JPH0372769A - Picture reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily confirm read picture information by displaying picture information onto a display device provided integrally with a picture read means in the vicinity of the picture read means. CONSTITUTION:An original platen 2 and a display device 4 provided with a CRT 3 are provided to the upper face of a reader main body 1. When a picture is read, the read picture is soon displayed on the display device 4. Thus, whether or not the picture is correctly read is confirmed quickly before the object processing is implemented, then an original placing mistake or mis-reading is prevented without a troublesome operation. Thus, when picture information outputted from a storage means is used, a desired picture is surely obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image reading device that reads an original image and obtains an electrical image signal.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Image reading apparatuses have been provided that read a document image by scanning the document with a photosensor such as a CCD array, and output image information as an electrical signal. Image information output from the image reading device is transmitted to an output device such as a printer or a CRT display device through a transmission line or the like.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When an image reading device reads a document image, a desired image may not be read because the position of the document is misaligned due to operator error or the wrong document is set in the reading section. Furthermore, the image captured by mistake may be defective due to abnormal operation of the means for manipulating the document or erroneous reading by the photosensor.

Even in such cases, conventional image reading devices
Since the reading device cannot confirm the image information it has read, an incorrect image signal is being output to the external device.

In order to check the read images, it is conceivable to install separate image reading devices and display devices side by side, connect them with a transmission cord, and display the read images on the display device. In this method, the display device must be connected through an interface for the display device, and the wiring becomes complicated and costs increase, especially when the image reading device is also desired to be connected to an external device other than the display device. There was a problem with this. Further, in order to link the image reading device and the display device, predetermined operations such as setting an operation mode are required, which is very troublesome especially for an inexperienced operator. Furthermore, image reading devices and display devices often differ in the number of pixels and gradations of image information handled, as well as in other signal processing formats, so it is necessary to perform predetermined image processing in the reading device or display device. However, since the signal processing format differs depending on the connected display device, it has been difficult and impractical to perform the above image processing in response to all types of display devices and other various output devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned points, an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device that allows easy confirmation of read image information.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a reading device to which this invention is applied,
A document table 2 and a display device 4 including a CRT 3 are provided on the upper surface of the reading device main body 1. The document table 2 is provided with a document holder 5 that can be opened and closed freely.
When the scanner is opened, a document is placed on the glass surface, and a start button (not shown) is operated, the document is read by a CCD image sensor provided within the main body l.

FIG. 2 shows the document reading mechanism 6. When a document 8 is placed on the top surface of the plus plate 7 and the document verification lamp 9 is turned on, the image of the document 8 is displayed at appropriate intervals and at an angle. The light is projected onto a CCD type line image sensor 13 via a scanning lens 12 by mirrors 10 and 11 facing each other.

The scanning lens 12 consists of a rope 16 whose one end is wound around the rotation shaft of a motor 14 and whose other end is stretched by a spring 15 so as to scan the document in the vertical direction (indicated by X-X).
The rotation of the motor 14 causes X-X
The image sensor 1 sequentially moves the original image divided into long rows of appropriate width in the horizontal direction (indicated by Y-Y).
Project to 3.

The scanned line position is detected by a lens position detection encoder 17.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image sensor 13 includes a 1000-bit photosensor (diode) array 18 arranged in a line, and shift registers 19 and 20 that store the photoelectric outputs of each of the seven photosensors. The signals of each of the seven otosensors 18 are sequentially read out from the output terminal 21 by pulses.

Since this type of image sensor is well known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The image sensor 13 is fixed on the focal point of the scanning lens 12 so that the arrangement direction of the photosensor array coincides with the row direction (Y-Y).

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit that makes a majority decision on the signal from the image sensor 13 mentioned above and controls the motor 14, etc. The one-line reading command generated from the CPU (central processing unit) 22, which also includes a storage section, is a clock pulse. The clock pulses generated from and applied to the generation circuit 23 are applied to the image sensor 13 .

With this clock pulse, signals representing the black and white of each point of the original image are sequentially read out from the shift registers 19 and 20 of the image sensor 13, and are supplied to the amplifier 24 and amplified.
There are two signals representing normalized white and black.

The output of amplifier 24 is applied to majority decision section 25 .

The majority decision unit 25 has a ternary counter 26 as shown in FIG.
, a shift register 27 that sequentially reads out three bits each of the image sensor 13, and three AND circuits A, A2, . . . as shown in FIG. It is provided with a majority circuit 28 consisting of A3 and an OR circuit OR. The majority circuit 28 determines that each bit a, b, and c of the shift register 27 are all “1”.
or two are ′l′′, OR circuit OR, ′′
l″ output, a, b.

