JPH01312531A - Microfilm retriever/reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten an access time, to reduce installation area, and to easily cope with the alternation of a system scale by stacking many cartridges vertically, moving a scanning which incorporates a film driving device and an image reader and reading a target image. CONSTITUTION:A couple of reels 15 and a driving disk 14d for driving the respective reels 15 are provided to cartridge 14 stacked vertically, on a storage rack 12, and the film driving device for driving the driving disk 14d and the image reader 48 are provided on the side of the scanner 30 which moves up and down in front of the storage rack 12. Then the scanner 30 moves to a cartridge 14 including the target image and then the reels 15 are rotated by the film driving device on the side of the scanner 30 to send a film 16, so that the image reader 48 reads the image. Therefore, the cartridge 14 need not be put in and out of the storage rack 12. Consequently, the access time is shortened, the installation area is reducible, and the number of cases is varied properly to easily cope with the change of the system scale.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention searches for a target image from a storage shelf storing a large number of microfilm cartridges, reads the image using an image sensor, and outputs it as an image signal. This invention relates to a microfilm retrieval e-reader.

(Technical Background of the Invention) One cartridge is selected from a large number of microfilm cartridges stored in a storage shelf, a target image contained therein is read out by an image sensor, and this image signal is output as a digital signal. For example, this image signal can be used to output an image to a CRT, printer, or facsimile, or a desired form or document can be output by printing in combination with the output of another data processing device. That is what is being considered. That is, by converting microfilm images into digital signals, it becomes possible to collaborate with other digital image processing devices using a data communication network, thereby increasing the usefulness of microfilm.

As such a device, a rotating shelf type device is conventionally known. In this method, a large number of cartridges are stored in multiple stages in a rotating drum so that they can be attached and detached from the outer circumferential surface of the drum, and a take-out device that only moves up and down at a fixed position takes out the desired cartridge and transfers it to an image reader equipped with an image sensor. It is used to read images.

However, in this case, since the heavy rotating drum rotates to take out the target cartridge, there are problems in that the time required to search for the target image (access time) becomes longer and the installation area becomes larger.

In addition, a large number of cartridges are stored in a bookshelf-like fixed shelf, and a carrier running in the
It is also known to locate one cartridge, transport it to an image reader fixed at a predetermined position, and read the image there.

However, in this case the film must be transferred twice, ie from the shelf to the carrier and from the carrier to the image reader. Therefore, there is still a problem that the access time becomes long. There is also the problem that the scale of the system has increased, making it impossible to respond to cases where a small-scale system is required.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to shorten access time, have a small installation area,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a microfilm retrieval reading device that can easily respond to changes in system scale.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, this purpose is to select a target image from a storage shelf containing a large number of microfilm cartridges,
In a microfilm search/reader that reads this target image using an image sensor and outputs an image signal,
A vertical storage shelf for stacking and storing a large number of cartridges each having a pair of reels and a disc that rotates together with each reel, stacked downward, and a built-in film drive device and image reader for driving the 100-disc disc. The present invention includes a scanner that moves up and down facing a storage shelf, a memory means for storing the storage position of the cartridge, and a control means for moving the scanner to the storage position of the cartridge containing the target image and reading the target image. Achieved by a special microfilm retrieval device.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the storage shelf and scanner, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-m, Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the same <IV-IV line, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the running state of the scanner. , FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a system using this device, and FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of a case where this is developed into a large-scale system.

In FIG. 1.6.7, reference numeral 10 denotes a prismatic case, and a cartridge storage shelf 12 is assembled in this case 10 so as to be shifted to one side. This storage shelf stores a large number of cartridges 14 in a vertically stacked manner. A pair of reels 15.15 are housed in the cartridge 14 as shown in FIG.
is wrapped around. Both reels 15° 15 are two reel shafts 14 held in the case 14a of the cartridge 14.
b, attached to 14b. These reel shafts 14
b, 14b are integrally formed with circles fi 14c, 14c, and these discs 14c, 14c are further provided with a drive inner 114d.
.

14d is in contact. Inside this drive 114d.

14d is provided at a position facing a scanner 3o, which will be described later. Also, the cartridge 14 has both reels 15.1
A notch 14e that opens toward the scanner 3o is formed between 5 and 5.
A guide roller 14f is appropriately installed to guide the film 16 across the notch 14e (see FIG. 2).

In FIGS. 1 to 5, 30 is a scanner. The scanner 30 moves vertically on the front surface of the storage shelf 12 within the case 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, this scanner 30 is held movably up and down by guide rails 32.32, and is moved up and down by a pair of wires 34.34 (FIG. 1). The wire 34 connects to the upper and lower pulleys 36
, 38, and both ends thereof are fixed to the scanner 30. One pulley 38 is rotated by a servo motor 40, and as a result, the scanner 30 is moved up and down. Note that a counterweight 42 is fixed to this wire 34 at a position symmetrical to the scanner 30 to reduce the burden on the motor 40.

