JP2003283762A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reader capable of reading even an original whose length exceeds the length of an original platen as one original, reading a plurality of small-sized originals at the same time, and processing them as separate originals. <P>SOLUTION: An image of an original read by a line scanner is divided into a plurality of images by division lines in parallel with the subscanning direction, and the image reader outputs to a hard copy or a document storage device as separate images, or images of one original comprising a plurality of pages, or images of one page wherein the division parts are coupled in a prescribed order. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

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 used in a facsimile machine, a copying machine, an image scanner, etc., and more particularly to an image reading apparatus capable of reading a document on a document table in a divided manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a demand for reading a long original such as a long tape. If the length of the original exceeds the platen,
The original cannot be read without cutting the tape. Then, when the original is cut into, for example, two pieces and read, an image in which two separate tapes are placed in parallel is obtained instead of an image in which one tape is connected. Long tapes can also be read with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) equipped with an automatic paper feeder, but this may cause the tape to become jammed, skewed, or cut in the middle. There is.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The basic problem of the present invention is that even an original that exceeds the length of the original table can be read as one image, and a plurality of small-sized originals can be read at the same time. An object is to provide an image reading device that can be used (claims 1 to 3). An additional object of the invention of claim 2 is to provide a specific configuration for reading an original exceeding the length of the original table as one original and outputting it as one image. An additional problem in the invention of claim 3 is that the images divided along the dividing line are treated as separate images, treated as images of one document of a plurality of pages, images are rearranged into one document, and the like. The procedure is to allow the user to easily input.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in an image reading apparatus in which an original placed on an original table is read by a line scanner, an original image to be read is divided into lines which are substantially parallel to at least the sub-scanning direction of the line scanner. According to the invention, the image can be divided into a plurality of images (claim 1).

Preferably, in a plurality of divided images, the end of the first image in the sub-scanning direction and the end of the second image in the sub-scanning direction are connected and output as a hard copy or an image file. A means for doing so is provided (Claim 2).

Particularly preferably, means is provided for inputting a rearrangement condition between the divided images for the original image on the original table (claim 3).

[0007]

According to the present invention, an original can be read by dividing it into a plurality of images along a dividing line substantially parallel to the sub-scanning direction of the line scanner. Can be read by dividing into two. When reading pages on both sides of the book, the left page and the right page can be read as separate originals. Further, even when reading a plurality of business cards in the business card holder, these can be read as separate images. In the scanning direction of the line scanner, a plurality of originals are placed on both sides of the dividing line, and these are read simultaneously in the same scan, so the reading is also fast. For these reasons, the usability of the image reading device is improved (claim 1).

The invention of claim 2 is particularly convenient when reading an original such as a long tape that exceeds the length of the original table. In this case, the tape is cut and read as two images at the same time, and at the time of output, the end (rear end) of one side of the tape
Since the tape is connected to the tip of the other side of the tape, it is possible to perform hard copy as one tape, record as one image file, etc., within the range of the capability of the recording apparatus.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the divided and read image is treated as a plurality of separate images, and one page of a plurality of pages is handled.
Since a one-page document is divided into a plurality of pieces to be treated as a document image, it is possible to input a procedure such as specifying the order between the divided images and connection conditions, and treating it as a one-page image. Therefore, the image reading device can be used in various ways when reading an image in a divided manner.

[0010]

1 to 5, a facsimile server is taken as an example,
An embodiment of the image reading device 2 will be described. In FIG. 1, 4 is a main control unit, 6 is a network control device, 8 is a modem, and the network control device 6 establishes a connection with a public telephone line network, etc. connect. An image memory 10 stores the received image data and the read image data as binary data and multi-valued data. 12 is RA
Reference numeral 14 denotes a ROM which stores a control program and the like.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a display unit using an LCD or the like, and when reading an image in a divided manner, a division / connection condition display processing unit 18 is used to display an input position of a dividing line on the LCD of the display unit 16 or the like. , Display guidance such as input of rearrangement conditions such as connection rearrangement of divided images. An operation unit 20 receives an input of the split connection condition from the split connection condition input unit 22 when reading the image in a divided manner.
The split connection condition input unit 22 is, for example, the LCD of the display unit 16.
It is configured by using a touch panel or the like provided so as to be overlapped with. The dividing line of the image is basically parallel to the sub-scanning direction of the line scanner, but in addition to the dividing line substantially parallel to the sub-scanning direction, an auxiliary dividing line orthogonal to this may be provided. When one dividing line is input, the position can be moved by dragging the dividing line with a finger on the touch panel.