OR1 if all of C are '0'' or two are 0''
``o'' output is generated.

Image signals for three adjacent bits of the image sensor 13 are applied to the 8 bits a, b, and c of the shift register 27, so that the image sensor 13, for example, as shown in FIG. A portion of a certain image 28 (the black part of the image is indicated by hatching).

), each of these sensors “II bl+
Cyu + a! +b2+Cff1+... signal is AND circuit A.

A2. Three pieces are added to A one after another.

In such a state, the output of the majority circuit 28 is as follows.

(a) Register 27 for al+ b++ C+
The output a.

Since b and c are all "l"°, the output of the OR circuit OR□ is "l" (white).

(b) For a2+ bz+ Cx, register 2
The outputs a, b, c of 7 are 1, 1.0, so OR,
The output of becomes l″′ by the output of AND circuit A (
White).

(c) For a3+ b3+ cs, register 2
Since the outputs a, b, and c of 7 are 0.0.0, the output of the AND circuit A II A x, A s is O, and the output of the OR circuit OR is "0'" (black).

(d) For a4+ b4+ 04, register 2
The outputs a, b, c of 7 are 0.0.1 and are OR circuit OR+
The output is “0” (black).

Through the above-described operation, three bits of each photosensor of the image sensor 13 are processed as one pixel, and image information for each pixel is stored in the shift register 29, converted to parallel information, and written to the storage section of the CPU 22.

This written image information is converted into a video signal by a known method within the CPU 22 and applied to the display device 4, so that the image is displayed on the screen of the CRT 3.

Lens position information detected by the lens position detection encoder 17 is applied to the CPU 22 .

The original illumination lamp 9 and the lens drive motor 14 are operated by command signals from the CPU via drive circuits 30 and 31, respectively.

In the above-mentioned apparatus, for example, when reading a document 8 displaying characters as shown in FIG. 8, when the document is placed on the document table 2 and a start button (not shown) is inserted, , the document illumination lamp 9 is turned on in response to a command issued from the CPU 22, and the document is illuminated.

The image of the document is then projected onto the scanning lens 12 by the mirror 10.11.

At this time, the scanning lens 12 is scanning the first line Ll of the document, and the image sensor 13 displays an image of Ll (all white).
is projected, and the output of each photosensor 18 is all l″°
It is.

On the other hand, the signal I of each of the seven sensors 18 of the image sensor 13
I I II is sequentially read out from the shift registers 19 and 20 by the clock pulse of the clock pulse generating circuit 23, amplified and normalized by the amplifier 24, and stored in each storage stage of the shift register 27 in order.

Then, every time the ternary counter 26 counts three clock pulses, the adjacent three-bit signals of the seven-point sensor 18 are transferred to stages a and b of the shift register 27.

C is applied to the majority circuit 28, and majority settlement is performed. After that, the counter 26 calculates again from 1, and the 3-bit signals from the following 7 sensors are sent to the shift register 27.
appears in a, b, and c, and majority operation is performed in the same way.

This operation determines whether each pixel is black or white.

Then, image information representing three bits of each of the seven sensors 18 is applied from the majority circuit 28 to the shift register 29, where it is converted into parallel information in which an appropriate number is made up of 1 byte, and is stored in the storage section of the CPU 22. .

On the other hand, the motor 14 is driven by a command from the CPU 22, and the scanning lens 12 is moved to a position for reading the second line L2 of the document, and the reading is performed in the same manner as described above.

The lens position detection encoder 17, which causes the scanning lens 12 to move by one line, sends a signal indicating a new scanning line to the CPU 22, which causes the CPU 22 to send an l-line reading command to the clock pulse generation circuit 23 again. The image sensor 13 then reads out the image information on the second row L2.

When the position of the scanning lens 12 is further moved by one line and the position of the third line L3 is scanned, the output of the photosensor becomes O''' corresponding to the black part needle of the character.

In the Kurobe needle of this character, as explained with reference to Fig. 7, by the same operation as (c) and (d), all bits or 2 bits of the output of the 7 sensors for 3 bits become "O". If so, the pixel is determined to be 0 (black), and information “0” indicating the pixel is stored in the storage section of the CPU 22 via the shift register 29.

Scanning as described above is performed over a predetermined number of lines, and information on each pixel is stored.

