JP3487898B2 - Image reading device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading device such as a scanner having an external connection means for connecting to an external device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In such an image reading apparatus, when a document feeding start command or a document reading start command is received from an external device, a document set on a document tray is fed to a reading position and its image is displayed. There is a device in which the image data is read and the image data is transferred to a connected external device.

In such an image reading apparatus, when a document feeding start command or a document reading start command is received from an external device, the presence or absence of a document on a document tray is detected as shown in FIG. If so, it controls the document feeding to feed it to the reading position, and when it finishes, it reports to the external device that the document feeding is completed. If there is no document, an error message is sent to the external device. I am replying.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional image reading apparatus, when there is no document on the document tray when the document feeding start command or the document reading start command is received from the external device, the external device is read. Since an error was immediately returned and the received command was invalidated, if the operator wants to read a large number of documents, the document is placed on the document tray each time the error occurs and the external device is operated. I had to perform an operation to restart reading the original.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and eliminates a troublesome operation when an operator restarts reading originals, and allows a large number of originals to be continuously read by simply adding the originals. The purpose is to be able to.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has an original tray on which a plurality of originals can be placed, a means for feeding the originals on the original tray, and an external device.
In an image reading apparatus equipped with an external connection means for connecting with a document, there is a document presence / absence detection unit for detecting the presence / absence of a document on a document tray, and when the document presence is detected by the unit.
A document feed start command or document read open from the external device
When the start command is received, the document feeding starts.
Means and a document feeding start command or original document from the external device.
When the manuscript reading start command is received,
Error is detected in the external device
To invalidate the command by replying to
Response delay hand that delays the error response by a predetermined time
If there document within the predetermined time after the absence original is detected is detected by the stage and, the document detecting means permits the feeding start of the document without reply error to the external device And means are provided .

Further, the response delay means causes an error.
It is advisable to provide a means for variably setting a predetermined time for delaying the reply of .

[0008]

According to the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the presence / absence of a document is detected.
External device when the document is detected by the output means
Receives a document feed start command or document read start command from
Then, the feeding of the original starts, but when the instruction is received, the original is sent.
If there is no document detected by the detection means,
Error response to the external device, or
Of if there original is detected by the document detecting means is within a predetermined time, without a reply error to an external device
Since the feeding of the original is started, the operator will get an error.
Each time you place an original on the original tray and restart the original reading with an external device, you can add a large number of originals simply by adding the originals (put the next original on the original tray) without the troublesome operation. You can read it continuously.

If the predetermined time (the time from when there are no documents on the document tray until the error is returned) can be variably set, the time is too short and the operator has no documents on the document tray. If you notice it, you may reply an error before placing the original on it, or the operator may interrupt the operation without noticing that the original is out of originals because the time is too long. It can be prevented.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of a mechanical portion of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This image reading apparatus has an automatic document feeder (hereinafter abbreviated as "ADF") 200 on an upper portion of a main body 100.
Is attached. The document table glass 1 arranged on the upper surface of the main body 100 is a glass plate having a size at least larger than the size of the document to be read, and the document to be read is placed on this.

Further, the first mirror 2 and the light source 3 which is an illumination lamp for illuminating the original, and the second mirror 4 and the third mirror 5 are integrally formed, respectively, and both are driven along the original table glass 1 to drive the traveling body. It is mounted in the main body 100 so as to be scan-driven in the direction of arrow A by the motor 7.

Reference numeral 38 is a lens for forming an original image on the CCD 6. The CCD 6 photoelectrically converts the information of the document image optically read and outputs it as an electric signal, and is attached to the main body via an SBU (scanner board unit) 17.

The ADF 200 is equipped with a document tray 8 on which a plurality of documents are placed, and below the document tray 8, a document presence / absence detection sensor 55 (document presence / absence detection) using a photosensor or the like for detecting the presence / absence of a document on the document tray 8 is provided. Detection means) is installed. The pickup roller 9 is a roller for taking out the originals placed on the original tray 8, and a registration roller pair 10 for correcting the deviation of the originals and adjusting the feeding timing is installed in the subsequent stage.

A transport drum 11 and a transport roller 12 for transporting an original document are provided at the subsequent stage of the pair of registration rollers 10. Further, in the subsequent stage, a pair of discharge rollers 13 and 14 for discharging the document is provided. 15
Is a paper ejection tray. The pickup roller 9, the transport roller 12, and the pair of paper discharge rollers 13 and 14 are rotationally driven by the transport motor 16.

