JP2006165993A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reader in which paper clogging is not caused by an original left alone on original platen glass in an ADF type image reader for successively reading a plurality of originals. <P>SOLUTION: The image reader comprises: an image sensor for converting images in which the original is read to electric image signals; an A-D converter for converting the image signals to digital signals; a means for transferring the digitally converted image signals to an external device; a means for detecting whether or not the original is placed on the original platen glass in the case of setting the original to an ADF; a means for displaying an alarm in the case that it is detected; and a means for setting a plurality of originals and moving them sheet by sheet in the case of confirming that the original is not set on the original platen glass. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, and in particular, an image read as a document is read by an image sensor that converts it into an electrical image signal, and the image signal digitized by an A / D converter is transferred to an external device. The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus capable of automatically reading a plurality of originals continuously.

Conventionally, there has been an image reading apparatus equipped with an ADF function that sets a plurality of originals at predetermined positions and moves the originals one by one to read an image (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-77982 A

  When scanning a plurality of originals automatically, the originals are set on the ADF apparatus, and the process starts with nothing placed on the original table glass.

  However, even an image reading device mounted with an ADF device does not always use the ADF device. For example, it will not use ADF devices for color prints or reading books. What happens if you place an original directly on the platen glass, scan the image, and leave it alone?

  When reading the next time, if the image is read by placing the original directly on the platen glass, it should be understood that the previous original is left unattended. However, when a plurality of originals are read continuously using the ADF apparatus, reading of an image from the ADF apparatus should often be started without confirming whether or not anything is placed on the platen glass.

  In that case, a paper jam or the like may occur due to the first document and the document placed on the platen glass.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to place it on an original platen glass in an ADF type image reading apparatus that continuously reads a plurality of originals. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that does not cause a paper jam in a manuscript.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image sensor for converting an image read from a document into an electrical image signal, an A / D converter for converting an image signal into a digital signal, and the digital conversion. Means for transferring an image signal to an external device; means for detecting whether or not a document is placed on the platen glass when a document is set on the ADF; means for issuing a warning if detected; and a document on the platen glass When it is confirmed that the document is not set, a feature is provided that sets a plurality of documents and moves them one by one.

  In the present invention, when an ADF apparatus that continuously reads images of a plurality of documents is used, it is detected whether or not a document is placed on the platen glass before the image is read, and the document is placed. If this happens, a warning is displayed and an instruction is given to remove it, preventing paper jams between the first document in automatic continuous scanning and the document placed on the platen glass. Is possible.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image reading apparatus that does not cause a paper jam in a document placed on a platen glass in an ADF type image reading apparatus that continuously reads a plurality of documents.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of an image reading apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a sectional view of an image reading apparatus equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF).

  In FIG. 1, 101 is a scanner body, 102 is an automatic document feeder (ADF), and 103 is a read document. The scanner 101 is connected to a host computer (hereinafter referred to as host) by an interface cable (not shown).

  Further, the scanner 101 includes an optical unit 104, an original table glass 105, an electric board 106, a pulse motor 107, an endless belt 108, pulleys 109 and 110, a gear train 111, a guide rail 112, and a white reference plate 113. The white reference plate 113 has a black mark 136, and the scanner reads an image by determining a reading area based on the black mark 136 as a reference.

  In this embodiment, another black mark is provided in addition to the black mark for determining the reading position, and it is detected whether an original is placed on the platen glass. The optical unit 104 and the pulse motor 107 are electrically connected by cables (not shown). The optical unit 104 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 112 by the mounting means 114. Further, the placing means 114 is fixed to the endless belt 108. The automatic document feeder 102 conveys a plurality of documents to the document table glass 105 one by one.

  The optical unit 104 includes a reflective document light source 115, a plurality of reflection mirrors 116, 117, 118, an imaging lens 119, and a line sensor 120 that is an imaging unit.

  A document image reading operation of the scanner 101 will be briefly described. The reading operation in the scanner 101 is started by a read command from the host. The scanner 101 turns on the reflection original light source 115 of the optical unit 104, reflects the reflected light by a plurality of mirrors 116, 117, and 118, and forms an image on the sensor 120 through the imaging lens 119, thereby causing a main scanning direction. Read an image for one line.

  The automatic document feeder 102 conveys a plurality of documents one by one to the document table glass 105. Depending on the resolution and image size of the image reading, the conveyance of one original is divided into several times, and when the conveyance is stopped, the pulley 109 is rotated by the gear train 111 with the power of the pulse motor 107, so that the endless belt 108 is To drive. As a result, the optical unit 104 fixed to the endless belt 108 by the mounting means 114 moves on the guide rail in the sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow X, and returns several lines. As a result, the number of lines is read twice.

  Next, an embodiment of each functional block will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in the optical unit 204, reference numeral 224 denotes a light source lighting circuit for lighting the light source 215 for the reflection original, and includes a detecting means for detecting the light amount of the light source. When a cold cathode tube is used as the light source 215 for the reflection original, a so-called inverter circuit is formed. In the electric board 106, a motor driving circuit 225 for the pulse motor 107 outputs an excitation switching signal for the pulse motor 107 by a signal from a system controller 226 which is a system control means of the scanner 101.

