conversion unit 30, the resolution is first converted by the hardware circuit only in the main scanning direction, and the converted data is also stored in the RAM 23.
Thereafter, under the control of the CPU 21, line copying is performed by software in the RAM 23, and resolution conversion in the sub-scanning direction is performed.

The horizontal / vertical conversion (HV conversion) unit 31 prepares data in the main scanning direction corresponding to the horizontal for the same number of lines a as the number of nozzles a of the ink jet head, and supplies it to the head required for actual recording. In order to obtain the data to be obtained, the work of rearranging the data of the same dot of each line in the sub-scanning direction in the order of data to be supplied to the head is performed.

The MODEM section 27 is composed of a G3 modem and a clock generating circuit connected to the modem, and has a CPU.
Under the control of 21, the coded transmission data stored in the RAM 23 is modulated and output to the telephone line via the NCU 33. The analog signal of the telephone line is input to the MODEM unit 27 via the NCU 33, the signal is demodulated, and the encoded reception data is stored in the RAM 23.

The NCU 33 is controlled by the CPU 21.
The telephone line is switched to either the MODEM section 27 or the telephone and connected. Further, the NCU 33 has means for detecting a call signal (CI), and when the call signal is detected, it sends an incoming signal to the CPU 21.

The telephone is a telephone which is integrated with a facsimile main body, and is specifically composed of a handset, a speech network, a dialer, a ten-key pad or a one-touch key.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hand scanner unit constituting the present invention, which is connected to the hand scanner interface unit 28 of FIG.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a RISC type CPU, which comprises a microprocessor, a DMAC, a timer, an AD converter, a built-in RAM, a built-in ROM and the like.
Software called middleware tuned to maximize the performance of the RISC-CPU is stored in the built-in ROM. The built-in RAM is also used as a work area, which also speeds up the process.

The ROM 2 is a memory that stores programs, display system data, and image processing parameters that cannot fit in the ROM built into the CPU 1.

The scanning amount output unit 8 is a block which is composed of a rotary encoder and a unit for measuring pulses from the encoder, and outputs the scanning amount. The hand scanner is a scanner that can be read by a user regardless of an original by being manually scanned. That is, the amount of movement of the user is detected by the scanning amount output unit 8, and the output is detected by the CPU 1.
Will detect the amount of movement.

The image processing section 6 generates a drive pulse for the contact image sensor 7 at regular intervals. This drive pulse signal is also supplied to the CPU 1 as an interrupt. When this interrupt comes, the CPU 1 looks at the amount of movement from the scanning amount output unit 8 in the interrupt, and if it has moved by a certain amount or more, issues an image reading signal to the image processing unit 6 and The image processing unit 6 starts the image processing of the line. Below a certain amount of movement, the CPU 1 does not issue an image reading signal. Further, the CPU 1 stores the movement amount up to several times in advance, and accordingly, even if the current movement amount of the scanning amount output unit is small, the previous movement amount is added to make a determination so that the line omission does not occur. It may also generate an image read signal.

The contact-type image sensor 7 is a light source L
It is integrated with an ED array (illumination unit), and the light reflected by the LED light upon the original is condensed by the lens array and input to the sensor. The sensor converts the light into an electric signal by photoelectric conversion and the image processing unit 6 Send to. In the case of a monochrome version of the contact image sensor, a green or yellow-green LED is mounted and scanning is performed once for each line.

The image processing section 6 includes a contact type image sensor 7
A / D conversion is performed on the analog image data from, and the obtained digital data is subjected to image processing such as shading processing, resolution conversion processing by interpolation, edge enhancement processing, matrix calculation, and the like, and the image processing unit 6 performs binary processing. Up to
The binarized data is stored in the image memory 3 via the CPU 1.

The image memory 3 is a RAM for storing the read data from the image processing unit 6 as described above.

The operation section 5 comprises a start / stop key for instructing the start and end of scanning, and a mode setting key for setting the reading mode and what kind of image is displayed on the dot matrix LCD module described below. .