Note that since the lens position detection encoder 17 is designed to generate a pulse signal in accordance with the position of the scanning lens,
It becomes independent of the moving speed of the scanning lens, and the reading line spacing becomes accurate.

Next, the memory of the CPU 22 is read out in order, and the memory contents are “
When it is converted into a video signal and supplied to the display device 4 so that white is displayed when it is 1'' and black when it is 0, C.
A character similar to "A" in FIG. 8 is displayed on RT3.

It is also possible to apply the image output of the CPU to an optical fiber tube (OFT) for image exposure and use it as a copying machine. FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a copying machine using OFT. In FIG. 9, a photosensitive drum 41 that can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction is surrounded by a charging charger 42, an OFT device 43 for image exposure, a magnetic brush developing device 44, a transfer charger 45, and a static elimination charger 46. , an eraser lamp 4, a winding type cleaner web 48, and a roll copying paper 49 is fed from a pair of drive rollers 52 provided in the paper feed section (A) to the transfer section (B), and then transferred to the fixing device. 50 and then wound onto a winding shaft 53.

That is, as the photoreceptor drum 41 rotates counterclockwise, a charge of a predetermined potential is applied to the drum 41 by the charger 42, and the OFT device 43
A predetermined image is projected and exposed to form an electrostatic latent image, and the electrostatic latent image is converted into a toner image by a developing device 44 onto a copy paper 49 conveyed to a transfer section (B). The image is transferred by discharge development using the transfer charger 45. The toner image on the copy paper 49 is melted and fixed by being conveyed over a hot plate 60 equipped with a heater 61 , and the copy paper 49 passes through an exit roller 62 , a tension roller 63 , and a guide roller 64 before being transferred to a winding shaft 5 .
It is wound up in 3. On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 4 after transfer
The toner 1 continues to rotate further, and after the residual charge is removed by the charger 46 and the eraser lamp 4, the remaining toner is wiped off by the cleaner web 48, completing the -th copying process.

By supplying image information from the CPU to the above-mentioned 0FT 48, a desired original can be copied onto paper.

In the above embodiment, three 7-photo sensors of the image sensor are assigned to one pixel, and majority calculation is performed using 3 bits, but this number can be arbitrarily selected as long as it is a plurality of odd numbers.

〔effect〕

As described above, the present invention includes: an image reading means for reading a document image and outputting a digital signal; an image processing means for performing predetermined image processing on the output of the image reading means; a storage means for storing image information; a display device provided integrally with the image reading means in the vicinity of the image reading means; and storing the output of the image processing means in the storage means, and reading the image information stored in the storage means to display the Since it is equipped with a control means for displaying on the display device,
When an image is read, the read image is immediately displayed on a display device provided integrally with the image reading means, and it is possible to quickly check whether or not the image has been read correctly, and to perform the desired processing. Since you can check the document before doing so, you can prevent misplaced documents and misreading without having to perform any troublesome operations. Therefore, when using the image information output from the storage means, a desired image can be reliably obtained. In addition, since the image reading means and the display means are integrally connected via the image processing means, the image reading means The structure of the electrical connection circuit and image processing circuit between the display means is simplified, which is advantageous in terms of cost, and the degree of freedom in designing the display form of the display means is dramatically improved. For example, when checking an image that has been read from a barcode or text, the reproduced image does not need to be very precise, but it is necessary to accurately distinguish between black and white during reading. If the image processing means performs processing to reduce the number of pixels of the read image, and the image is displayed on a small display means with a small number of pixels, accurate confirmation and information It is possible to reduce the storage capacity required for processing, and to provide a compact and low-cost image reading device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an image reading device to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a reading mechanism used in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a CCD image sensor. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a majority decision section of the embodiment of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a majority decision circuit. , FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation during reading, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a document, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the copying machine. l...Main body, 2...Document stand, 3...
...CRT. 6...reading mechanism, 8...manuscript. 12...Scanning lens. 5 13... Image sensor. 18...Photo sensor array, 22...
・CPU. 25...Majority decision section, 28...Majority decision circuit 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) an image reading means for reading a document image and outputting a digital signal; an image processing means for performing predetermined image processing on the output of the image reading means; a storage means for storing image information; a display device provided integrally with the image reading means in the vicinity; storing the output of the image processing means in the storage means; and reading image information stored in the storage means and displaying it on the display device. An image reading device comprising a control means. (2) The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the image processing means performs a process of converting the number of pixels of image information output from the image reading means.