JPH0546372Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image scanner, and more particularly to an image scanner configured to allow accurate input of information in a hand-held type device.

[Conventional technology]

Information source (manuscript) that displays information such as characters and figures
An image scanner is used as an input source of information to display the information as a CRT image or hard copy. These image scanners are roughly divided into two types depending on the operating method: those configured to move the document itself for input, and those configured to keep the document fixed and input by moving the image scanner. be able to.

Conventionally, in a structure in which input is performed by moving an image scanner, the scanner main body and a data processing means for processing information input from the scanner main body were configured as an integrated device, but in recent years, A handy type image scanner has been proposed in which the main body of the image scanner is separated from the data processing means, and the main body of the scanner is held and moved in the hand of a person performing input operations. We believe that the range of use of such handheld image scanners will continue to expand in the future, as they have advantages such as being easy to handle and allowing information to be entered only in a portion of the document. It will be done.

When inputting information using an image scanner, it is necessary to check the relative position of the original and the scanner body so that the desired information does not deviate from the readable range. With type image scanners, the information to be input is often part of the document, and since the document is scanned manually, the scanning direction tends to be unstable. This method has disadvantages in that it requires a lot of attentiveness and tends to cause inconveniences such as incorrect input of desired information.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

By the way, if it is possible to easily check in real time that the target information is written within the range that can be read by the scanner itself, it will improve the operability and reliability of hand-held image scanners. performance will be significantly improved.

As mentioned above, in order to be able to easily confirm the location of the information to be read on the original, the applicant uses a light source that irradiates the original with light and measures the reflected light from the original. We have proposed a system in which a portion of the light is guided to the outside via a light guide path formed in the main body of the scanner.

With this configuration, the operator can extremely easily check the reading position of the original by visually observing the original illuminated by the light source through this light guide path from the outside. ,
Although the operability of handheld image scanners has been significantly improved, there are still problems. That is, data is read into the data processing means by detecting the movement of the scanner body over the document, and therefore, by moving the scanner body, the reading position of the document can be confirmed. If this is done, there is an inconvenience that unnecessary information will be read by the data processing means during that time, and there is currently room for further improvement in this respect.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and its purpose is to illuminate the original with light from a light source to confirm the reading position of the original while the data processing means To provide an image scanner which prevents unnecessary information from being read and allows the state of such mode to be easily viewed from the outside.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes: a scanner body having an opening at the bottom and forming an outer shell; a light source for irradiating light onto the original through the opening;
an image sensor that receives reflected light from the light source and sends information in the main scanning direction to the data processing means; and an image sensor that detects the amount of movement of the scanner body and sends information in the sub-scanning direction to the data processing means. In an image scanner that reads image information within a predetermined width along the moving direction by moving the scanner main body relative to a fixed document, A transparent plate is provided in the upper surface of the scanner body facing the scanner body, and a colored transparent plate is attached to the transparent plate so that the reading position of the document can be directly seen through the opening when the light source is turned on. an input mode in which information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction is sent to the data processing means; and at least one of the information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction is prohibited from being sent to the data processing means. A mode changeover switch capable of selectively switching between an input prohibition mode and an input prohibition mode is provided on the scanner body, and in conjunction with the switching operation of the mode changeover switch, the amount of light emitted by the light source is made smaller in the input prohibition mode than in the input mode. This device is characterized by being provided with a light emission amount switching means.

[Effect]

While turning on the light source and setting the mode changeover switch provided on the scanner body to the input prohibition mode side, the data processing means is kept in a state where no data is input, and while moving the scanner body over the document, By illuminating the original with light from a light source, the reading position of the original can be confirmed from the outside through a colored transparent plate. At this time, the light source is turned on with a small amount of light emitted, and even if the scanner body is moved, the data processing means will not read unnecessary information.

Then, when it is visually confirmed that the opening for reading the original in the scanner body is placed at the location where reading should be performed, the mode changeover switch is set to input mode, and the light source starts reading. It lights up with a sufficient amount of light to enable the image scanner to read the information on this document.

