JP2004177698A - Scanning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanning device capable of favorably scan/reading a concave bottom part of a concave article such as a picture laid in a frame and a bowl. <P>SOLUTION: The scanning device is provided with a translucent table 2 permitting to mount an article to be scanned thereon, and a scan head 4 for scan/reading the article to be scanned by illuminating it from under the translucent table 2. The scan head 4 is provided with a first illuminating means 10a for illuminating the neighborhood of the height of the translucent table 2 suitable in scanning a flat article, and a second illuminating means 10b for illuminating a predetermined upper position of the translucent table suitable in scanning the concave article 1, etc. When scanning the concave article 1, the concave article 1 is laid with the concave part down on the translucent table 2, the scan/reading is carried out by illuminating the concave bottom part by the second illuminating means 10b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scanning device capable of scanning and reading an image formed on a concave surface such as a picture, a container such as a plate or a bowl, a pot or an earthenware in a frame.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art A large planar scanning device for scanning and reading a large map or drawing is known. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.) Further, the above-described conventional scanning device is improved to read a three-dimensional object such as a human and output the same to a poster or the like. (For example, see Non-Patent Document 1.)
[0003]
In general digital cameras, there is a limit in improving the resolution of a two-dimensional image sensor, and a scanning method using a line image sensor can achieve high resolution more easily. Therefore, a three-dimensional object is imaged by such a scanning device. A request has occurred. For example, as one of the three-dimensional objects as described above, when imaging a picture in a state of being stored in a picture frame having a relatively thick edge, and also the bottom of dishes or bowls or earthenware etc. There are cases in which images are taken, and there is a demand to acquire these images at high resolution for academic or artistic purposes. Hereinafter, a three-dimensional object having a concave surface such as a picture housed in the picture frame, a container such as a plate or a bowl, or an earthenware is generally referred to as a concave-shaped object.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-216958 A
[Non-patent document 1]
The Asahi Shimbun morning edition, page 13, October 18, 2002 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The planar scanning device generally assumes a planar original, and its illumination is designed to illuminate the surface position of the translucent table. For example, in the structure of the conventional scanning device shown in FIG. 4, the light source 101 and the reflection plate 102 are set so as to illuminate the table surface height position A of the translucent table 100 on which a document is placed. That is, it is designed such that the substantially central axis of the light beam condensed by the reflection plate 102 is directed to the surface position A, and the table surface height position A is the optimum position for the light condensing position.
[0007]
When a three-dimensional object is imaged by such a scanning device, for example, if an object to be scanned is located at a position B distant from the translucent table 100, an appropriate illumination amount and illuminance distribution cannot be ensured. There is a problem that data cannot be obtained. This problem becomes more remarkable when the bottom of the concave-shaped object is scanned and read using the above-described flat-type scanning device. In other words, if a three-dimensional object such as a human is imaged, illumination light incident from the outside of the apparatus can be used. However, when a concave-shaped object is placed face down on the translucent table 100, external illumination does not reach the inside. That's why. Therefore, the inside of the concave surface of the concave-shaped object is imaged only by illumination projected from the lower surface of the light-transmitting table. However, in the conventional illumination means, the image of the concave bottom located at a position separated from the light-transmitting table 100 is taken. Not suitable.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and it is appropriate to set a concave bottom portion of a picture or a container such as a plate or a bowl stored in a picture frame, or a concave shape such as a pot or an earthenware. It is an object of the present invention to provide a scanning device capable of scanning and reading.
[0009]
In the scanning device, a white reference plate for shading correction is provided at a position equivalent to the height of the light transmitting table. Therefore, effective shading correction cannot be performed when scanning the concave-shaped object.
[0010]
Accordingly, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a scanning device capable of performing optimal shading correction even when scanning a position higher than the light transmitting table.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a scanning device capable of reading an image formed on a concave bottom of a concave-shaped object, wherein the translucent table is mountable with the concave bottom lying down. First lighting means for projecting light from below the light transmitting table toward the table surface position, and second lighting means for projecting light from below the light transmitting table toward the concave bottom of the concave shaped object. Means for scanning and reading the concave-shaped object illuminated by the illumination means.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 2 is the scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the second illumination means is selectively turned on or off.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 3 is the scanning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second illumination means is set so as to project light from a height of 3 cm to a height of 30 cm above the light transmitting table. Have been.
[0014]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scanning device for reading an image formed on a concave bottom portion of a concave-shaped object, wherein the light-transmitting table which can be placed with the concave bottom portion face down is provided. An illumination means for projecting light from below to above the light table; and a light projection direction capable of changing the light projection direction of the illumination means from the height position of the light transmitting table to the height position of the concave bottom of the concave shaped object. A scanning unit that scans and reads the concave-shaped object illuminated by the illumination unit;
[0015]
The invention according to claim 5 is the scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the concave-shaped object is a picture, a bowl, a dish, or the like, a pot, a pot, or an earthenware stored in a picture frame. Kind.
