JP2022091639A - Image reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image reading device which can easily perform the work of reading information printed on a business card and converting the information into digital data.SOLUTION: An image reading device comprises: a device body; an introduction conveyance unit which conveys a read document into the device body; a discharge conveyance unit which is provided at a position on the lower side of the introduction conveyance unit and different in the front-rear direction from the conveyance unit and discharges the read document conveyed into the device body to the outside of the device body; an inclined plate whose upper end is adjacent to the introduction conveyance unit, whose lower end is adjacent to the discharge conveyance unit and slips the read document discharged from the introduction conveyance unit to reach the discharge conveyance unit; and a holding unit which holds an imaging device imaging the read document located on the inclined plate and acquiring the photographed image in the device body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an image reader.

Business card exchange is widely practiced mainly in the business scene. The received business card is stored in a business card file or the like, but it is also stored and managed electronically by converting it into digital data with a scanner or a mobile terminal with a camera function. Furthermore, in recent years, instead of personal management, for example, efforts have been made to share business cards within the company.

However, it takes time and effort to convert a large number of business cards into digital data. Therefore, there is a demand for a business card reading device that can easily perform the work of reading the information printed on the business card and converting it into digital data.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-30305

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide an image reading device capable of easily performing a work of reading information printed on a business card or the like and converting it into digital data.

The image reading device according to the embodiment is provided at a position different from the device main body, the introduction transport section for transporting the scanned document into the device main body, the lower side of the introduction transport section, and the transport section in the front-rear direction. A discharge transport unit that discharges the scanned document conveyed into the main body of the device to the outside of the main body of the device, an upper end adjacent to the introduction transport unit, and a lower end adjacent to the discharge transport unit, and ejected from the introduction transport unit. It is provided with an inclined plate that slides the scanned document to reach the discharge transport unit, and a holding unit that holds an image pickup device that captures an image of the scanned document located on the tilted plate and acquires an image.

It is a front view of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the business card reading apparatus in the non-use state which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an internal block diagram of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an internal block diagram of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a partial cross-sectional view of the V mirror and the inclined plate which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the captured image obtained by the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view for demonstrating the relationship between the transport roller and the inclined plate which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the image reading process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view which shows the gate in the open state of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view which shows the gate in the closed state of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. This is an internal configuration of the business card reading device according to the third embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view of the pickup roller which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view of the pickup roller which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the positional relationship of the pickup roller, the separation roller, and the 4th transfer roller which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the transport method of the business card which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the image reading process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is an internal block diagram of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is an internal block diagram which shows the modification of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a side view of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a front view of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the 1st modification of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the 2nd modification of the business card reading apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, the image reading device according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In each figure, the same configurations are designated by the same reference numerals.

(First Embodiment)
As an image reading device of the first embodiment, a business card reading device that reads an image printed on a business card will be described as an example. The image printed on the business card includes information such as a company name, a name, a telephone number, and an e-mail address. The business card used as the scanned document may have information printed on both sides, or information may be printed on only one side.

(Device configuration)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the business card reading device as viewed from the left side. The business card reading device 1 includes a box-shaped main body 2 into which a business card can be introduced, a support base 3 for holding the main body 2 from the left and right, and a mobile terminal 4.

The main body 2 is provided with a set of three terminal holders 21 movable in two axial directions up and down and left and right on the front side thereof, and the terminal holder 21 allows the mobile terminal 4 to display 42. It is oriented so that it faces the front and is held detachably. The mobile terminal 4 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or the like, and reads information printed on a business card guided to an image reading position (imaging position) in the main body 2. Specifically, the image data is obtained by taking an image with a camera 41 provided on the back side of the mobile terminal 4. Therefore, an opening (not shown) for imaging is provided on the front surface of the main body 2, and the camera 41 is positioned in the opening, so that the business card in the main body 2 can be photographed. Such positioning of the mobile terminal 4 can be achieved by adjusting the terminal holder 21.

(Main body 2)
The configuration of the main body 2 will be described in detail. The main body 2 is provided with a business card tray 22 for holding the business card to be imaged above the main body 2. The business cards held in the business card tray 22 are sequentially imaged, and the imaged business cards are discharged from an outlet (not shown) formed in the lower part of the main body 2 and taken out from the opening 32 formed in the lower part of the front surface of the support base 3. Is done. That is, the opening 32 serves as a paper ejection tray. Further, the main body 2 is provided on the support base 3 and is rotatably supported by a support shaft 31 whose axial direction is oriented in the left-right direction, and the front surface of the main body 2 is inclined as shown in FIG. It is possible to shift from the used state to the non-used state in which the main body 2 is substantially vertical as shown in FIG. Therefore, the width of the front and rear can be made compact in the non-use state, and the business card reading device 1 can be stored in a small installation space.

The tilt angle of the front surface of the main body 2 in the used state, in other words, the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 4 may be appropriately set, but it is preferable that the angle is such that the user can visually recognize the display 42 in the used state. As such an inclination angle, the angle formed by the horizontal plane and the front surface of the main body 2 may be, for example, 30 to 45 degrees.

4 and 5 are internal configuration views of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment, FIG. 4 is a left side view, and FIG. 5 is a view seen from the lower side in the business card transport direction. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the V-mirror and the inclined plate according to the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view seen from the lower side in the transport direction of the business card.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the main body 2 is provided with a flat plate-shaped inclined plate 23 for sliding the business card M from the business card tray 22 through the imaging position to the opening 32, that is, free-falling and transporting the business card M. Has been done. The inclined plate 23 is inclined so that the angle formed by the plane and the horizontal plane is approximately 30 degrees when the main body 2 is in use, and therefore the upper end thereof is adjacent to the second transport roller 262 described later. The lower end is adjacent to the third transfer roller 263, which will be described later. By sliding on the inclined plate 23, the business card M is conveyed in parallel with the inclined direction of the mobile terminal 4. The mobile terminal 4 slides on the inclined plate 23 and takes an image of the business card M when it is located at the image pickup position to obtain an image of the business card M. The inclination angle of the inclined plate is not limited to 30 degrees, and may be any angle as long as the business card M can slide and the front and back surfaces of the business card M can be imaged.

The inclined plate 23 has a light transmitting property, and for example, transparent glass is used. Therefore, in order to avoid a situation in which the inclined plate 23 is charged with static electricity and the business card M is adsorbed and does not slip, the upper surface of the inclined plate 23 is subjected to antistatic treatment (for example, application of an antistatic agent). good. When the mobile terminal 4 is imaged, the business card M is irradiated with light by the lighting units 25 such as LEDs arranged on the front and back sides of the business card M. The lighting unit 25 is preferably located at a position where light is emitted from the side of the business card M in order to prevent the light reflected by the surface of the business card M from directly incident on the camera 41. Further, it is preferable to perform antireflection treatment (for example, coating) on the front and back surfaces of the inclined plate 23 in order to prevent noise from being reflected on the front and back surfaces of the inclined plate 23 when irradiated with light. .. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, for focusing and adjusting the optical axis of the camera 41 at the center position in the longitudinal direction of the business card at the intersection position A between the mirror surface of the first mirror 241 and the mirror surface of the second mirror 242. Marker MK is installed.