The scanner 30 is configured as shown in FIGS. 2-5. That is, drive rollers 42, 42 that face the drive disks 14d, 14d and come into contact with and separate from the drive disks 14d, 14d, a film transport drive device 44 (FIG. 3) that drives these drive rollers 42, and the notch. The image reader 46 moves forward and backward toward the section 14e. In this embodiment, the case 10 including the storage shelf 12 and the scanner 30 is approximately square in plan view with each side being approximately 30 cm.

The image reader 46 includes a closed reader unit 48 and an EL plate 50 as a light source. The reader unit 48 includes a glass plate 52 facing the film 16, a case 54 forming a sealed case together with the glass plate 52, and a projection lens 56 and an image sensor 58 housed within the case 54. Here, the lens 56 is moved in the optical axis direction by a motor, a piezoelectric element, etc., and can be focused. The EL plate 50 is attached to the swinging end of an arm 50b that swings up and down by a drive device 50a located on the side of the case 54, and is movable in a horizontal direction. As a result, the EL board 50 is
While the scanner 30 is moving, the arm 50b is tilted downward as shown in FIG. Rotate as shown in the figure to position the EL plate 50 on the opposite side of the glass plate 52 with the film 16 in between.

The scanner 30 is moved vertically with the reader unit 48 retreated away from the film 16 as shown in FIG. At the same time, the arm 50b is rotated to position the EL plate 50 on the opposite side of the glass plate 52 with the film 16 in between. Further, the scanner 30 advances the drive roller 42 to the cartridge 14, presses it against the drive disk 14d, and drives the drive roller 42 with the film drive device 44, thereby controlling the rotation of the drive disk 14d, disk 14c,
It is transmitted to the reel 15 via the reel shaft 14b, and the film 16
run.

At this time, the EL plate 50 is separated from the film 16.

When the target image appears, the drive device 50a presses the EL plate 50 against the film 16, and sandwiches the film 16 between the EL plate 50 and the glass plate 52.

The EL plate 50 serves as a surface light source, and the projected image on the film 16 is transmitted to the image sensor 5 through the glass plate 52 and the lens 56.
8. The image sensor 58 scans the image and outputs a time-series image signal a (see FIG. 1).
is binarized by the image processing circuit 60, converted into a digital signal, and inputted to the control means 100. Here, the image sensor 58 is preferably a two-dimensional area sensor, but an image may be read by moving a -dimensional line sensor in a direction perpendicular to its length direction (sub-scanning direction).

In this embodiment, the control means includes a child control means 100A provided for each case 10, and a child control means 100A provided for each case 10.
A is separately provided with a parent control means 100 for giving address information such as a target cartridge 14 and a target image to A.

These control means 1O10, 100A are formed by small computers, and the control means 1OO is, as shown in FIG.
CPU 102, input/output interfaces 104, 10
6. It has a ROM 108 that stores a control program, and a RAM 110 that stores data during control, such as data when performing autofocus. Reference numeral 112 denotes a memory means, which is composed of a storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, or a semiconductor memory, and stores data such as the storage address of the cartridge 14 in the storage shelf 12. These control means 100 and memory means 11
2 is housed in a cabinet 114 in FIG.

Data such as the contents and storage address of each cartridge 14 are input to the CPU 102 from the keyboard 116 and stored in the memory means 112. When searching for a target image, the code of the target image is input from the keyboard 116, for example. The CPU 102 outputs address information such as the position of the cartridge 14 containing this target image and the target image from the memory means 112 to the slave control means 100A. The slave control means 100A searches for the corresponding cartridge 14 based on this address information, operates the motor 40, and moves the scanner 30 in front of this cartridge 14. Then, as described above, the reader unit 48 is advanced and the EL
Rotate the plate 50 to the opposite side of the film 16. Then, the reel 15 is moved by the traveling drive device 44 in this scanner 30.
．． 15 is controlled so that the target image is placed between the EL plate 50 and the glass plate 52. To check this target image,
This is possible by reading a blip mark (not shown) recorded in advance on the microfilm 16 using the image sensor 58 or another optical sensor (not shown).

When the target image comes in front of the glass plate 52, the slave control means 100A presses the EL plate 50 against the film 16 to emit light. The projected image of the target image is guided to the image sensor 58.

The image signal a from the image sensor 58 is subjected to various processes such as correction of variations in characteristics of each light receiving element, correction of shooing, and waveform shaping in the signal processing circuit 60, and then inputted to the slave control means 100A. Further, when performing an autofocus operation, this circuit 60 selects a predetermined spatial frequency component of the image signal a using a band pass filter, and obtains a contrast signal by integrating the absolute value of this component. The slave control means 100A controls the lens 56 to a position where this contrast signal is maximized. Note that it is of course possible to separately prepare another element exclusively for autofocus, such as an element using a phase difference detection method, to perform autofocus.