[0016]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the scanning device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising reference plate means capable of moving up and down a predetermined distance from the light transmitting table.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a scanning device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the scanning device viewed from a side.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the scanning device includes a housing 3 having a light transmitting table 2 on the upper surface on which a concave-shaped object 1 can be placed and a scanning head 4 capable of scanning and moving inside the housing. Prepare.
[0019]
In the following description, it is assumed that the concave-shaped object 1 is a picture stored in a frame. That is, the concave-shaped object 1 is composed of a frame part 1a protruding as shown in the figure, and a painting part 1b disposed on the inner back side of the frame part 1a. The concave-shaped object 1 is placed face down on the translucent table 2 while protecting the frame portion 1a from being damaged, for example.
[0020]
The housing 3 is a box-shaped body having a light transmitting table 2 made of a glass member or the like on the upper surface thereof, and has a space in which the scanning head 4 can scan and move. Further, the housing 3 accommodates an electrical unit such as a control device (not shown) for controlling the scanning device.
[0021]
The scanning head 4 includes an illuminating unit 10 for illuminating an object to be scanned, an optical unit 11 for collecting light reflected from the object to be scanned, and a light receiving unit 12 for receiving the collected light.
[0022]
The illuminating means 10 includes a plurality of illuminating units 10 extending along a direction (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) orthogonal to the scanning direction of the scanning head 4 (the horizontal direction of FIG. 1) in a plane parallel to the light transmitting table 2. It comprises a set of a fluorescent lamp 13 and a plurality of reflecting means 14 for collecting and reflecting light emitted from the fluorescent lamp 13 and guiding the light in a predetermined direction. In this example, the reflecting means 32 is formed of a cylindrical body or the like having an arcuate or parabolic shape with an open part, and is a member whose inside is mirror-finished.
[0023]
The illuminating unit 10 including the fluorescent lamp 13 and the reflecting unit 14 illuminates a first illuminating unit 10 a that illuminates the vicinity of the height of the translucent table 2 and a second illuminating unit that optimally illuminates a position above the translucent table 2 It is divided by the illumination means 10b. In this example, two sets of lighting means arranged at the center are referred to as a first lighting means 10a, and two sets of lighting means disposed on both sides thereof are referred to as a second lighting means 10b.
[0024]
The shape and the like of the reflecting means 14 are determined so that the first lighting means 10a optimally illuminates the light transmitting table 2 as in the conventional apparatus. The shape and the like of the reflection means 14 are determined so that the second illumination means 10b optimally illuminates 5 cm to 30 cm above the light transmitting table 2. The first and second illuminating means 10a and 10b are each controlled by a control means (not shown) so that the second illuminating means 10b is illuminated or illuminated independently of the first illuminating means 10a. It is configured.
[0025]
The reflected light illuminated by the illumination means 10 and reflected by the concave-shaped portion 1 is condensed on the optical means 11 via a slit means (not shown). The optical means 11 is composed of a lens group capable of focusing on a desired position, and acts so as to form an image of the reflected light on the light receiving means 12. When imaging a three-dimensional object including a concave-shaped object as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the optical means 11 can set the depth of focus deep.
[0026]
The light receiving means 12 is a line sensor provided along the direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1, and is composed of, for example, a three-line CCD element capable of simultaneously scanning and reading three wavelength components of RGB. The light receiving means 12 is used as needed, for example, when a large-sized reading is required, a plurality of line CCD elements are combined.
[0027]
The illuminating unit 10, the optical unit 11, and the light receiving unit 12 are configured to integrally scan and move in the left-right direction in FIG.
[0028]
Next, the reference plate means 20 of the scanning device will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining the outline of the reference plate means 20.
[0029]
In the figure, a reference plate means 20 is provided at one end of the translucent table 2, and extends a white reference plate 21 extending along a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 and the white reference plate 21 up and down. And a vertical moving means 22.
[0030]
The vertical movement means 22 includes an arm 23 that supports the white reference plate 21 and can move up and down, and a motor 24 that moves the arm 23 up and down via a drive mechanism such as a rack and pinion. Thus, the height of the white reference plate 21 can be raised and lowered from a position where the white reference plate 21 is in contact with the surface of the light transmitting table 2 to a height of about 5 cm to 30 cm from the table surface.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the scanning device will be described. First, the concave-shaped object 1 is placed face down on the translucent table 2 by the operator. Next, the reference plate means 20 moves up and down in accordance with the height position of the picture portion 1b of the concave-shaped object 1. Then, the white reference plate 21 whose height has been adjusted is read by the scanning head 4 to perform shading correction.
