JPH03267859A - Optical picture reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the read width of a picture original to be read in the main scanning direction long and to improve the operability of the housing in the subscanning direction by providing a 1st part gripped when a reader is moved in the subscanning direction and a 2nd part wider than the 1st part in the main scanning direction to the housing. CONSTITUTION:A housing 2 of a hand scanner 1 is formed almost to be T-shape so that the housing 2 is divided into a picture input section 5 (2nd part) formed wider toward the upstream in the subscanning direction and a grip part 3 (1st part) toward the downstream in the subscanning direction so as to input a picture as wider as possible and easily gripped. Moreover, a read opening 11 is opened in response to the width of the wide picture input section 5 and prolonged so as to read a wide original sufficiently in the main scanning direction. Thus, the read width of the picture original to be read in the main scanning direction is ensured long and the operability of the housing 2 in the subscanning direction is improved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an optical image reading device, and particularly to an optical image reading device that is connected to an image processing device such as a word processor or a personal combination coater, and is used to input image information such as text, pictures, and photographs. The present invention relates to optical image reading devices such as hand scanners (image readers).

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, image processing devices such as word processors equipped with hand scanners that can easily input images have appeared. As shown in FIG. 4, this hand scanner moves light from a light source 45 in the sub-scanning direction on the document surface while irradiating the document surface through a reading aperture 46 formed on the bottom surface of a housing 49. The light is transferred to a CCD (Charge Couple) via a reflecting means 47 such as a mirror.
The reflected light is input to an image sensor 48, such as an ed device), and the reflected light is converted into corresponding image data.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, in conventional optical image reading devices, the width of the housing in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction) is such that it can be easily held with one hand. This is so that stable sub-scanning on the document surface can be performed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in such conventional optical image reading devices, the width of the housing in the main scanning direction is such that it can be held with one hand. Dimensions are limited, and the width of a document that can normally be read is limited to, for example, about 65 mm.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides an optical image reading device which ensures a long reading width in the main scanning direction of an image document to be read and has excellent operability of the housing in the sub-scanning direction. is intended to provide.

〔Example〕

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

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the housing 2 of the hand scanner 1 for inputting images into word processors and personal combinatorial devices is designed to allow manual input of as wide an image as possible and to make it easier to grip in the sub-scanning direction (right side in Figure 1). direction)
It is formed into a substantially T-shape with a wide image input portion 5 (second portion) on the upstream side and a grip portion 3 (first portion) on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction.

Furthermore, stepped portions 7 and 9 are formed on the left and right sides in the sub-scanning direction between the grip 3 and the image input unit 5.

These stepped portions 7 and 9 are located at different levels from each other in the sub-scanning direction, so that when grip 3 is gripped, the thumb contacts step B7 and the index finger contacts stepped portion 9.

Inside the housing 2, there is housed a mechanism for optically picking up images such as characters or figures drawn on the image document P to be read. This mechanism includes a light source 1 for illuminating a reading aperture 11 of an image document P.
9, a reflecting means 21 which is located directly above the reading opening 11 and changes the optical path of the image reflected light from the image original P in a direction parallel to the original P; and an image reflected light sent through the reflecting means 21. It consists of a photoelectric conversion element such as an image sensor that receives light and converts it photoelectrically, for example, a CCD 25 (line sensor).

Image reading here employs a line scanning method in which the reading area of a given image document is conceptually divided into a plurality of scanning lines and an image is captured for each scanning line.

That is, the image is read while moving the scanner along the surface of the image document. Therefore, the reading opening 1
1 is located on the bottom surface of the housing 2 located at the image input section 5,
It has a linear opening in at least the width direction or the main scanning direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1).

This reading opening 11 is preferably closed with a transparent plate.

Furthermore, the reading opening 11 can be opened according to the width of the wide image input section 5, and is therefore extended in the main scanning direction so that a wide document can be read sufficiently. Therefore, the LED array 19 and the reflecting plate 21 that illuminate the read image are also extended widely according to the reading aperture width.

On the other hand, in the aforesaid grip part 3, the reflected light flux a is
The aperture width is set so that the outermost edge of the luminous flux a is not blocked because the light is focused by the lens, and also so that it can be gripped because it is a handy type.

A light source 19 that illuminates the narrow reading aperture 11
Although various lamps or light emitters can be used as the light emitting device, this embodiment uses an LED array in which a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged in a line. This LED array light [19] can be driven with low power consumption, can emit light with a relatively uniform amount of light over the entire illumination area, and is small and lightweight, so it is convenient for this type of handheld device. But what kind, composition,
A light source of a luminescent color may be used, and the present invention is not particularly limited to these.

The light source 19 is arranged at a position that illuminates the front & E reading opening 11 from diagonally above and from the front.

A reflection plate 21 provided directly above the reading aperture 11 illuminated by the light source 19 has a total reflection mirror surface, and has a mirror surface that reflects the original
It is tilted at an angle of 5°, so that only the vertically reflected component of the reflected light a from the reading aperture 11 is totally reflected in the horizontal direction and guided to the image sensor 25 located at the rear.

The image light processing section is fixed inside the grip section 3, and includes a condenser lens 23 that guides the image reflected light a to the image sensor 25.
It is equipped with The condensing lens 23 is arranged in the optical path of the reflected light a from the reflecting plate 21 to the image sensor 25, and collects the reflected light reflected from the image document P onto the image sensor 25 with a width narrower than the width of the reading opening 11. image on top. A CCD line sensor is preferable as the image sensor 25 that photoelectrically converts the reflected image light a sent through the reflecting means 21 and the condensing lens 23 and outputs it as an image information signal or a video signal. One cell of the CCD line sensor corresponds to one pixel of an image read out for each scanning line, and the pixel light of each cell is photoelectrically converted and output.