A scanner 24 is provided with a line scanner using a CCD or the like, and the scanning direction of the line scanner is the scanning direction (the short side direction of the platen), and the long side direction of the platen perpendicular thereto is the sub-scanning direction. And When reading two pages of a book in a divided manner, a black line is generated in the spread part of the book, and therefore the position of the dividing line can be obtained from the position of the black line parallel to the sub-scanning direction. In this way, the dividing line of the original is
In addition to the input from the split connection condition input unit 22, it can be generated by the scanner 24.

The scanner 24 scans a document.
Then, the image data is read, and the read image data is converted into, for example, binary data and stored in the image memory 10. Two
Reference numeral 6 denotes a recording unit, which receives an image received on an appropriate sheet and the scanner 2
Print the image read in step 4. Image division connection unit 2
Reference numeral 8 indicates a rearrangement condition such as dividing the image data read by the scanner 24 into a plurality of lines according to a dividing line and connecting or rearranging the plurality of image data (a plurality of images) input from the image division connection condition input unit 22. Rearrange the image data according to. This is, for example, so that the end of the divided image data in the sub-scanning direction is connected to the end of the divided image data in the sub-scanning direction to form one file, and the divided image data is given a predetermined order. (Sort) to make a single file consisting of image data of multiple pages.- Divide the divided image data into multiple independent image data files that are divided according to dividing lines ( , The relocation is substantially not performed), and so on. The image memory 10 is divided in this way
The rearranged image data is stored.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a LAN interface, which connects the image reading apparatus 2 to a LAN (not shown) to function as a facsimile server, a print server, an Internet facsimile apparatus, etc., and outputs image data read in a divided manner from the recording unit 26. In addition to the facsimile transmission via the modem 8, the LAN interface 30
Via the, can be stored in the document management device, transmitted as an Internet facsimile, and the like. Reference numeral 32 denotes a bus of the image reading device 2, and the image reading device 2 is provided with a document table having a platen glass and the like.

FIG. 2 shows an algorithm for divided reading of an image. In step 1, it is checked whether or not the image division processing is necessary, and the division processing is necessary when, for example, an instruction to divide the image is input from the division connection condition input unit. In addition to this, when a document image is scanned, a black line corresponding to the spread of a book penetrates through the central portion of the document, so that the image may be automatically divided.
If there is no need for image division, the image is scanned and compressed as a normal document, and the data is stored in the image memory (step 2). The case of performing image division will be described below. In step 3, a document image is scanned using a line scanner, and the obtained image data (image data) is temporarily stored in a storage device such as an image memory (step 4). Next, the image division processing is performed, and the division line of the image (the boundary between the divided images) is in principle parallel to the sub-scanning direction of the line scanner (step 5). Next, image compression processing of the divided images is performed (steps 6 to 9). The number of the divided image being processed is i, the image compression process is performed for each divided image, and this process is repeated until the compression process of all the divided images is completed. In the present invention, the image is divided by dividing lines that are substantially parallel to the sub-scanning direction, so it is necessary to separately compress the divided images.

Next, in steps 10 and 11,
The divided images are selected and rearranged, and the contents of the divided images are stored according to the input from the divided connection condition input unit. For example, a plurality of images are stored as they are as a plurality of image files. Treat it as multiple pages and add pages according to the order specified in the sorting process, etc.-Handle multiple images as multiple parts of one page of the image, and specify connection conditions and arrangements between the divided multiple images. Decide, -Delete some of the images as unnecessary, and so on.