The mode switching switch mentioned above is provided on the scanner itself, so when there are multiple scanning locations on the same document, first check the first scanning location with this switch set to input prohibition mode. , switch to input mode,
After reading the data from the original, it is possible to return to the input prohibition mode again, confirm the next reading position, and then switch to the input mode to read each part of the original in sequence. At the same time, the fact that the scanner is ready for reading can be easily recognized from the outside by the light emitting state of the light source, and since the mode changeover switch can be operated with the hand holding the scanner body, the operation is easy. The properties are extremely good.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

First, as shown in Fig. 1, the scanner main body 1
is connected to a data processing means 2 consisting of a personal computer equipped with a CRT, etc., and the scanner body 1 is brought into contact with a predetermined position of the document 3 and operated over a predetermined range, thereby scanning the document 3.
It is now possible to selectively read information by limiting the range.

As shown in FIG. 2, the scanner main body 1 has an upper case 10 and a lower case 11.
has opening 1 for reading information on document 3.
2 have been established. In order to irradiate light onto the original 3 through this opening 12, a light source 13 such as a light emitting diode (LED) is provided inside the scanner main body 1. The optical path of the reflected light is changed by a mirror 14 in the axial direction of the scanner body, so that an image can be formed on an image sensor 16 equipped with a solid-state image sensor or the like via a lens 15.

Further, the lower case 11 is provided with a roller 17 for detecting the moving distance of the scanner main body 1, and an encoder described later is connected to the roller 17 in order to enable detection of the moving amount. The rotation angle of the roller 17 is detected by this encoder, and the amount of movement of the roller 17 is detected.

Furthermore, the upper case 10 is provided with a through hole 18 that forms a light guide path for confirming the reading position of the original 3 at the upper position of the opening 12 formed in the lower case 11. It reduces as much as possible external light from entering the scanner body 1 through it, and prevents external light from entering the image sensor 1.
A colored transparent plate 19 is attached to the through hole 18 in order to prevent the SN ratio of the filter 6 from decreasing. Then, from this through hole 18, the opening 12
In order to make it possible to check the original 3 through the light source 13, a light source 13 is used, and by lighting the light source 13, the original 3 is irradiated with illumination light. A part of the reflected light can be leaked to the outside through the through hole 18. This makes it possible to visually see which position of the original 3 the opening 12 faces, and to confirm the reading position of the original 3.

In order to prevent unnecessary light reception signals from the image sensor 16 from being input to the data processing means 2 during the reading position confirmation operation for the original 3, the upper case 10 is provided with a switch operating body 20.
is provided with an input mode in which the light reception signal from the image sensor 16 can be read into the data processing means 2 by pressing the switch operation body 20, and an input mode in which the data can be read into the data processing means 2 by pressing the switch operation body 20. In addition to being able to switch between the input prohibition mode and the input prohibition mode that prohibits the input of data, the amount of light emitted from the light source 13 can be controlled.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-mentioned mode switching and information reading mechanism of the document 3 will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the image sensor 16 includes a solid-state image sensor 16a, a control circuit 16b that controls the operation of the solid-state image sensor 16a, and a binarization process for the output signal from the solid-state image sensor 16a. A binarization circuit 16c is provided. The reflected light emitted from the light source 13 onto the original 3 is received by the solid-state image sensor 16a, and is converted into an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of received light.
As is clear from FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b showing an enlarged view of the solid-state image sensor 16a,
The data of each pixel in is sequentially transferred to the binarization circuit 16c based on the control signal from the control circuit 16b, and by performing predetermined binarization processing in the binarization circuit 16c, each pixel is You will be able to obtain data on Further, a main scanning start signal and a clock signal are inputted to the data processing means 2 from the control circuit 16b, and each pixel in the main scanning direction is controlled based on the main scanning start signal and clock signal. Data regarding the data position of is taken into the data processing means 2.