A main board 18, a scanner control unit 20, an image enhancement unit 28, and a data compression unit 36 are installed in the lower part of the main body 100, and the read image signal (image data) is supplied to these units. Etc., and output from the SCSI connector 57. The SCSI connector 57 is provided on the side surface of the main body 100, and is a connector for connecting the image reading device to a computer as an external device and other peripheral devices by SCSI.

The operation of this image reading apparatus will be described below. First, a document is set on the platen glass 1, and a start key (not shown) is pressed, or a document reading start command is sent from an external device, the first mirror 2, the light source 3, and the second
The mirror 4 and the third mirror 5 are driven respectively. At this time, the document image illuminated by the light source 3 is the first mirror 2,
CC through the second mirror 4, the third mirror 5 and the lens 38
An image is formed on D6.

The original image light entering the CCD 6 is the CCD image light.
In 6, it is converted into an analog signal represented by a voltage value according to the intensity of light. This analog signal is input to the main board 18 via the SBU 17.

When using the ADF 200, first, a plurality of originals are set on the original tray 8. And
When a document feeding start command or a document reading start command is sent from an external device, the pickup motor 9, the feed roller 12, and the paper discharge roller pairs 13 and 14 are driven to rotate by the feed motor 16. Then, the originals are taken out one by one by the pickup roller 9, and fed to the original reading position B via the registration roller pair 10, the conveying drum 11, and the conveying roller 12.

At this time, the first mirror 2 and the light source 3 are moved to the lower part of the document reading position B, and the image light of the conveyed document is introduced into the CCD 6. Original is the original reading position B
After passing through, the sheet is conveyed by the pair of sheet discharge rollers 13 and 14 and discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 15.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the C of the image reading apparatus will be described.
The processing of the image signal output from the CD 6 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image processing unit of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG.

On the main board 18, an A / D converter 19 for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, and a motor driver 24 for driving the traveling body drive motor 7.
Is provided. Further, a display unit control board 31 for driving and controlling a display unit (not shown), an ADF drive unit 37 for driving the ADF 200, a document presence / absence detection sensor 55,
The light source 3 for illuminating the original and the CCD 6 are installed in the S
BU17 is connected.

The scanner control unit 20 includes an image correction circuit (SIP) 21 for performing various corrections, a selector 30 for selecting whether to use an image enhancement unit, and a DRAM.
40, a DRAM 40, and a scan buffer controller (hereinafter abbreviated as “SBC”) 22 that manages the storage of image data in the memory module 23, a CPU 25 that performs various controls, an EPROM 26, and a RAM 27.
Is provided.

Further, a selector 34 for selecting whether or not to use the data compression unit 36, and a SCSI control unit 53 for controlling SCSI are provided. Further, the scanner control unit 20 includes an image enhancing unit 28 for enhancing this image, a memory module 23, a data compressing unit 36, and a SCSI connector 5.
7, 57 are connected.

In the above structure, the analog signal representing the original image output from the CCD 6 is input to the main board 18 via the SBU 17. The analog signal input to the main board 18 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 19, and the digital signal representing the original image is input to the scanner control unit 20.

The original image signal input to the scanner control unit 20 is binarized after being subjected to shading correction, γ correction and MTF correction in the SIP 21, and output as a video signal. The video signal output from the SIP 21 is sent to the image enhancement unit 28,
Then, after image processing such as emphasis is performed, it is input to the selector 30 in the scanner control unit 20.

The selector 30 includes an image enhancement unit 28.
The image signal processed in (1) and the video signal from the SIP 21 which has not passed through the image enhancement unit 28 are input, and the selector 30 selects and outputs one of them as needed. The video signal output from the selector 30 is supplied to the DRAM 40 and the memory under the control of the SBC 22.
It is stored in the image memory composed of the module 23.

The image signal (image data) stored in the image memory is read out at a predetermined timing and input to the data compression unit 36. The data compression unit 36 compresses the input data and then outputs it to the selector 34. A compressed image signal from the data compression unit 36 and an uncompressed image signal from the SBC 22 are input to the selector 34, and either one is selected as necessary and output to the SCSI control unit 53. .