The main body 2 is arranged with a V mirror 24 that simultaneously reflects both sides of the business card M at the imaging position. The V mirror 24 has, for example, a configuration in which two mirrors 241,242 are arranged at a right angle (90 degrees). As shown in FIG. 5, the inclined plate 23 is positioned at a position of 45 degrees from the mirrors 241,242, respectively, in which the two mirrors 241,242 are symmetrical. Therefore, the business card M at the imaging position on the inclined plate 23 is also at a substantially similar position. The first mirror 241 of the two mirrors 241,242 reflects one side (for example, the surface) of the business card M. The second mirror 242 reflects the other side (eg, the back side) of the business card M.

Further, the folded mirror 243 is arranged on the right side of the V mirror 24, that is, below the camera 41 of the mobile terminal 4, at an angle of substantially 45 from the horizontal plane like the first and second mirrors 241,242. The folded mirror 243 projects the mirror images of the front and back of the business card M reflected on the V mirror 24 toward the camera 41 of the mobile terminal 4. It is preferable that the lighting unit 25 is provided at a position where the business card M is irradiated with light from an oblique direction so as not to be reflected in these mirrors.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a captured image obtained by the business card reading device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7A, the front side MF and the back side MB of the business card M are captured in parallel in the captured image acquired by the business card reading device 1 according to the present embodiment. When the mobile terminal 4 is not attached to the main body 2 horizontally but vertically as in the present embodiment, an captured image as shown in FIG. 7B can be obtained. can.

The inclined plate 23, the V mirror 24, and the folded mirror 243 are at least longer than the length in the transport direction of the business card M, and their widths are also longer than the business card M so that the entire sliding business card M can be imaged. As an example of each width, for example, the inclined plate 23 and the first and second mirrors 241,242 are set to 66 mm, the folded mirror 243 is set to 96 mm, and the vertical distance between the camera 41 and the folded mirror 243 is set to 52 mm. Even if the maximum width of a typical business card M (length in the lateral direction) is 56.5 mm, it is possible to capture the entire image with a margin on the outside. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance L1 between the intersection position A of the first and second mirrors 241,242 and the widthwise end portion of the business card M is the thickness of the inclined plate 23 below the business card M. The thicker it is, the larger it needs to be. Therefore, considering the miniaturization of the apparatus, it is preferable that the thickness of the inclined plate 23 is thin. For example, if the thickness of the business card M is 0.2 to 0.4 mm, it is preferable that the thickness is within four times this. .. The distance L2 between the business card M and the inclined plate 23 shown in FIG. 6 will be described in detail later.

Switches SW1 and SW2 as sensors for detecting the business card M are arranged on the main body 2 (see FIG. 4). The switch SW1 detects that the business card M is set in the business card tray 22. The switch SW2 detects that the business card M is being carried. The detection of the business card M transport by the switch SW2 is used as a trigger for the camera 41 to start imaging.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 2 guides the business card M onto the inclined plate 23, and further discharges the business card M having been imaged to the outside of the apparatus. 263 is arranged. The first to third transfer rollers 261, 262, and 263 are paired up and down by a drive roller arranged on the lower side and a driven roller arranged on the upper side, respectively. The drive rollers of the transfer rollers 261, 262, and 263 rotate via a transmission mechanism such as a gear and a rotary belt by driving a drive motor 26 which is an example of a drive device. The drive motor 26 is, for example, a pulse motor.

As shown in FIG. 4, the business card tray 22 for setting the business card M to be the scanned document is formed in a U-shaped cross section having a bottom portion 22a and a side wall 22b, and a plurality of business card Ms are vertically placed, that is, the same. It can be placed with the long direction facing the transport direction. The bottom portion 22a is provided with a pickup roller (not shown) for transporting the business card M into the main body portion 2 one by one. The business card M placed on the business card tray 22 is conveyed into the main body 2 by the pickup roller, separated and conveyed one by one by the lower roller (drive roller) of the first transfer roller 261, and the second transfer. It is guided on the inclined plate 23 by the roller 262. The imaged business card M is discharged from the discharge port of the main body 2 by the third transport roller 263.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view for explaining the relationship between the transport roller and the inclined plate according to the present embodiment. The second transfer roller 262 has a gap between the drive roller and the driven roller so that the business card M can be held in close proximity to each other, while the third transfer roller 263 has the drive roller and the driven roller. The gap is wider than that of the second transfer roller 262. This is because the business card M extruded from the second transfer roller 262 slides on the inclined plate 23, and when it approaches the third transfer roller 263, it hits the third transfer roller 263 and the sliding is excessively hindered and stopped. This is to prevent the product from falling into the main body 2. Therefore, the gap between the rollers of the third transfer roller 263 is preferably at least the thickness of the business card M, and is, for example, 0.5 mm. By rotating both the upper and lower rollers of the third transport roller 263, the sliding of the business card M is not hindered to the extent that it comes into contact with the rollers to some extent.

The reference numeral B in the figure is a virtual line connecting the center of each roller (center of the gap) of the second transport roller to the upper portion of the driven roller on the lower side of the third transport roller 263, and the upper end of the inclined plate 23 is separated from the virtual line B. However, the lower end is arranged so as to be in contact with the virtual line B. By arranging in this way, it is prevented that the tip of the business card M discharged from the second transport roller 262 is caught on the inclined plate 23. The distance between the upper ends is L2 shown in FIG. 6, for example, 2 mm. The distance between the second transfer roller 262 and the third transfer roller 263 may be longer than the total length in the longitudinal direction of the business card M, and the entire surface of the business card M may be photographed by the camera 41. For example, if the length of the business card M of the inclined plate 23 in the transport direction is about 100 to 110 mm, the entire surface of the business card M can be easily photographed.

(Mobile terminal 4)
Next, the configuration of the mobile terminal 4 will be described. The mobile terminal 4 has, for example, a rechargeable USB port or a manufacturer's own port (for example, Lightning (registered trademark)) and an acoustic output port. When the USB port and the acoustic output port have a common connector, as shown in FIG. 1, the cable 43 that is communicably connected to the control unit (for example, a control board (not shown) of the main unit 2 is connected to the connector. Connect to. A distributor (not shown) is interposed in the middle of the cable 43 to extract an acoustic signal. When the USB port and the acoustic output port are independent connectors, connect them to the main body 2 with separate cables or the like (not shown). In the present embodiment, an acoustic signal is used as a control signal transmitted between the mobile terminal 4 and the main body 2.

Specifically, a control signal for lighting the lighting unit 25 is output from the mobile terminal 4 to the control unit of the main body unit 2. As an example, for example, a sound of a certain height is output at the maximum volume to the L channel of headphones. The control unit of the main body 2 lights up the illumination unit 25 when it receives a signal. Similarly, when the lighting unit 25 is turned off, a control signal is output. It also outputs a control signal to start the drive motor 26. As an example, for example, a sound of a certain height is output at the maximum volume to the R channel of headphones. The control unit of the main body 2 activates the drive motor 26 when it receives a signal. Similarly, when the drive motor 26 is stopped, a control signal is output.

On the other hand, the control unit of the main body 2 outputs a signal to the mobile terminal 4 informing that the switch SW1 is turned on by setting the business card M in the business card tray 22. As an example, for example, the control unit outputs a control signal instructing to raise the volume with the remote controller of the headphones. In addition, a signal is output informing that the switch SW2 is turned on when the business card M is started to be conveyed. As an example, for example, the control unit outputs a control signal instructing playback or pause with a remote controller of headphones. The mobile terminal 4 starts imaging after a predetermined time after the switch SW2 is turned off, that is, the business card M passes through the switch SW2.