When the image is read in this way, this image signal is read into the parent control means lOO, and the CPU 102 outputs this data to various image processing devices. For example, if this image is
The data may be outputted to the RT 118 or printer 120, or stored in other external memory means such as an optical disk drive 122. It is also possible to output the data to a remote facsimile 126 (see FIG. 6), CRT, etc. using a data communication network 124 such as a LAN (Local Area Φ Network). Note that the CPU 102 uses this data communication network 12.
4 can be used to read data from an external image processing device, and it is also possible to use image data from the outside within this system.

The smallest version of this system is completed by combining a single case IO with a workstation as shown in FIG. That is, the keyboard 116 and the CRT
118, a printer 110, and a cabinet 114 that houses the control means 100 and the memory means 112 (see FIG. 1).

In the above embodiment, the control of the case 10 is performed by the parent control means 100 and another child control means 100A, so that control becomes easy when a large number of cases 10 are connected to increase the scale. effective. However, it goes without saying that the child control means 100A may be integrated with the parent control means 100, and such a system is also included in the present invention.

When increasing the scale of this system, as shown in FIG.
and connect it to multiple workstations.

In this way, the scale of the kettle device can be easily increased by bundling a large number of cases 10 into one medium-sized case, and in this case, if the kettle cases 10 are controlled simultaneously in parallel, the access time can be further reduced. For example, in a certain case 10, the scanner 30 is 1
While reading images from one car trick, in other cases 10 the access time can be reduced by driving up the scanner 30 to locate and prepare the target image for reading.

In addition, by connecting the cases 10 distributed at different locations to each other via the data communication network 124, they can be used freely and the microfilm can be shared.

In the above embodiment, the drive roller 42 on the scanner 30 side was configured to be in rolling contact with the drive circle fi14d on the cartridge 14 side to transmit rotation, but in the present invention, rotation is transmitted from the scanner side to the drive disk or reel shaft on the cartridge side. The rotation may be transmitted by gears. Furthermore, when moving the scanner to the next cartridge after image reading is completed, the film may be rewound and placed at a predetermined image position, such as the first image position or a predetermined image position. , the access time can be further reduced by storing the position of the image in memory without rewinding it and reading this position the next time it is read. Note that if the film is completely rewound onto one reel 14, the EL plate will not interfere with the film when the scanner moves.
This is convenient because there is no need to move the arm 50b or the like by a large distance.

Further, in the above embodiment, the driving circle 114d is provided separately from the disk 14c of the reel shaft 14b, but the present invention
The l 14 c itself may be configured as a driving disk so that a driving roller on the scanner side rolls into contact with it.

In the above embodiment, the storage shelf 12 and the scanner 30 are arranged to have a substantially square shape in plan view as shown in FIG. It can also be used effectively.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, cartridges stacked vertically on a storage shelf are provided with a pair of reels and a driving disk for driving each reel, and the cartridges are moved up and down on the front surface of the storage shelf. A film drive device and an image reader are provided on the scanner side to drive this drive disk, and after the scanner is moved to the cartridge containing the target image, the reel is rotated by the film drive device on the scanner side to feed the film and image the image. Since the image is read by a reader, there is no need to take the cartridge in and out of the storage shelf, and the access time required to read the target image can be shortened. Furthermore, since the unit of one case can be made smaller than that of conventional devices, the installation area is reduced, and furthermore, by appropriately increasing or decreasing the number of cases, changes in system scale can be easily accommodated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the storage shelf and scanner, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the same line IV-IV, and Fig. 5 is a view showing the running state of the scanner. , FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a system using this device, and FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of a case where this is developed into a large-scale system. 12... Storage shelf, 14... Cartridge, 14d... Drive disk, 15... Reel, 30... Scanner, 44... Film drive device, 48... Image reader, 58... - Image reader, 100.100A...control means, 112...memory means. Patent applicant Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Mountain 1) Text Eloquent soil Mountain 1) Hiroshi Shi Figure 2 Figure 3 lL Figure 4 50α Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a microfilm search and reading device that selects a target image from a storage shelf containing a large number of microfilm cartridges, reads this target image using an image sensor, and outputs an image signal, a pair of reels and a microfilm that rotates integrally with each reel are used. a vertically elongated storage shelf for vertically stacking and storing a large number of cartridges each having a disk to be rotated; a scanner having a built-in film drive device and an image reader for driving both of the disks and moving up and down in opposition to the storage shelf; and a cartridge. 1. A microfilm retrieval/reading device comprising: a memory means for storing a storage position of a cartridge containing a target image; and a control means for moving the scanner to a storage position of a cartridge containing a target image to read the target image.