[0032]
The height of the white reference plate 21 may be adjusted by an operator by actually measuring the height of the concave-shaped object 1 to the painting section 1b and inputting an instruction from the control device, or automatically by the painting section 1b. May be measured. In the latter case, for example, the painting section 1b may be read by the scanning head 4, and the height of the painting section 1b may be calculated based on the autofocus control amount of the optical unit 11.
[0033]
When the shading correction is completed, actual scanning is performed. That is, scanning and reading are performed by the scanning head 4 while the second illumination means 10b is turned on. The first lighting unit 10a may be turned on or off according to the design of the optical system.
[0034]
On the other hand, when scanning and reading an ordinary flat object such as a map or a drawing, scanning and reading may be performed by turning off the second lighting means 10b and turning on the first lighting means 10a. The shading correction in this case may be performed in a state where the white reference plate 21 is in contact with the light transmitting table 2.
[0035]
As described above, in the scanning device according to the present invention, even when scanning a deep surface from a light-transmitting table in a state where it is shielded from the outside, such as a picture or equipment in a frame, optimal illumination is achieved. Scanning can be performed under conditions.
[0036]
[Other embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the first and second lighting units 10a and 10b are provided individually, but may be integrated. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an outline of a scanning head 4 according to another embodiment.
[0037]
In FIG. 3, the scanning head 4 includes an illumination unit 30. The lighting means 30 includes a fluorescent lamp 31 and a reflecting means 32. The reflecting means 32 is a cylindrical body having a partially opened arc-shaped or parabolic shape, and is a member whose inside is mirror-finished. The light projected from the fluorescent lamp 31 is guided in a predetermined direction by the reflecting means 30.
[0038]
In this embodiment, the reflection means 32 is configured to be driven to rotate about the fluorescent lamp 31 by the rotation driving means 33. For example, a rotating gear may be fixed to the shaft end of the reflecting means 32 and rotated by a predetermined motor.
[0039]
Thereby, the light projecting direction (light collecting direction) of the illuminating means 30 can be arbitrarily changed from the light transmitting table surface position to a predetermined upper position. Therefore, the optimum illumination position can be changed according to whether the object to be scanned and read is a flat object or a three-dimensional object. More preferably, the optimum illumination of the illumination light source 30 is adjusted according to the height of the concave surface of the concave object. The position can be changed.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the second illumination means is further provided in addition to the first illumination means, optimal illumination can be achieved even if the concave-shaped object is placed face down on the transparent glass. Can be read in state.
[0041]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the projection direction of the illumination means can be changed, it is possible to read from the planar object to the concave object using the same light source in an optimal illumination state.
[0042]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to read paintings, bowls, dishes, and other pottery or earthenware stored in a picture frame as a concave-shaped object.
[0043]
According to the invention described in claim 6, since the shading correction using the reference plate can be performed at a position above the light transmission table by a predetermined distance, it is possible to perform the correction according to the height position of the three-dimensional object. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a scanning device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a reference plate means.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an example of a scanning device according to another embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a conventional scanning device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Concave shaped object 2 Translucent table 4 Scanning head 10 Illuminating means 10a First illuminating means 10b Second illuminating means 20 Reference plate means 21 White reference plate 22 Vertical movement means

Claims (6)

A scanning device capable of reading an image formed on the concave bottom of the concave-shaped object,
A translucent table that can be placed with the concave bottom face down,
First lighting means for projecting light from below the translucent table toward the table surface position;
Second illumination means for projecting light from below the translucent table toward a concave bottom of the concave-shaped object;
A scanning unit for scanning and reading the concave-shaped object illuminated by the illumination unit. The scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the second illumination unit can be selectively turned on or off. 3. The scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the second illumination unit is configured to project light toward a range of 3 cm to 30 cm above the light transmitting table. 4. A scanning device that reads an image formed on a concave bottom of a concave-shaped object,
A translucent table that can be placed with the concave bottom face down,
Illuminating means for projecting light upward from below the translucent table
Light emitting direction changing means capable of changing the light emitting direction of the lighting means from the height position of the light transmitting table to the height position of the concave bottom of the concave shaped object,
A scanning unit for scanning and reading the concave-shaped object illuminated by the illumination unit. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the concave-shaped object is a picture, a bowl or a dish, a pot, or an earthenware stored in a picture frame. The scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a reference plate unit that can move up and down a predetermined distance with respect to the light transmitting table.

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