The display control unit 9 controls the display of the dot matrix LCD module 10 under the control of the CPU 1, and is sent from the CPU 1 except for displaying the read image data (during standby or setting the operation mode). Display incoming data (mode setting screen, etc.). When displaying the read image data, the image data sent from the image processing unit 6 is processed according to the size of the dot matrix LCD module 10 and the mode set by the CPU 1, and the dot matrix LCD module 10 is processed. The operation of displaying the image data read in is performed.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the hand scanner unit of the present invention viewed from above.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a dot matrix LCD module, which is the same as 10 in FIG. An image read by the hand scanner is displayed on the dot matrix LCD module 11.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a key for starting and stopping the reading of the hand scanner unit, which is connected to the operation unit 5 of the hand scanner unit described in FIG. If you press this key when the hand scanner unit is in the standby state, the hand scanner starts scanning,
Further, if this key is pressed in this state, the reading is ended.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a mode setting key for setting what kind of setting is to be made when performing a hand scan, and the operation unit 5 of the hand scanner unit described in FIG.
It is connected to the. Modes displayed on the dot matrix LCD module 11 when the hand scanner is on standby (for example, reading size, image quality, dot matrix L
For the size of the image displayed on the CD module, etc.),
This is a key for determining which mode is to be set, and reads an image according to the set mode, stores the image in the image memory, and displays the image on the dot matrix LCD module.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the hand scanner unit when the present invention is implemented.

In step S1, the CPU 1 determines the operation mode for the hand scanner unit in the standby state from the data input from the operation unit 5. Specifically, the CPU 1 inputs information of the mode setting key 13 connected to the operation unit 5, and generates data to be set in the image processing unit 6 and the display control unit 9 from the information. As described above, the generated data includes the image reading size, the image quality, and the dot matrix L.
It is data such as the size to be displayed on the CD module.

In step S2, the data to the image processing unit 6 and the display control unit 9 determined in step S1 is CP-converted.
This is the operation actually set by U1. According to the data set here, the reading operation and the dot matrix L
Display on the CD module 10/11.

In step S3, the scan start / stop key 12 is pressed to start the reading operation based on the data set in step S2 and the display on the dot matrix LCD module 10/11.

Step S4 shows the operations of the CPU 1 and the image processing section 6 after the actual reading operation is started. The CPU 1 detects the amount of movement of the actual hand scanner from the output from the scanning amount output unit 8 and, with respect to the image processing unit 6, contacts the image sensor 7
Outputs a trigger for processing the read data from. The image processing unit 6 that has received this trigger performs image processing on the image signal from the contact image sensor 7 based on the trigger and the data set in step S2,
The image data obtained as a result is stored in the image memory 3 via the CPU 1. This operation is continued until the reading operation is completed, that is, the scan start / stop key 12 is pressed again.

Step S5 shows the operations of the CPU 1 and the display control section 9 which operate simultaneously with step S4. The display processing unit 9 is also connected to the image processing unit 6 and performs an operation of displaying the image data obtained by the image processing unit 6 on the dot matrix LCD module 10/11. However, the image memory 3 actually obtained by the image processing unit 6
The image data stored in
If it is displayed on the CD module 10/11, it may be difficult to read. The facsimile communication standard has a millimeter resolution of 8 × 7.71 / mm, and when the maximum reading width of the contact image sensor 7 is B4, the horizontal dot count is 2048 dots.
Dot matrix LC configured in the hand scanner section
Considering the size of the D module 10/11, there is a problem that the size of the hand scanner part itself becomes large, a too large size cannot be expected, and there is a problem that visibility is deteriorated even if the number of dots is increased. , QVGA size of 320 dots horizontal × 240 dots vertical is considered suitable. In that case, when the image is displayed in the same size, only the size of 1/4 of the image data can be displayed, and the image read by the hand scanner unit can be confirmed by the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 of the hand scanner unit. That is, it becomes difficult to obtain the effect in this configuration. Therefore, the display control unit 9 generates data to be displayed on the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 based on the data set in step S2 from the image data input from the image processing unit 6, and the dot matrix LCD module 10/11. The operation to display at / 11 is performed. For example, a B4 size image is read, and the image is read by the dot matrix LCD module 1
The image data generated by the image processing unit 6 and stored in the image memory 3 is 2048 dots in one horizontal line in order to display the image in the full width of 0/11. 9 is 204 if the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 has 320 dots in the horizontal direction.
The image data is reduced at a ratio of 8: 320 and is displayed on the dot matrix LCD module. Also,
Similarly for the vertical display, the display control unit 9 performs processing such as reduction of image data based on the data generated in step S1 to display on the dot matrix LCD module 10/11. . At this time CPU1
Is an operation for outputting a trigger to the display control unit 9 at the same timing as the trigger output to the image processing unit 6 in step S4 and assisting in capturing the image data from the image processing unit 6. I do.