The mobile terminal 4 has a business card reading function as an application built by software. That is, the business card reading function is realized by the "image acquisition unit" and the "image processing unit" configured by the cooperative action between the CPU of the control unit of the mobile terminal 4 and the program stored in the ROM.

(Device operation)
The image reading process executed by the business card reading device 1 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an image reading process according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, first, the business card M as a reading document is set in the business card tray 22, the mobile terminal 4 is set in the terminal holder 21, and the main power of the business card reading device 1 is turned on (S101). .. Next, the application of the mobile terminal 4 is started (S102). The CPU of the mobile terminal 4 reads out the program stored in the ROM and functions as an image acquisition unit. First, the image acquisition unit activates the camera 41 and at the same time turns on the illumination unit 25 (for example, 20 to 30% of the brightness during operation) and displays it on the display 42. When the marker MK is attached to the intersection position A, the user may move the terminal holder 21 so that the image pickup position by the camera 41 matches the marker MK while looking at the display 42. Next, when the user touches the display 42 or the image reading start button displayed on the display 42, the focus adjustment or the like is set and the start of the imaging process is recognized by the main body 2 (S103).

As an image pickup process, the image acquisition unit outputs a control signal to the main body unit 2 while the switch SW1 is ON, turns on the illumination unit 25, activates the drive motor 26, and rotationally drives each roller (S104). When the switch SW2 detects the tip of the business card M and turns ON, the image acquisition unit activates the camera application (S105). When the rear end of the business card M is subsequently disconnected from the switch SW2 and turned off, the image acquisition unit releases the shutter after a predetermined time (for example, several milliseconds) to perform image capture (S106). After the predetermined time, the business card M is discharged from the second transport roller 262, slides on the inclined plate 23, and is in a state of being positioned at the imaging position. Therefore, a captured image showing the front and back of the business card M as shown in FIG. 7 can be obtained.

When the captured image is acquired in this way, the CPU of the control unit of the mobile terminal 4 reads out the program stored in the ROM and functions as an image processing unit. The image processing unit stores and manages the image processing unit in a non-volatile storage device included in the mobile terminal 4 (S107). The image processing unit may transmit the acquired captured image to, for example, a server in the company for sharing, or may share it in the cloud. Further, for example, characters may be converted into text by optical character recognition (OCR) and registered in a database such as a storage device or a server. Further, it may be displayed on the display 42 of the mobile terminal 4.

Next, the image acquisition unit determines whether or not the business card M is set in the business card tray 22 and the switch SW1 is turned off (S108). When the switch SW1 is OFF (S108, YES), it is determined that all the business cards M in the business card tray 22 have been imaged, and the image acquisition unit terminates the camera application and outputs a control signal to the main unit 2. , The lighting unit 25 is turned off and the drive motor 26 is stopped (S107), and this flow ends. On the other hand, when the switch SW1 is ON (S108, NO), the imaging in step S106 is executed again.

According to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to easily perform the work of reading the information printed on the business card M and converting it into digital data. Further, since the business card M sliding on the inclined plate is sequentially imaged, the captured image can be quickly obtained even when there are many business card Ms, and the structure is simplified as compared with the conventional business card reading device. It can be done and cost reduction can be realized.

(Second embodiment)
The business card reading device of the second embodiment will be described. The business card reading device according to the first embodiment is different from the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment in that a gate is provided at the lower end of the inclined plate 23. Therefore, the same configuration as that of the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

10 and 11 are partially enlarged views showing the gates in the open state and the closed state according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the business card reading device 1A according to the present embodiment has a business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment in that a gate 5 is provided near the lower end portion of the inclined plate 23. Different from. The gate 5 opens and closes the transport path of the business card M, and one end of the gate 5 abuts on the inclined plate 23 in the closed state to stop the business card M from sliding. The business card reading device 1A according to the present embodiment captures the business card M in this stopped state.

The gate 5 will be described in detail. The gate 5 has a contact portion 51 whose tip abuts at a right angle to the inclined plate 23, and an orthogonal portion 52 whose tip is connected to the other end of the contact portion 51 so as to be orthogonal to the contact portion 51. It is formed in an L-shaped cross section. Further, the gate 5 can rotate about the connecting portion 53 between the contact portion 51 and the orthogonal portion 52, and the transition from the open state shown in FIG. 10 to the closed state shown in FIG. 11 and vice versa. Is also possible. The other end of the orthogonal portion 52 is connected to a shaft 541 that can be advanced and retreated by an advancing / retreating drive device 54 such as a solenoid, whereby the gate 5 rotates according to the advancing / retreating of the shaft 541. .. Specifically, when the shaft 541 is retracted, the gate 5 is in the open state shown in FIG. 10, and when the shaft 541 is advanced, the gate 5 is in the closed state shown in FIG.

In the closed state, the contact portion 51 comes into contact with the upper surface of the inclined plate 23 at a right angle, and the business card M whose sliding is stopped in the closed state is prevented from tilting. It is preferable that at least the contact portion 51 of the gate 5 is formed in a plate shape and makes line contact with the inclined plate 23, but the gate 5 has sufficient strength to stop the business card M and makes point contact at two or more points. It may be configured as.

When transitioning from the closed state to the open state, the gate 5 rotates along the sliding direction (transporting direction) as shown in FIG. 10 so as not to hinder the sliding of the business card M. The gate 5 is preferably provided at a position where the connecting portion 53 is not visible when the business card M is photographed, and is therefore provided close to the upstream side of the third transfer roller 263. Therefore, in the open state of the gate 5, a part of the contact portion 51 is inserted into the drive roller on the upper side of the third transfer roller 263. That is, a part of the circumferential portion of the rubber material or the like constituting the drive roller is cut off, and a part of the contact portion 51 can be inserted. Therefore, the contact portion 51 in the open state is sufficiently separated from the inclined plate 23 so that the business card M is inserted until it comes into contact with or is close to the rotating shaft 264 of the drive roller as shown in FIG. ..

The position that is not captured when the business card M is photographed here may be a position outside the first mirror 241. However, if the connecting portion 53 is outside the line-of-sight CR of the image captured by the camera 41, the image of the business card M may be captured. It does not interfere. The ray CR of the camera 41 is tilted toward the second transport roller 262 by 10 degrees or more from the vertical direction. Further, in order to suppress the amount of rebound when the business card M comes into contact with the business card M in the closed state, it is preferable that a cushioning material having a cushioning property is used at least on the surface of the gate 5 that comes into contact with the business card M.

The opening / closing timing of the gate 5 will be described. A control signal is transmitted to the advance / retreat drive device 54 by the image acquisition unit to control the drive timing of the gate 5. As an example of timing, when N is an integer of 2 or more, the gate 5 is in the open state after the imaging of the N-1th business card M, and the business card M is discharged from the third transport roller 263. After that, the tip of the Nth business card M is closed before passing through the gate 5. After the Nth business card M is stopped by the gate 5, an image is taken by the camera 41. After imaging, the gate 5 is opened and the Nth business card M is ejected. After the Nth business card M is ejected, the N + 1th business card M is similarly closed before passing through the gate 5.

An example of timing will be described more specifically. After the gate 5 is closed and the business card M is stopped, the camera 41 takes an image at a shutter speed of 1/1000 within 0.03 seconds. The gate 5 is opened 0.09 seconds or less after the business card M is stopped, that is, 0.06 seconds or less after the imaging. The time in the open state should be about 0.07 seconds, taking 0.02 seconds before and after. The solenoid reaction time here is about 0.004 seconds.