  Reference numerals 227R, 227G, and 227B denote analog gain adjusters that can variably amplify the analog image signal output from the line sensor 120. An A / D converter 228 converts the analog image signal output from the variable analog gain adjuster 227 into a digital image signal. Reference numeral 229 denotes image processing means for performing image processing such as offset compression, shading correction, digital gain adjustment, color balance adjustment, masking, resolution conversion in the main and sub scanning directions on the digital image signal. Do.

  A line buffer 230 temporarily stores image data, and is realized by a general-purpose random access memory. Reference numeral 231 denotes an interface unit for communicating with the host 221. Here, the interface is realized by a USB interface, but another interface such as IEEE1394 can also be adopted.

  An offset RAM 232 is used as a working area when performing image processing. The offset RAM 232 is used for correcting the offset between the RGB lines because the line sensor 120 has the RGB line sensors arranged in parallel with a predetermined offset. The offset RAM also temporarily stores various data such as shading correction. Here, it is realized by a general-purpose random access memory.

  Reference numeral 233 denotes a gamma RAM for storing a gamma curve and performing gamma correction. A system controller 226 stores the entire sequence of the film scanner, and performs various controls in accordance with commands from the host 221. A system bus 234 connects the system controller 226, the image processing means 229, the line buffer 230, the interface unit 231, the offset RAM 232, and the gamma RAM 233, and is configured by an address bus and a data bus.

  Next, the control method of the reading operation according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

  The image reading apparatus is turned on (S301). When this image reading apparatus is connected to an external apparatus for the first time, the black level and white level on the white reference plate are acquired at the first scan, and the data is written in the RAM (S302). From the next time, based on this data, it is determined whether or not a document is placed on the platen glass.

  Next, the user selects whether to use the ADF device (S303). When used, the user sets an original on the ADF apparatus and performs an image reading operation (S304). Data acquisition of the white reference plate is performed before reading the image. Black-white-black marks are shown on the white reference plate, and the black level and white level data stored when the image reader is connected to the external device for the first time are almost the same as the values. It is determined whether data can be read in the order of white and black (S305). Normally, the white data on the white reference plate is 235 for 255 and the black data is 10.

  For example, if there is a 10% error and the document does not fall within the range, it is determined that the document exists between the white reference plate and the document table glass. If it is determined that a document is on board, a warning message is displayed on the application (S306) to instruct to remove the document on the platen glass. When the user closes the warning message, the image is read (S307), and the image reading ends (S308).

  Next, FIG. 4 shows an example of a white reference plate.

  The white reference plate determines whether or not a document is placed on the platen glass and simultaneously detects a reference position for image reading. In accordance with the resolution, the number of lines and the like are determined, the black range or white range image is read, it is determined from the data whether the original is placed on the platen glass, and at the same time the reference position for image reading is detected.

  Next, FIG. 5 shows a warning message.

  This is a warning message that is displayed when it is determined that a document is placed on the platen glass when the user uses the ADF function to read an image. It is.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the ADF type image reading apparatus that continuously reads a plurality of originals, whether or not there is an original before reading when the user uses the ADF apparatus to read an image. Thus, it is possible to provide an image reading apparatus that displays a warning message when a document is placed and does not cause a paper jam on the document placed on the platen glass.

Cross section of image reader Configuration diagram of the image reading apparatus such as MOTOR and CPU, and host PC Flow chart showing a series of operations from power-on to completion of image reading Figure showing an example of a white reference plate Figure showing an example of a warning message

Explanation of symbols

101 Scanner body 102 Automatic document feeder (ADF)
103 Reading Document 104 Optical Unit 105 Document Plate Glass 106 Electric Substrate 107 Pulse Motor 108 Endless Belt 109 Pulley 110 Pulley 111 Gear Train 112 Guide Rail 113 White Reference Plate 114 Placement Means 115 Reflective Document Light Source 116 Reflection Mirror 117 Reflection Mirror 118 Reflection Mirror 119 Imaging lens 120 Line sensor 136 Black mark 201 Inside image reading apparatus 204 Optical unit 206 Electric substrate 207 Pulse motor 215 Light source 219 for reflection original Lens 220 CCD / CIS
221 Host PC
222 USB cable 223 Monitor 224 Light source lighting circuit 225 Motor drive circuit 226 System controller 227R Analog gain adjuster 227G Analog gain adjuster 227B Analog gain adjuster 228 A / D converter 229 Image processing means 230 Line buffer 231 Interface 232 Offset RAM
233 Gamma RAM
234 CPU bus S301 Power ON of image reading device
S302 Whether the image reading device is connected to an external device for the first time S303 Data acquisition of white level and black level on the white reference plate S304 Whether to use the ADF device S305 With image reading operation S306 Data determination on the white reference plate S307 Warning Message display S308 Warning message close S309 Image reading start S310 End

Claims (1)

An image sensor that converts an image read from an original into an electrical image signal;
An A / D converter for converting an image signal into a digital signal;
Means for transferring the digitally converted image signal to an external device;
Means for detecting whether a document is placed on the platen glass when a document is set on the ADF;
A means of displaying a warning if detected,
An image reading apparatus comprising: means for setting a plurality of documents and moving the documents one by one when it is confirmed that no document is set on the document glass.

Images