In step S6, the scanning operation is stopped by pressing the scan start / stop key 12,
The operation of holding the display of the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 is performed. At this time, the dot matrix LC
For the image displayed on the D module, the operation to end the display by attaching the hand scanner unit to the facsimile body or setting with the mode setting key 13
U1 and the display control part 9 will perform.

FIG. 5 shows the entire original 14 displayed on the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 as an example of the operation during hand scanning. In this case, the operation is to display all the read images according to the vertical direction of the dot matrix LCD module 10/11.
In this way, the hand scanner unit is moved in the scanning direction, and at the same time, the dot matrix LCD module 10 is moved.
It is possible to display at / 11 by the above configuration.

In the present embodiment, the contact-type image sensor 7 has been described as a monochrome type, but a similar configuration is possible with a color type, and the dot matrix LCD module 10/11 that is color compatible is selected. As a result, a color image can be displayed.

[0048]

As described above, by adopting the above configuration, the image being read is displayed on the dot matrix LCD module during the hand scan, and the confirmation of the image is confirmed for each scan of the facsimile apparatus main body. Can be performed by the hand scanner alone without printing back to the printer or sending to another fax machine.If the desired image cannot be obtained, the hand scan can be redone, and the recording paper or ink on the fax machine body cannot be printed. It is possible to obtain effects such as reduction in use, suppression of communication charges due to transmission to another facsimile device, and necessity of checking transmitted images.

Further, when the reading means is compatible with color reading, considering that the dot matrix LCD module is adapted for color display and the image data is increased due to color compatibility, the effect is further enhanced. Will be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a hand scanner unit.

[Fig. 2] External view of the hand scanner seen from above

[Figure 3] Block diagram of the main body of the facsimile

[Fig. 4] Operation flow during hand scanning of the hand scanner unit

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation example during a hand scan.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU of the hand scanner section 2 ROM of the hand scanner section 3 Image memory of the hand scanner section 4 Interface section of the hand scanner section with the facsimile body 5 Operation section of the hand scanner section 6 Image processing section 7 of the hand scanner section 7 of the hand scanner section Contact image sensor 8 Scan amount output unit of hand scanner unit 9 Display control unit of hand scanner unit 10/11 Dot matrix LCD module 12 Scan start / stop key of hand scanner unit 13 Mode setting key of hand scanner unit 14 Original

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 5C062 AA02 AA37 AB02 AB17 AB25                       AB27 AB38 AB41 AB42 AC02                       AC05 AC22 AC34 AD05 AD06                       AE03                 5C072 AA01 BA20 CA05 DA02 EA07                       PA04 PA10 UA08

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for illuminating an original, a reading means for reading an image signal by reflected light from the original, a storage means for storing image data obtained by the reading means, and an object to be read by the reading means. In a facsimile apparatus having a cordless hand scanner capable of outputting a signal indicating a relative movement amount, a power supply unit using a rechargeable battery, and having the above-mentioned units built therein and capable of manually reading and scanning, the cordless hand scanner includes: A dot matrix LCD module for displaying the image read by the reading unit is provided, and the image read by the reading unit is stored in the storage unit and simultaneously displayed on the dot matrix LCD module. Facsimile machine with cordless hand scanner. 2. The dot matrix LCD module is also compatible with color display when the reading means is configured to read a color image.
Facsimile machine with the cordless hand scanner described.