According to the present embodiment described above, since the business card M can be stopped and imaged, the business card M can be reliably imaged.

(Third embodiment)
The business card reading device of the third embodiment will be described. The business card reading device of the present embodiment is different from the business card reading device 1 of the first embodiment in that the business card M is imaged in a state of being arranged on the business card tray 22. Therefore, the same configuration as that of the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Device configuration)
FIG. 12 is an internal configuration diagram of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment, and is a view seen from the left side. Here, for the sake of explanation, the terminal holder 21 and the cable 43 are not shown. As shown in FIG. 12, the business card reading device 1B according to the present embodiment has a box-shaped main body 2B into which a business card M can be introduced, the main body 2B, and a terminal holder provided in the main body 2B. 21 (not shown) includes a portable terminal 4 that is detachably held. Similar to the main body 2 according to the first embodiment, the main body 2B is provided with an opening (not shown) for imaging in front of the main body 2B, and a business card is formed by positioning the camera 41 of the mobile terminal 4 in the opening. It is possible to take a picture of the business card M on the tray 22B. The front surface of the main body 2B is inclined, and therefore the attached mobile terminal 4 is also inclined. It is preferable that these inclination angles are the same as the inclination angles of the main body 2 in the use state according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 4 is installed in the main body 2B in a vertical state.

On the back surface of the main body 2B, a business card tray 22B for holding a plurality of business cards M in a vertical state (a state in which the long direction thereof is oriented in the transport direction) is provided. The business card tray 22B is configured to be rotatable at the lower end portion, and can be tilted backward as shown in FIG. 12 in the used state. This tilt angle is the same as the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 4 on the main body 2B, that is, the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 4, and is therefore parallel to each other. On the other hand, when the business card reading device 1B is not used, the business card tray 22B can be rotated and positioned vertically on the back surface of the main body 2B. As a result, the device can be made compact, and the business card reading device 1B can be stored in a small installation space.

The business card tray 22B has a mounting plate 221 on which the business card M is mounted, and the mounting plate 221 is urged from below toward the upper surface side by an urging portion 222 such as a leaf spring. There is. As a result, the position of the business card M located at the uppermost stage on the mounting plate 221 can be substantially fixed, and the business card M can be appropriately taken into the main body portion 2B. The uptake is performed by a pickup roller 6 provided in the main body 2B. The mounting plate 221 is provided with a SW1 provided on the mounting plate 221 and detecting that the business card M is mounted on the mounting plate 221 below the SW1.

The mobile terminal 4 is parallel to the plurality of business cards M held in the business card tray 22B, and among the plurality of business cards M, the entire surface of the business card M located at the uppermost stage is imaged to obtain an captured image. It is positioned in a position where it can be used. When the business card is imaged, the lighting unit 25 irradiates the business card M held in the business card tray 22B with light. It is preferable that the lighting unit 25 irradiates the light obliquely from below the business card M in order to prevent the light reflected by the surface of the business card M from directly incident on the camera 41. After imaging the business card M, the business card M is ejected from the business card tray 22B, and the business card M that has been imaged by the pickup roller 6 is taken into the main body 2B in order to image the next business card M.

FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged view of the pickup roller according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the pickup roller 6 includes a drive roller 61 and a driven roller 62 rotatably connected via a link plate P1. The driven roller 62 rotates in the same direction according to the rotation of the drive roller 61. The pickup roller 6 can rotate about the shaft S1 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) described later of the drive roller 61, and specifically, the pickup roller 6 is taken in from the retracted position shown in FIG. 12 and shown in FIG. Rotate to the position. The pickup roller 6 that has rotated to the take-in position has the driven roller 62 in contact with the business card M located at the uppermost stage of the business card tray 22B. By rotating the driven roller 62 in this state, the business card M that comes into contact with the driven roller 62 can be taken into the main body 2B.

Below the drive roller 61, a separation roller 63 for separating the business card M to be conveyed is provided. The separation roller 63 has a structure that is fixed so as not to rotate or is driven by a constant torque. Therefore, for example, when two business cards M are conveyed by the driven roller 62, the rotation of the drive roller 61 causes only the upper one to be driven. Can be transported. The same function can be achieved by using a brake pad instead of the separation roller 63. A fourth transport roller 64 is provided on the downstream side of these rollers. The fourth transport roller 64 is paired up and down by a drive roller arranged on the lower side and a driven roller arranged on the upper side, and the business card M discharged from the fourth transport roller 64 is discharged to the opening 32 and taken out. The drive roller 61 and the fourth transport roller 64 rotate via a transmission mechanism such as a gear and a rotary belt by driving a drive motor 26 which is an example of a drive device. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the fourth transport roller 64 is higher than that of the drive roller 61 and the driven roller 62, in order to make the transport timing of the business card M, which will be described later, appropriate. As such a speed, for example, a speed of 3 times is preferable.

After the business card M is ejected by the fourth transport roller 64, the pickup roller 6 rotates to the retracted position. FIG. 12 shows the pickup roller 6 in the retracted position. At the retracted position, the pickup roller 6 is inclined to the front side of the main body 2B beyond the top dead center, and therefore is not unnecessarily rotated to the rear of the main body 2B due to its own weight and is not positioned at the intake position, and is in a stable stationary state. Will be. This retracted position is outside the imaging range of the camera 41, and in this state, the business card M is imaged by the camera 41, and after the imaging, the pickup roller 6 reaches the capture position again in order to eject the imaged business card M. It will rotate.

A lever switch SW3 having a rod-shaped member bent in a dogleg shape at a predetermined angle is provided between the drive roller 61 and the business card tray 22B. In the initial state of the lever switch SW3, one end thereof faces upward and the other end thereof faces downward, and the lever switch SW3 can rotate about the rotation shaft 651 (see FIG. 13). The lever switch SW3 is preferably located at the center in the width direction of the main body portion 2B in the transport path of the business card M.

The lever switch SW3 is urged to rotate in a direction opposite to the above-mentioned one direction, that is, in the direction of the business card tray 22B, by its own weight or an urging member (not shown) such as a spring. In order to realize the bias by its own weight, for example, it is advisable to provide a weight at the other end. As a result, the lever switch SW3 can return to the original initial state shown in FIG. 12 after the business card M has passed. At this time, since one end of the lever switch SW3 rotates in the direction opposite to the transport direction of the business card M, the next business card M (not imaged) that approaches the vicinity of the separation roller 63 together with the first card (imaged business card). If there is a business card), it can be pushed back and returned to the mounting surface of the business card tray 22B or another business card M. The business card M pushed back by this becomes the next top-level business card M and is within the imaging range of the camera 41. The lever switch SW3 is preferably provided at a position where it does not enter outside the imaging range in the initial state.