13 is a viewing window provided on the upper surface of the housing 2. This viewing window 1-3 is located directly behind the reading opening 11,
That is, it is provided at a position displaced toward the image sensor 25 side. Since the viewing window 13 is displaced rearward with respect to the reading opening 11, the hole leading to the reading opening 11 is inclined and arranged to avoid at least the reflection plate 21. Therefore, when viewed diagonally from above and behind the scanner,
The viewing window 13 and the reading opening 11 are aligned and can be seen through.

Furthermore, since the viewing window 13 is tilted in the opposite direction to the image sensor 25, a small amount of external light that passes through the viewing window 13 and hits the document P is reflected in the opposite direction to the image sensor 25. However, the intended image reflection light is not affected much.

That is, since the viewing path from the viewing window 13 provided in the housing 2 to the image input section 5 is formed in the opposite direction in plan view from the path of the image reflected light a that enters the image sensor, Even if the external light entering the inside of the housing 2 is diffusely reflected by the screen to be read, the amount of reflected light is equal to the amount of reflected light, and the entire area of the image document to be read in the main scanning direction can be easily recognized.

Reference numeral 17 designates a rotating member, such as a roller, for smoothly moving the scanner in the sub-scanning direction (rightward in FIG. 1). This roller 17 is formed by recessing the bottom surface of the housing 2 inward to form a roller cover. Furthermore, the roller 17 is provided with a detection means for updating the scanning line in synchronization with the constant movement in the sub-scanning direction during document reading. This detection means includes one or more gears 29.31 that transmit the rotation of the roller 17.
A disk member 35 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the roller 17 by the gears 29 and 31, and a rotation detection member 3 that detects a constant rotation amount or rotation angle of the disk member 35.
It consists of 7.

The disk member 35 has a large number of radial pores on its circumferential surface, and is formed by interposing the disk member 35 between a photocoupler or a photoinkractor used as a rotation detecting member 37. As a result, the rotation detecting member 37 outputs a sub-scanning pulse signal every time the disk member 35 rotates by a certain amount.

Further, the detection means constituted by the transmission member such as the gear 29, 31, the disk member 35, and the rotation detection member 37 detects the image reflected light a formed in the housing 2 from the reflection plate 21 to the condenser lens 23. The reflected light a of the area drawn by both ends that do not block the optical path, are outside in the width direction of the reflected light a, and set the length of the reading aperture 11 in the width direction with respect to the sub-scanning direction. It is provided in the inner area in the width direction.

Further, the disk member 35 is provided on the downstream side of the gears 29 and 31 in the sub-scanning direction, and is also placed inside the reflected light a in the width direction. This makes it possible to position the rotation detection member 37 further inside the reflected light a in the width direction, and it is possible to prevent the housing 20 from increasing in size, especially in the width direction.

The control board 27 has, for example, three levels (dark, standard, and
A brightness switch 39 is provided to change the brightness to light (dark), and the control board 27 (not shown below) is equipped with a CCD
A circuit for driving 25 is provided.

This circuit includes an oscillation circuit, a counter circuit, a CCD output circuit, a flip-flop circuit, and a decoder, and one terminal of the counter circuit becomes high level H when counting of the number of invalid photosensors and no photocells is completed. Further, the other terminal goes to a high level H when the number of valid images is counted after the number of invalid photocells and no photocells has been counted.

In other words, the counter circuit counts, and when the dummy number is counted, the other terminal becomes high level H. Next, the effective area is counted, and when the count is over, one terminal becomes high level H. , the output is synchronized with the line start signal.

If this output is ANDed with a reset pulse, a sample-and-hold signal, and an image output, it can be output as a counter pulse, a write signal, and an image signal.

The flip-flop circuit and the AND circuit have a function of creating a line start signal using the sub-scanning signal, the transfer gate signal, and the output of the decoder.

〔effect〕

As explained above, according to the optical image reading device of the present invention, the optical image reading device ensures a long reading width in the main scanning direction of the image document to be read, and also has excellent operability of the housing in the sub scanning direction. equipment can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are cross-sectional views for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the conventional invention. Explanation of symbols 1...Hand scanner 2...Housing 3...
・Grip part 5...Image manual part 11...Reading opening part 3...Viewing window 17...Roller
19...LED array 21...Reflector plate 25...CCD

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A housing that forms a reading aperture along the main scanning direction on the bottom surface, a light source provided in the housing that illuminates the image reading area on the image surface to be read, and image reflection light from the image reading area. an image sensor provided in the housing that receives image reflected light from the reflecting means and converts the image reflected light into corresponding image data; In an optical image reading device including a rotating member that rotates as the housing moves in the sub-scanning direction, the housing includes a first portion that is gripped when the reading device moves in the sub-scanning direction; a second part wider in the main scanning direction than the first part, the second part is located upstream of the housing in the sub-scanning direction, and the first part is located downstream of the housing in the sub-scanning direction. The light source, the reflecting means, and the reading aperture, which is wider in the main scanning direction than the width of the first part, are arranged in the second part of the housing. Optical image reading device. (2) The optical image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor is disposed in a first portion of the housing. (3) A condensing lens is provided in the optical path of the image reflected light from the reflecting means to the image sensor to form an image of the image reflected light on the image sensor with a width narrower than the reading aperture. An optical image reading device according to claim 1.