The SCSI control section 53 converts the input image signal into SCSI connectors 57 and 5 based on the SCSI standard.
7 and sends it via the SCSI bus 60 to the computer 51 and other peripheral equipment 52 which are external devices. Further, a CPU provided in the scanner control unit 20
The unit 25 controls each unit based on the programs stored in the EPROM 26 and the RAM 27.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an example of document feeding control according to this embodiment. This routine starts the document reading apparatus is called from the main routine CPU25 from the computer 51 or other peripherals 52 that is an external device when it receives a start instruction or a document reading start instruction document feed is not shown, first The count value Count of the counter by software is cleared to "0" and restarted. It should be noted that this counter counts up (+1) its count value Count at regular time intervals to measure time.

Then, the presence / absence of a document on the document tray 8 is judged based on the detection result of the document presence / absence detection sensor 55,
When it is determined that there is a document, the document feeding on the document tray 8 is started to perform the document feeding control, and when it is finished, it is reported to the external device that the document feeding is completed,
When it is determined that there is no document, it is checked whether or not the count value Count (measurement time) has reached 20 seconds which is a preset predetermined time.

When the measured time has not reached 20 seconds, the presence / absence of a document on the document tray 8 is determined again and the same process as described above is repeated. The document feeding is controlled by starting the document feeding, but when 20 seconds is reached, an error is returned to the external device and the received command is invalidated.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the document presence / absence detection sensor 55 detects the presence of a document, when the document feeding start command or the document reading start command is received from the external device, the document feeding is started. However, when the document detection sensor 55 detects that there is no document at the time of receiving the command, the document detection sensor 55 delays by a predetermined time and sends an error response to an external device, and within the predetermined time, the document presence / absence detection means detects the document presence. In this case, since the document feeding is started without returning an error to the external device, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, the operator omits the operation of placing the original on the original tray and restarting the reading of the original by an external device each time an error occurs, and a large number of originals are continuously read by simply adding the originals. Can be made. Further, in this embodiment, since the connection with the external device is made by using SCSI, the read image data can be transferred at high speed to the external device.

A predetermined time (20 seconds in the example of FIG. 1) for delaying an error response is variable by a command from the computer 51 or another peripheral device 52 which is an external device or an operation signal from an operation panel (not shown). If it is possible to set it, the time will be too short and the operator will notice that there is no original in the original tray and then reply an error before setting the original there, or the time is too long. It is possible to prevent the operator from interrupting the work without noticing that the originals on the original tray are exhausted.

[0036]

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the document feeding start command is transmitted from the external device.
Document tray when an order or document reading start command is received
If there is a manuscript on the top, it starts feeding, but if there is no manuscript
Delays the time and returns an error to an external device
Or, within the predetermined time, the document presence detection means detects
Error is detected, an error response is sent to the external device.
Since the feeding of the original document is started without touching the operator, a troublesome operation for restarting the reading of the original document by the operator can be omitted, and a large number of original documents can be continuously read only by adding the original documents.

If the predetermined time for delaying the error response can be variably set, the operator may respond to the error before setting the original on the original tray, after realizing that there is no original on the original tray. Thus, it is possible to prevent the operator from interrupting the work without noticing that the originals on the original tray are exhausted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of document feeding control according to the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of a mechanical portion of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image processing unit of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of document feeding control by a conventional image reading apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

18: Main board 20: Scanner control unit 25: CPU 31: Display control board 51: Computer 52: Other peripheral device 53: SCSI control unit 55: Document presence / absence detection sensor 57: SCSI connector 60: SCSI bus 100: Main body 200: Automatic document feeder (ADF)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An original tray on which a plurality of originals can be placed, a means for feeding the originals on the original tray, and an external device.
The outside when the image reading apparatus and an external connection means for connecting, the document presence detecting means for detecting the presence of a document on the document tray, which there document by said means is detected as
Send a document feed start command or document read start command from the device.
When the document is received, the document feeding start means starts feeding the document, and the document feeding start command or the document reading start from the external device.
When the start command is received, no document is detected by the document detection means.
Error is detected, an error response is sent to the external device.
Means for invalidating the instruction and for returning a response of an error by the means by a predetermined time.
And answer delay means, after the no document is detected by said document detecting means
If the document there is detected within the predetermined time, the
Start feeding documents without sending an error response to an external device.
An image reading apparatus provided with a permission unit. The image reading apparatus 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, image, characterized in that the place <br/> constant time for delaying the response of the error by the reply delay means is provided with means for variably setting
Image reader.