On the other hand, sub-scanning perpendicular to the main scanning line is performed by holding and moving the scanner body 1. The amount of movement of the scanner body 1 is determined by detecting the rolling amount of the roller 17 with an encoder 21. The output signal of the encoder 21 is inputted to the data processing means 2, and when the pulse of the signal of the encoder 21 falls, as shown by the arrow in FIG. By reading data when the main scanning start signal is input after the scanning transition signal is received, it is possible to eliminate redundant reading of data when the amount of movement of the scanner body 1 is small. ing.

The signal from the encoder 21 is inputted to the data processing means 2 via the OR circuit 22 together with the signal from the mode changeover switch 24, so that the mode changeover switch 24
When in the OFF state, even if the signal from the encoder 21 falls, this falling signal is held so that it is not output from the OR circuit 22, and the mode changeover switch 24 is in the ON state to switch to the corresponding mode. From the changeover switch 24 to the OR circuit 22
When the signal input to becomes low level,
For the first time, the output of the falling signal from the encoder 21 can be sent to the data processing means 2, and the main scanning start signal can also be input to the OR circuit 23 together with the signal from the mode changeover switch 24. As a result, the mode selector switch 24
When in the OFF state, the main scanning start signal is also not output to the data processing means 2. As a result, this mode changeover switch 24
When it is in the OFF state, it is in an input prohibition mode in which no data is read, and when the mode changeover switch 24 is turned on, it is in an input mode in which data can be read by the data processing means 2. The configuration is such that the mode is switched between.

Further, a light emission amount changeover switch 25 and a resistor 26 are connected in parallel to the light source 13, and when the light emission amount changeover switch 25 is in the OFF state, the amount of current is reduced by the resistance 26. The amount of light emitted by the light source 13 is reduced (bright enough to allow the original 3 to be seen through the colored transparent plate 19),
When the light emission amount changeover switch 25 is in the ON state, the resistor 26 is short-circuited and the amount of current increases, so the amount of light emitted from the light source 13 increases, and the brightness becomes sufficient for reading. In addition, these mode changeover switch 24 and light emission amount changeover switch 2
5 is adapted to be operated in conjunction with the aforementioned switch operating body 20, as shown by the broken line in FIG.

To read information from document 3 using the image scanner configured as described above, first,
Mode changeover switch 24 in scanner main body 1
By turning off both the and light emission amount changeover switch 25, the scanner main body 1 is placed at the position where the original 3 is to be read in the input prohibition mode. Here, in order to accurately read the original, the opening 12 in the scanner main body 1 must be accurately positioned at the reading position. When the image scanner is started, the light source 13 provided in the scanner body 1 turns on, and although the light source 13 lights up with a relatively small amount of light emitted through the resistor 26, the light source 13 The light will be emitted from there towards the original. For this reason, the reflected light from the original 3 is incident on the image sensor 16 from the lens 15 via the mirror 14, and a part of the light leaks from a colored transparent plate attached to the through hole 18 as illumination light for the original. The light is irradiated to the outside via the light source 19, and when the operator visually observes this, he or she can accurately confirm the reading position of the document 3. However, since the mode changeover switch 24 is in the OFF input prohibition mode, even if there is an output signal from the image sensor 16, the data processing means 2 will not read this data.

On the other hand, when the reading position of the document 3 has been confirmed as described above, if the switch operating body 20 is pressed to turn the mode changeover switch 24 and the light emission amount changeover switch 25 to the ON state, the input mode is entered and the control is started. The main scanning start signal from the circuit 16b is input to the data processing means, and the encoder 21
Since the sub-scan transition signals from the
From this point on, data can be taken into the data processing means 2, and the information on the original document 3 can be read. Furthermore, in this input mode, the amount of light emitted by the light source 13 is greater than in the input prohibition mode described above, and the brightness is sufficient for reading. In this way, with the light source 13 turned on, the data processing means 2 does not read the document until the scanner main body 1 is accurately directed to the information reading position on the document 3. It becomes possible to reliably prevent unnecessary data from being read by the data processing means 2. Moreover, since the mode switching described above is performed by the mode switching switch 20 provided on the scanner main body 1, the mode can be switched with the hand holding the scanner main body 1, and
The operability is extremely good because the operator can confirm whether the mode has been switched or not by visual feedback that the brightness of the light source changes. Furthermore, since the colored transparent plate 19 acts as a filter, the operator can change the brightness of the light source,
In other words, it is easier to visually recognize the mode switching operation, and the colored transparent plate 19 can reduce the amount of external light entering the scanner body 1, thereby preventing deterioration in image quality caused by external light. can do.