Further, the lever switch SW3 functions as a switch for determining whether or not there is a business card M in front of the separation roller 63. That is, when the lever switch SW3 is not in the initial state and is rotating, it can be detected that the business card M is in front of the separation roller 63. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when the pickup roller 6 rotates and the business card M is taken in toward the fourth transport roller 64 by the driven roller 62 of the pickup roller 6, the lever switch SW3 is moved by the business card M. By being urged in the direction, it rotates in one direction and turns ON. At this time, a signal is sent from the lever switch SW3 to the control unit of the business card reading device 1B, and the image acquisition unit acquires this signal.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a switch SW4 is provided below the driven roller 62 of the pickup roller 6 in the retracted position, and the switch SW4 has a rod-shaped lever SW41. When the pickup roller 6 is in the retracted position, the lever SW41 abuts on the shaft S2, which will be described later, and is urged to turn on the switch SW4. Specifically, the lever SW41 can prevent the shaft S2 from directly contacting the movable protrusion portion (switch portion) of the switch SW4 when the pickup roller 6 rotates from the intake position to the retracted position. In addition, it prevents the switch SW4 from being damaged. Further, since the shaft S2 contacts the switch SW4 via the lever SW41, the impact and force applied to the switch SW4 at the time of contact can be alleviated. For the relaxation, it is preferable that the lever SW41 is composed of an elastic member. When the switch SW4 is turned on, a signal is sent from the switch SW4 to the control unit of the business card reader 1B, and the image acquisition unit that acquires the signal stops driving the drive motor 26. Further, an auxiliary gear G8 is provided on the right side of the driven roller 62 of the pickup roller 6 in the retracted position. Although the auxiliary gear G8 is not shown in FIG. 12, it is shown in FIG. 13 because the driven roller 62 is positioned at the intake position. Details of the auxiliary gear G8 will be described later.

The structure of the pickup roller 6 will be described in detail. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the pickup roller 6 according to the present embodiment. The rotation direction (clockwise rotation direction) of the shaft S1 for rotating the pickup roller 6 from the retracted position to the intake position is referred to as CW, and the opposite rotation direction is referred to as CCW. Further, each gear shown in FIG. 14 and the like is represented by a pitch circle.

As shown in FIG. 14, the pickup roller 6 includes a shaft S1 that pivotally supports the drive roller 61. The shaft S1 is axially supported by a flat plate-shaped frame F1 whose one end is fixed in the main body 2B so as to be relatively rotatable, and the vicinity of the other end is fixed to the flat plate-shaped frame F2 fixed in the main body 2B. It is pivotally supported so as to be relatively rotatable, and is inserted between them in a pair of rectangular flat plate-shaped link plates P1 and P2 so as to be relatively rotatable. A shaft S2 is provided adjacent to the shaft S1, and one end of the shaft S2 is fixed to the link plate P1 and the vicinity of the other end is fixed to the link plate P2 and further penetrated into the frame F2. It is inserted through the through hole F21 (see FIG. 15). The through hole F21 is a slit hole extending in an arc shape, whereby the rotation range of the pickup roller 6 can be limited. Both ends of the shaft S3 that pivotally supports the driven roller 62 adjacent to the shaft S2 are pivotally supported on the pair of link plates P1 and P2 so as to be relatively rotatable. The pair of link plates P1 and P2 are preferably connected to each other at the upper portion or the lower portion thereof.

The shaft S1 pivotally supports the gear G1 between the drive roller 61 and the link plate P2 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The gear G1 meshes with a gear G2 that is pivotally supported by the shaft S2 so as to be relatively rotatable, and the gear G2 is located between the driven roller 62 and the link plate P2 and is pivotally supported by the shaft S3 so as not to be relatively rotatable. It meshes with G3. Therefore, the rotation of the shaft S1 in the CW and CCW directions is transmitted to the shaft S3 via the gear G1, the gear G2, and the gear G3.

The drive roller 61 and the driven roller 62 have a built-in one-way clutch mechanism including a cam or the like that allows only rotation in one direction, and here, only rotation in the CW direction is transmitted. That is, when the shaft S1 rotates in the CW direction, the drive roller 61 and the driven roller 62 rotate in the CW direction integrally with the shafts S1 and S3, respectively. On the other hand, when the shaft S1 rotates in the CCW direction, the drive roller 61 idles with respect to the shaft S1 and the driven roller 62 idles with respect to the shaft S3.

The shaft S1 pivotally supports the gear G4 between the link plate P2 and the frame F2. The gear G4 meshes with the gear G5 which is pivotally supported by the shaft S2 between the link plate P2 and the frame F2 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The gear 4 has a built-in one-way clutch mechanism including a cam or the like that allows only rotation in one direction, and here only rotation in the CCW direction is transmitted. That is, the gear G4 spins when the shaft S1 rotates in the CW direction, but when the shaft S1 rotates in the CCW direction, the gear G4 rotates integrally with the shaft S1 in the CCW direction. Since the gear G4 meshes with the gear G5, when the shaft S1 rotates in the CCW direction, the pair of link plates P1 and P2 can be rotated in the CCW direction via the gear G5 and the shaft S2, and the pickup roller 6 can be extended. It can be rotated from the loading position to the retracting position.

The shaft S1 pivotally supports the gear G6 at other ends so that the gear G6 cannot rotate relative to each other, and the shaft S2 pivotally supports the gear 7 that meshes with the gear G6 at the other end portions so as to be relatively rotatable. The gear G6 is connected to the drive motor 26 via a speed reducing device (not shown), and the driving force from the drive motor 26 is transmitted. By driving the drive motor 26, the gear G6 rotates in the CW and CCW directions integrally with the shaft S1. At this time, the gear G7 is driven by the rotation of the gear G6 to rotate (idle with respect to the shaft S2).

Next, the above-mentioned auxiliary gear G8 will be described in detail. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 15, the pickup roller 6 is positioned at the retracted position, and the left side of the pickup roller 6, the auxiliary gear G8, and the like is schematically shown. For the sake of explanation, only the shafts S1 and S2 and the gears G6 and G7 are shown for the pickup roller 6.

The auxiliary gear G8 is a pinion gear that can rotate only within a predetermined angle range, and is a retracted position by engaging with the gear G7 when the pickup roller 6 is rotated from the retracted position to the intake position and vice versa. -Assists the movement of the pickup roller 6 between the capture positions. The auxiliary gear G8 is preferably designed so that backlash is formed when it meshes with the gear G7. As shown in FIG. 15, the auxiliary gear G8 is integrally fixed with an arm G81 projecting in the out-of-diameter direction. The position inclined with respect to the horizontal direction shown in the figure is the reference position of the arm G81 and the auxiliary gear G8. The arm G81 limits the rotation range of the auxiliary gear G8 by engaging with a notch (not shown) provided in the frame F2. The rotation range is preferably set to slightly exceed the rotation stop position of the gear G7 when the pickup roller 6 reaches the retracted position. A urging member G82 such as a spring is provided at the tip of the arm G81. By providing the urging member G82 on the arm G81, when the auxiliary gear G8 rotates in the CW direction, the arm G81 swings upward against the restoring force of the urging member G82 (see FIG. 16). , The weight of the arm G81 and the restoring force of the urging member G82 urge the arm in the direction indicated by the reference numeral C, and therefore the arm G81 rotates in the CCW direction and tries to return to the reference position.

Next, the operation of the pickup roller 6 and the auxiliary gear G8 when the pickup roller 6 is rotated between the retracted position and the intake position will be described. 16 to 18 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the pickup roller and the auxiliary gear according to the present embodiment. 16 to 18 schematically show the left side of the pickup roller 6 and the auxiliary gear G8, and the driven roller 62 is not shown for explanation. For the sake of explanation, only the shafts S1 and S2 and the gears G6 and G7 are shown for the pickup roller 6.