3 to 5 show an example of divided reading of an image. Reference numeral 34 is a document table of the image reading apparatus, and 36 is a document table 34.
It is a long manuscript that exceeds the length of. In the example of FIG. 3, the long original 36 is cut into two divided originals 37 and 38, which are arranged in parallel in the sub-scanning direction. At this time, for example, the divided original 37
Is the cutting line 39 at the end of the divided document 38.
It shall overlap with 0.

If a touch panel or the like provided on the display section 16 is selected and designated from the menu, the division line 42 can be input. And the dividing line 42
Is generated by touching the touch panel with a finger or the like, and is dragged with the finger so that the dividing line 42 appears at a position corresponding to the center of the document table 34 in this case, for example. If it can be estimated that only one dividing line 42 is generated and the position of the dividing line is not designated, the position of the dividing line 42 is a position parallel to the center of the platen in the sub-scanning direction.

After inputting the dividing lines, the menu is changed to the processing of divided images, and this menu is a menu for inputting rearrangement conditions such as connection and rearrangement for a plurality of divided images. Select "Combine" from this menu, which means to connect two divided images. Then, here, the connection lines 43 and 44 can be generated by tracing the positions corresponding to the connection lines 43 and 44 with a finger or the like. Up to this point, the command input to the split connection condition input unit via the touch panel is provided with the split line 42 along the longitudinal center line of the platen, and the two split images are connected by the connection lines 43 and 44 to make a long line. This is to construct a scaled image. The divided image processing may be input after reading the divided images.

Corresponding to the above input, the divided originals 37, 3
When 8 is read, the data for the long original is stored in the image memory, and the image data divided into two are connected at the positions of the connection lines 43 and 44. Therefore, for example, when the read image is output to the recording paper 46, the output image 4
7, 48 are obtained, which are connected to each other at the position of the connecting line and are similar to the image on the original long original 36.
Further, when the read image is transferred to a document management device or the like, it can be stored as a long image.

FIG. 4 shows an example of reading a document 50 composed of both pages of a book. In this case, the dividing line 42 can be input from the touch panel, but the spread line 5 of the book
2 can be recognized by a scanner and automatically generated. Then, in the divided image menu, a plurality of pages are selected, and the fact that the original is a two-page original document consisting of the upper first page and the lower second page (the order of divided images) is input. When the document 50 is read under this condition, it is stored as an image including one page of the upper half and two pages of the second half of the lower half.

In the example of FIG. 5, of the four business cards 53 to 56 in the business card holder, the three business cards excluding the business card 55 are 3
Read as separate images of pages. In the divided image menu, it is designated that scanning is not necessary for the position corresponding to the business card 55, and the order of the other three originals in the scanned image is designated. These are examples of selecting unnecessary images and rearranging the read images.
By reading the business cards in the business card holder in this way, the images of the plurality of business cards can be stored as separate image data in a predetermined order. O for the read data
It goes without saying that treatments such as CR and structuring may be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of divided reading according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an operation when reading a long document in a divided manner in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an operation when reading an original for two pages of a book in a divided manner in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an operation when reading a business card in a business card holder in a divided manner in an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Image reader 4 Main control unit 6 NCU 8 modem 10 image memory 12 RAM 14 ROM 16 Display 18 division / connection condition display processing unit 20 Operation part 22 Split connection condition input section 24 scanner 26 Record Department 28 Image division connection 30 LAN interface 32 buses 34 Platen 36 long manuscript 37,38 split manuscript 39,40 cutting line 42 dividing line 43,44 connection line 46 recording paper 47,48 output image 50 manuscripts 52 Spread Line 53-56 business cards

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus in which an original placed on an original table is read by a line scanner, and an original image to be read is divided into a plurality of divided lines substantially parallel to the sub-scanning direction of the line scanner. An image reading device characterized by being divided into images. 2. A means for connecting and outputting the end of the first image in the sub-scanning direction and the end of the second image in the sub-scanning direction among the plurality of divided images are provided. The image reading device according to claim 1, which is characterized in that: 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for inputting a rearrangement condition between the divided images for the original image on the original table.