In particular, when scanning multiple locations on the same document, place the scanner body 1 at the first scanning location in input prohibition mode, check the scanning location, and then switch back to input mode. When repeating the following operations in sequence: switch to input mode, read data, switch to input prohibition mode again, move scanner body 1 to the next reading position, confirm the reading position, and read data. As mentioned above, by repeatedly operating the switch operating body 20 provided on the scanner main body 1 with fingers, it is possible to extremely easily and smoothly input the data of each reading position of the original 3 into the data processing means 2. So,
The operability of this image scanner is significantly improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the main scanning start signal and the sub-scanning transition signal are input to the data processing means through the OR circuit together with the ON/OFF signal of the mode changeover switch. The mode can be switched between the input prohibition mode and the input mode by configuring one of the two to be input to the data processing means via the signal from the mode selector switch and the OR circuit. can.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the brightness of the light source is changed between the input prohibition mode and the input mode by controlling the amount of current flowing through the light source using a light emission amount changeover switch and a resistor. Alternatively, it is also possible to change the brightness of the light source by controlling the voltage, frequency, etc. with a changeover switch.

[Effect of idea]

As described in detail above, the image scanner of the present invention is designed to directly guide the reflected light of the light irradiated from the light source onto the document to the outside through the colored transparent plate attached to the top surface of the scanner body. It is now possible to easily check the reading position of the document, significantly improving the operability and reliability of the image scanner. Since the reading of information from the original can be prohibited by the mode switch, reading of unnecessary data can be reliably prevented.Furthermore, the light emitting state of the light source can be changed in conjunction with the mode changeover switch. While being able to change,
Since the change can be visually confirmed through the colored transparent plate, the operator can easily confirm whether the input mode is in the input prohibition mode or the input mode.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an image scanner showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the scanner main body, Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a mechanism for reading data, and Fig. 4 FIG. 4a is a timing chart of signals input to the processing means, and FIG. 4b is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4a. 1...Scanner main body, 2...Data processing means,
3...Original, 12...Aperture, 13...Light source, 16
... Image sensor, 18 ... Through hole, 19 ... Colored transparent plate, 20 ... Switch operation body, 24 ... Mode changeover switch, 25 ... Light emission amount changeover switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A scanner main body having an opening at the bottom and forming an outer shell;
a light source for irradiating light onto the document through the aperture; an image sensor for receiving reflected light from the light source and transmitting information in the main scanning direction to a data processing means; and a movement amount detection means for detecting and sending information in the sub-scanning direction to the data processing means side, and by moving the scanner main body relative to a fixed document, the scanner body is provided with a movement amount detection means that detects information in the sub-scanning direction and sends information in the sub-scanning direction to the data processing means side. In an image scanner that reads image information, a through hole is provided in the top surface of the scanner body opposite to the bottom surface of the scanner body, and when the light source is turned on, the reading position of the document can be directly adjusted through the opening. an input mode in which a visually visible colored transparent plate is attached to the through hole and information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction is sent to the data processing means; A mode changeover switch capable of selectively switching between an input prohibition mode that prohibits at least one of the signals from being sent to the data processing means side is provided in the scanner main body, and the mode changeover switch is provided in the main body of the scanner, and the An image scanner comprising a light emitting amount switching means that reduces the amount of light emitted from a light source in an input prohibition mode than in an input mode.