A case of rotating from the retracted position of the pickup roller 6 to the intake position will be described. From the mobile terminal 4 in a state where the switch SW1 is ON, that is, the business card M is placed on the business card tray 22B, the lever switch SW3 is OFF (there is no business card M in front of the separation roller 63), and the switch SW4 is ON. When the operation start signal is input to the control unit of the main body unit 2B, the image acquisition unit subsequently controls the drive motor 26 and the like. After the signal is input, as shown in FIG. 16, the drive motor 26 starts the shaft S1 to rotate in the CW direction via the gear G6, and the gear G6 rotating in the CW direction rotates the gear G7 in the CCW direction. .. The reference numeral FG7 in the figure indicates a vector in the left direction required to rotate the pickup roller 6 in the CW direction, and the reference numeral FG8 is generated by the restoring force of the urging member 82 and the weights of the auxiliary gear G8 and the arm G81. The vector to the right is shown. The gear G7 tries to rotate the auxiliary gear G8 in the CW direction by rotating in the CCW direction. The vector FG7 is a component force having an angle θL of the weight of the link of the pickup roller 6 (a portion including the link plates P1 and P2, the drive roller 61, and the driven roller 62: not shown in FIGS. 15 to 18). It should be noted that this vector FG8 has a smaller force than the vector FG71 described later.

When the shaft S1 continues to rotate in the CW direction via the gear G6, the auxiliary gear G8 counteracts the force urged in the CCW direction by the weight of the arm G81 and the urging member 82 and the rotational force in the CCW direction of the gear G7. In other words, the gear G7 moves while being pushed by the teeth of the auxiliary gear G8 so as to push out the gear G7 by the force of the vector FG8 combined with the force, and the link of the pickup roller 6 rotates in the CW direction. That is, there is a relationship of vector FG8> vector FG7. Even if the vector FG8 <FG7 is set for some reason, the auxiliary gear G8 rotates in the CW direction, but the rotation is stopped by the arm G81, the reaction force of the rotational force of the gear G7 in the CCW direction increases, and the FG8 > FG7, and the link of the pickup roller 6 is rotated in the CW direction in the same manner as described above, so that the pickup roller 6 does not reach the intake position.

Further, when the shaft S1 rotates in the CW direction, as shown in FIG. 17, the link of the pickup roller 6 passes the top dead center and is disengaged from the gear G7 and the auxiliary gear G8, and reaches the intake position by its own weight. It will move. The auxiliary gear G8, which is disengaged from the gear G7, rotates to the rotation limit in the CCW direction due to the weight of the arm G81 arm and the urging member G82, and the arm G81 becomes the reference position which is the lower limit position in the drawing.

Next, a case where the pickup roller 6 rotates from the intake position to the retracted position will be described. As shown in FIG. 18, when the shaft S1 rotates in the CCW direction, the gear G4 rotates in the CCW direction, the shaft S2 and the link of the pickup roller 6 rotate in the CCW direction via the gear G5, and the gears. G7 contacts the auxiliary gear G8. At this time, the link of the pickup roller 6 has not reached the top dead center. The reference numeral FG71 in the figure indicates a vector to the left due to the rotation of the pickup roller 6, and the vector FG71 has a larger force than the FG8. Therefore, the auxiliary gear G8 does not rotate in the CCW direction but rotates in the CW direction, meshes with the gear G7 rotating in the CW direction, and the gear G7 moves while meshing with the teeth of the auxiliary gear G8. The rotation of the pickup roller 6 is continued until the shaft S2 turns on the switch SW4 via the lever SW41, and when the switch SW4 is turned on, the rotation of the shaft S1 in the CCW direction is stopped. In this state, the pickup roller 6 has reached the retracted position.

If the link of the pickup roller 6 is to be rotated in the CW direction while the drive motor 16 is stationary, the gear G5 needs to rotate the gear G4 in the CW direction, but the shaft is operated by the one-way clutch of the gear G4. It is necessary to rotate S1 and the gear G1 in the CW direction. Since the shaft S1 is connected to the drive motor 26 via a reduction gear (not shown), it is necessary to rotate the gear with a large force that is several times the reciprocal of the reduction ratio in order to rotate the drive motor 26. From the above, the pickup roller 6 is in a fixed state at the retracted position. When a worm gear is used for the motor shaft of the drive motor 26 as a speed reducer (reduction mechanism) and a wheel gear is combined, the motor shaft cannot rotate due to the force applied to the gear.

Next, the operations of the pickup roller 6 and the fourth transport roller 64 after the image pickup of the business card M will be described. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship between the pickup roller, the separation roller, and the fourth transport roller according to the present embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a method of transporting a business card according to the present embodiment. Reference numeral L3 shown in FIG. 19 indicates the distance between the drive roller 61 axis and the driven roller 62 axis, and reference numeral L4 indicates the distance between the drive roller 61 axis and the fourth conveyor 64 axis. In the present embodiment, the distance L3 is 2L, the distance L4 is 1L, and the rotation speed (drive peripheral speed) of the fourth transport roller 64 is three times the rotation speed of the drive roller 61.

After the pickup roller 6 is positioned at the take-in position, the business card M1 is conveyed by the driven roller 62 as shown in FIG. 20 (a). At this time, the driven roller 62 is rotating at the rotation speed V1 of the drive roller 61, in other words, at the same rotation speed VR1 as the rotation speed VR1 of the shaft S1, and the business card M1 has the same transfer speed V1 as the rotation speed V1. It will be transported. The lever switch SW3 is OFF. After the tip of the business card M1 passes through the lever switch SW3 and is turned ON, when the tip of the business card M1 reaches the fourth transport roller 64, the business card M1 is transported by the fourth transport roller 64 at a transport speed V2 which is three times the transport speed V1. Will be done. At this time, the drive roller 61 and the driven roller 62 are pulled by the business card M1 and driven at the rotation speed V2.

As shown in FIG. 20B, when the rear end of the business card M1 passes through the driven roller 62, the business card M2 begins to be conveyed. At this time, since the driven roller 62 rotates at the rotation speed VR1 transmitted from the shaft S1, the transport speed of the business card M2 becomes V1. This is because the drive roller 61 is pivotally supported on the shaft S1 via the one-way clutch, so even if the rotation speed V2 is set by the business card M1, the rotational force is not transmitted to the shaft S1 and the rotation speed VR1 of the shaft S1 is increased. This is because it is continuously transmitted to the driven roller 62 via the gears G1 to G3. Here, since the transport speed V2 of the business card M1 is three times the transport speed V1 of the business card M2, the distance between the rear end of the business card M1 and the tip of the business card M2 gradually increases.

As shown in FIG. 20 (c), when the rear end of the business card M1 is disengaged from the lever switch SW3, the lever switch SW3 is switched from ON to OFF. The time required up to this point will be referred to as T1 and the following description will be given. In the present embodiment, the lever switch SW3 is adjusted so as to be disengaged from the rear end of the business card M1 and turned off at the center of the distance L3 (see FIG. 19).

After 2L4 / V2 seconds from the time T1, the rear end of the business card M1 comes off from the fourth transport roller 64. At this time, as shown in FIG. 20 (d), the tip of the business card M2 is located at the center of L3 (see FIG. 19). Since the transport speed V2 of the business card M1 is three times as fast as the transport speed V1 of the business card M2, the tip of the business card M2 becomes 1 / when the rear end of the business card M1 advances the inter-axis distance 3L of the driven roller 62-4th transport roller 64. It is a calculation that advances 1L, which is 3.

Immediately after the state shown in FIG. 20D (for example, the timing when the business card M1 completely separates from the fourth transport roller 64 and starts falling into the opening 32), the pickup roller 6 is retracted to the retracted position. The shaft S1 is rotated in the CCW direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 20 (e), the driven roller 62 starts to move so as to float in the direction of the retracted position. The business card M2 released from the restraint of the driven roller 62 is pushed back to the start position as shown in FIG. 20A by the lever switch SW3 at its tip. At this time, since the drive roller 61 and the driven roller 62 are both pivotally supported on each shaft via the one-way clutch, even if the shafts S1 and S3 are rotated in the CCW direction, they do not rotate.

By arranging and setting the speed of each roller described above, it is possible to perform imaging and ejection with a space between the business card M1 and the business card M2, and after the business card M is ejected by the above-mentioned series of operations. The pickup roller 6 is retracted to the retracted position, and the next business card M can be placed in the image pickup position. The speed and distance of each roller are examples, and the same relationship can be satisfied even with different settings, that is, the business card M2 returns to the imaging position by the lever switch SW3 after the business card M1 is ejected from the fourth transport roller 64). If so, the same effect can be achieved.

(Device operation)
FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an image reading process according to the present embodiment. Here, processing of S201 to S203 different from the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 according to the first embodiment will be described. After recognizing the image pickup process in step S103, the image acquisition unit outputs a control signal to the main body unit 2B while the switch SW1 is ON to turn on the illumination unit 25 (S201). After lighting, the image acquisition unit activates the camera application (S202). After activation, the image acquisition unit releases the shutter after a predetermined time (for example, several milliseconds) to perform imaging (S203). After imaging, the image processing unit performs a business card ejection process in which the pickup roller 6 is positioned at the evacuation position after the pickup roller 6 is rotated to the intake position and the above-mentioned one business card M shown in FIG. 21 is conveyed and ejected. (S204). After that, when it is determined in step S108 that the switch SW1 is OFF (S108, YES), it is determined that all the business cards M in the business card tray 22 have been imaged, and the image acquisition unit terminates the camera application and the main body. A control signal is output to the unit 2 to turn off the lighting unit 25 (S205), and this flow ends.

In the present embodiment, the business card reading device 1 captures only one side of the business card M. On the other hand, both sides of the business card M may be imaged. This can be realized by setting the setting of the application possessed by the mobile terminal 4 to the double-sided reading mode. Specifically, after continuously imaging 1 to N business cards M, the 1 to N business cards M loaded in the opening 32 are inverted and placed on the business card tray 22B. The business card M located at the top can be the first card, and the upper surface thereof is the back surface. Since the captured image of the back surface of the business card M can be obtained by continuously performing imaging in this state, the captured image of the front surface and the captured image of the back surface may be linked and managed by a smartphone. .. It is preferable that the mobile terminal 4 displays this operation on the display 42 to facilitate the customer's operation.

(Fourth Embodiment)
The business card reading device of the fourth embodiment will be described. The business card reading device of the present embodiment is different from the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the face of the user is also imaged together with the image of the business card M. Therefore, the same configuration as that of the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 22 is an internal configuration diagram of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 23 is an internal configuration diagram of the business card reading device according to another embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, the view seen from the left side is shown. As shown in FIG. 23, in the business card reading device 1C according to the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 4 is vertically mounted on the inclined front surface of the main body portion 2C having a triangular cross section, and the business card M is mounted on the back surface. A business card tray 22C to be placed is provided. The business card tray 22C is tilted at an angle similar to the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 4, and is therefore parallel to each other. An opening for capturing a business card M by the camera 41 of the mobile terminal 4 is formed on the front surface and the back surface of the main body 2C, and the business card M on the business card tray 22C can be imaged by the mobile terminal 4. At this time, when the business card M is imaged, the user's face HF can also be imaged by a sub camera (not shown) provided on the display 42 side of the mobile terminal 4. The distance between the mobile terminal 4 and the business card tray 22C is set so that the entire upper surface of the business card M placed on the business card tray 22C can be imaged.

Further, the business card tray 22C and the front wall portion 224, which is the installation portion of the mobile terminal 4 in the main body portion 2C, form a parallel link mechanism. Specifically, the business card tray 22C is rotatably connected to a pair of link members 223 that are separated from each other in the left-right direction, and the pair of link members 223 are provided vertically. These link members 223 are rotatably connected to the front wall portion 224 which is inclined in parallel with the business card tray 22C. The lower end of the business card tray 22C and the lower end of the front wall 224 are rotatably connected to the main body 2C, respectively, and therefore the business card tray 22C and the front wall 224 are connected to the main body 2C via the link member 223. The position can be adjusted by pushing it up step by step as a unit in the front, and parallelism is maintained even if the position is changed, so it is possible to image the upper surface of the business card M. ..

The mobile terminal 4 has a built-in front camera 44 on the display 42 side, that is, the front side. The mobile terminal 4 can take an image with the front camera 44 substantially at the same time as taking an image of the business card M, and can take an image of, for example, the face HF of the user. The image may be taken once by the front camera 44, but a moving image may be taken.

The business card reading device 1C may be combined with the functions of the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment and the business card reading device 1B according to the second embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, it is also possible to provide a business card reading device 1C'in which a pickup roller 6 or the like is provided to continuously image a large number of business cards M on one side.

When holding a WEB (remote) meeting using a smartphone or tablet, the front camera may take an image of one's face. According to this business card reading device 1C, when showing one's affiliation and name at the same time as one's face, the business card M is placed on the business card tray 22C installed in parallel with the mobile terminal 4 at an appropriate distance from the camera 41. The image of M and the image of the user's face HF can be performed. Therefore, for example, the two obtained captured images can be sent to the conference partner. Further, the captured business card image may be subjected to OCR processing and text data may be sent.

Further, the tray 22C is configured to be large in size, and when it is desired to show a document, the tray 22C can be made large in size so that it can be displayed on a screen to be transmitted and shared with a conference partner. By applying a parallel link mechanism such as the business card tray 22C, the business card M and the document tray can be maintained in parallel even if the angle of the mobile terminal 4 is changed. If the upper link member 223 is removed, the business card tray 22C can be folded. Further, it is also possible to illuminate an object such as a business card M or a user's face HF by using an LED for lighting provided in the mobile terminal 4.

(Fifth Embodiment)
The business card reading device of the fifth embodiment will be described. The business card reading device of the present embodiment is different from the business card reading device 1 of the first embodiment in that it captures a still image such as another document together with the image of the business card M. Therefore, the same configuration as that of the business card reading device 1 according to the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 24 is a side view of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 25 is a front view of the business card reading device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the business card reading device 1D according to the present embodiment has a front tray 33 on which the stationary image pickup D can be tilted forward with respect to a horizontal plane instead of the support base 3. It is equipped with a provided support base 3D. As shown in FIG. 25, the front tray 33 is arranged at a position offset to the right from the opening 32 which is the output tray. By arranging in this way, the taking out of the business card M discharged to the opening 32 is not hindered.

The still image D is not only a sheet-like object such as a business card M or a document, but also a card-like object having a thickness not suitable for continuous feeding of a large number of sheets such as an employee ID card, an ID card, a credit card, and a driver's license, and a normal case. There are things such as putting in.

The mobile terminal 4 attached to the main body 2 has a built-in front camera 44 on the front side. The main body 2 is provided with a folded mirror 244 that folds a mirror image of the still image D placed on the front tray 33 above the front camera 44 back to the front camera 44. In other words, the front tray 33 is configured so that the still image D can be placed at a position perpendicular to the incident center line of the folded front camera 44.

Further, in the present embodiment, assuming imaging in a dark place, light is emitted from the static image pickup D at the time of imaging of the still image pickup D at the lower portion where the discharge port (not shown) of the main body 2 is formed. The illumination unit 25 capable of irradiating the light is provided. The folded mirror 244 may be supported by being connected to the side wall of the main body 2 via, for example, a connecting member 245.

The method of using the business card reading device 1D will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In step S103 shown in FIG. 9, as an image reading start button on the display 42, a button for executing image pickup by two cameras, a camera 41 and a front camera 44, a button for executing image pickup by the camera 41, and an image pickup by the front camera 44. Buttons to execute are displayed respectively. When the still image D is imaged together with the image of a plurality of business cards M, the button for performing the image pickup by the two cameras is selected. Then, in step S106, the image taken by the front camera 44 is performed once at substantially the same time as the image taken by the business card M, and the image taken by the still imaged object D can be obtained together with the image taken by the business card M. After that, the image of the business card M is continuously performed. Since the captured image obtained by the front camera 44 is, of course, a mirror image, inversion processing is performed for extracting the contained information and displaying it on the display 42.

On the other hand, when the number of business cards M is one or a small number, the business card M is not placed on the business card tray 22, the business card M is placed only on the front tray 33, and imaging by the front camera 44 is executed in step S103. Select the button to do. Then, in step S106, the image taken by the front camera 44 is performed once, and only the captured image of the still imaged object D can be obtained. After that, the image of the business card M is continuously performed.

Other methods of using the business card reader 1D will be described. When the business card reading device 1D is shared by a plurality of people, it is desirable to selectively store the captured image obtained by imaging and the business card information extracted from the captured image in a folder designated by an individual. In such a case, personal authentication such as login is required. In that case, a business card or ID card that can identify an individual is imaged by the front camera 44, and the business card reading device 1D determines (or) whether or not the personal information obtained from the captured image is included in the personal information stored in advance. Judgment using an authentication server, etc.), and recognize the individual. As a result, the captured image of the business card M obtained by the image reading process can be saved in a folder designated by an individual in advance. That is, the image pickup by the front camera 44 can be used as the information input for logging in to the business card reading device 1D.

In the same procedure, instead of the folder designated by the individual, the folder or the data file can be named by the information based on the captured image obtained by the front camera 44. It is preferable to select these functions on the screen of the application of the mobile terminal 4.

(Modification example)
FIG. 26 is a side view showing a first modification of the business card reading device according to the fifth embodiment, and the business card reading device 1E shown in FIG. 26 has a hollow main body portion in a support base 3E having a substantially V-shaped cross section. The 2E is supported, and the main body 2E is provided with a terminal holder 21, a folded mirror 244, a lighting unit 25, and a front tray 33. Therefore, the business card tray 22, each transport roller, the inclined plate 23, and the like are not provided. Therefore, the business card reading device 1E captures the still image D by only the front camera 44 of the mobile terminal 4. With the above configuration, the business card reading device 1E can realize a cost reduction as compared with the business card reading device 1D according to the fifth embodiment, and by using only the front camera 44, a still image such as a business card M can be realized. The user can simultaneously visually recognize the stationary image pickup D and the display 42 for operation display when the D is placed or the placement position is finely adjusted, and the operation is easy.

Further, as shown in FIG. 27, a folding mirror 246 may be provided in the main body 2E to fold the light emitted by the lighting unit 45 included in the mobile terminal 4 back to the stationary image pickup D. According to this, the lighting unit 25 is not necessary.

In the above-mentioned first to sixth embodiments, the business card M is used as a reading document, but the reading document is not limited to the business card M, and may be another information medium such as a driver's license, or even a resin card. good. It may also be a postcard or the like. That is, any card-shaped document can be used as a scanned document. Further, a strip-shaped object can also be used as a scanned document, in which case a vertically long image is acquired.

Further, the scanned original is not limited to a card shape, but may be a sheet shape such as copy paper. The sheet-shaped paper may be various papers such as A4 and A5. In this case, the sheet portion is extracted from the image data obtained by photographing according to the specified dimensions of the paper. That is, the scanned document may be in the form of a sheet, and the size and material are not limited.

Further, it is not always necessary to use the mobile terminal 4 as a component, a camera is installed in the main body, and a control unit (for example, a control board) of the main body or another computer executes the functions of the image acquisition unit and the image processing unit. It may be configured to be used.

The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1,1A, 1B Business card reader (image reader)
2,2A Main body (device main body)
21 Terminal holder (holding part)
23 Inclined plate 262 Second transport roller (introduction transport unit)
263 Third transport roller (discharge transport unit)
5 Gate 51 Contact part 52 Orthogonal part 53 Connection part SW2 switch (sensor)

Claims (6)

With the main body of the device
An introduction transport unit that transports the scanned document into the main body of the device,
A discharge transport unit that is provided below the introduction transport unit and at a position different from the transport unit in the front-rear direction and discharges the scanned document conveyed in the apparatus main body to the outside of the apparatus main body.
An inclined plate whose upper end is adjacent to the introduction transport section and whose lower end is adjacent to the discharge transfer section so that the scanned document discharged from the introduction transport section is slid to reach the discharge transfer section.
An image reading device including a holding unit that holds an image pickup device that captures an image of a scanned document located on the inclined plate and acquires a captured image in the device main body. Further equipped with a sensor that is located upstream or downstream of the introduction transport unit and detects a scanned document,
The image scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the scanned document is imaged by the imaging device after a predetermined time based on the detection result of the switch. The discharge transport unit has an upper roller and a lower roller located below the roller.
The upper surface of the lower end of the inclined plate is close to the lower roller,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the upper roller and the lower roller is larger than the thickness of the scanned document. Further provided with an openable / closable gate for stopping the sliding of the scanned document on the inclined plate,
One of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gate rotates along the sliding direction of the scanned document from a closed state in which the sliding of the scanned document is stopped to an open state in which the stop is released. The image reader according to the item. The gate has an L-shaped cross section having a contact portion whose tip abuts at a right angle to the inclined plate and an orthogonal portion connected to the other end of the contact portion so that the tip is orthogonal to the contact portion. Is formed in
When the other end is advanced in one direction by the advancing / retreating drive device connected to the other end of the orthogonal portion, the gate rotates around the connecting portion between the contact portion and the orthogonal portion. The fourth aspect of claim 4, wherein when the gate is moved to be in the closed state and the other end thereof is retracted in the opposite direction, the gate is rotated in the opposite direction around the connecting portion to be in the open state. Image reader. With the main body of the device
An introduction transport unit that transports the scanned document into the main body of the device,
An discharge transport unit located below the introduction transport unit and in front of or behind the transport unit, and discharging the scanned document transported inside the apparatus main body to the outside of the apparatus main body.
An inclined plate whose upper end is adjacent to the introduction transport section and whose lower end is adjacent to the discharge transfer section so that the scanned document discharged from the introduction transport section is slid to reach the discharge transfer section.
An image scanning device including an imaging device that captures an image of a scanned document located on the inclined plate and acquires an captured image.

Images