JPH10254194A - White level correction method for image reader and original carrying auxiliary member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provided a method for easily and also accurately performing the blank correction for an image reader with good workability and to provide an original carrying auxiliary member capable of performing the white level correction and also capable of easily positioning the original. SOLUTION: Two sheets of a base sheet 3 and a transparent cover sheet 2 are laid to overlap each other with a joint margin 5 (joint part) formed at one end so that an original Gs can be held between two sheets. Also, a carrier sheet 1 (original carrying auxiliary member) with the joint margin 5 where a white level reference area capable to performing the white level correction for the reading means is arranged is carried along the carrying path of the image reader, then, the white level reference area is aligned with the reading position of the reading means, then, the white level correction for the reading means is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of performing white correction of an image reading apparatus using a document conveying auxiliary member, and a method of holding a small-sized document and conveying the same to an image reading section of the image reading apparatus. And a document transport assisting member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image reading apparatus mounted on a facsimile apparatus or the like, a change in the brightness of an original in an image reading section or a change in the color of the original itself due to a change over time of an illuminating means (for an ordinary original, The whiteness of the reading sensor is adjusted appropriately in response to the white color, but the brightness of special documents such as newspaper is lower than that of white, so that the image information recorded on the document can always be read with high quality. Has been done.

The white correction is performed by reading the white reference illuminated by the illuminating means with the reading sensor in a state where the original is not conveyed, based on the white reference provided in the apparatus body corresponding to the reading position of the original by the reading sensor. Or a method in which a white reference sheet is conveyed so as to convey a document to be read to a reading position and white correction is performed.

Further, when reading a small-sized document, a carrier sheet (document transfer assisting size) of a size (standard size of B5 or A4) that can be handled by the image reading apparatus is used to reliably transport the small-sized document. It is common practice to sandwich a small-sized document between members and transport it to a reading position.

In this case, in an aerial transport type document transport system having no platen at the reading position and the same height as the transport path, if the document is not sandwiched between a pair of rollers before and after the reading position, the height of the document is increased. Degradation of reading quality due to out-of-focus of the read image or blurring of the read image is likely to occur, but the document is sandwiched between the carrier sheets and the carrier sheet is moved before and after the reading position until the entire area of the document passes through the reading position. It is also possible to maintain the reading quality by being held between the roller pairs.

The carrier sheet has a structure in which two sheets of a white base sheet and a transparent cover sheet having substantially the same size are overlapped and one end or two ends are joined by a method such as welding or bonding. The document can be conveyed as one document by sandwiching the document therebetween. The positioning of the small-sized document in the carrier sheet is performed by the reference frame printed on the white base sheet.

[0007]

However, when white correction is performed by a method having a white reference in the main body, the white reference is disposed facing the conveyance path of the original, so that the white correction is easily performed. If it causes discoloration of itself, obstructs the transport path (meaning that it does not directly contact the document in the sense that it prevents smooth transport), or if you place it away from the transport path, It is necessary to consider the correction of the brightness of the illumination and the shift of the focus, which complicates the device configuration.

In the method of performing white correction by preparing a dedicated white reference sheet, an operation is performed in which a white reference sheet is first conveyed to perform white correction before reading a document, and then the document is conveyed. Thus, the work of the operator is complicated and the workability is reduced.

On the other hand, when a document is conveyed using a carrier sheet, the document covers the reference frame printed on the white base sheet side, and a margin is formed around the document to position the document. There is a problem that it becomes difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and accurate workable white correction method and a white correction method. Another object of the present invention is to provide a document transport assisting member that facilitates document positioning.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a white correction method for an image reading apparatus according to the present invention comprises a conveyance path, a reading means for reading an image of a document conveyed on the conveyance path, and A white correction method for an image reading apparatus, comprising: a base sheet and a transparent cover sheet, at least one of which is capable of holding a document therebetween.
A document transport assisting member having a white reference area that enables the reading unit to perform white correction is transported to the transport path, and the white reference area is aligned with the reading position of the reading unit. And performing white correction of the reading means.

Further, in the transport path, an upstream transport means and a downstream transport means for transporting the document while holding the original, and the transport means disposed between the upstream transport means and the downstream transport means. A reading unit, and the white reference area of the document conveying auxiliary member is set to a reading position of the reading unit in a state where the conveying auxiliary member is held by both the upstream conveying unit and the downstream conveying unit. In addition, it is also possible to perform white correction of the reading unit.

[0013] In the document transport assisting member, at least one end of the base sheet and the transparent cover sheet is joined and overlapped so that the document can be held between the base sheet and the transparent cover sheet. It is characterized by having a white reference area enabling correction.

Further, the base sheet is a light-shielding white sheet, and the white reference area is the white sheet on the front end side in the transport direction.
It may be a joint of two sheets.

Further, it is preferable that the transparent cover sheet is provided with a frame indicating a reading range.

Further, it is preferable that a holding section held by the conveying means is provided at the leading end and the rear end side in the conveying direction, and the reading range is arranged between the holding sections.

[0017]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the characteristics of a carrier sheet 1 as a document transport assisting member to which the present invention is applied. The carrier sheet 1 allows the document Gs to be transported in the image reading apparatus by holding the small-sized document Gs therebetween.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a transparent cover sheet on which a white reading frame 4 indicating the reading range of the document Gs is printed from the inside.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a light-shielding white sheet base sheet. Both are PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheets, one end of which is joined by an adhesive sill 5 as a joining portion, and a document Gs
It can be sandwiched. In the adhesive white 5, an adhesive is applied to the cover sheet 2 side by printing together with the reading frame 4, and is superimposed on the base sheet 3, and the cover sheet 2 and the base sheet 3 are subjected to a process such as heat compression.
Are joined.

The carrier sheet 1 has an adhesive white 5
Is a white reference area, which can be used for white correction in the image reading apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a schematic configuration of the image reading and recording apparatus PR1 in which the carrier sheet 1 is conveyed and in an image reading state. The image reading and recording apparatus PR1 includes a conveyance path and conveyance means for conveying a document or recording paper in the sub-scanning direction.
The scanner head cartridge 10 and the print head cartridge 30 serving as reading means are detachably mounted. When reading image information of a document, the scanner head cartridge 1 is attached to the carriage 40.
In the case where image forming (printing) is performed on recording paper with the print head cartridge 30
With.

The scanner head cartridge 10 has substantially the same shape as the print head cartridge 30 used for printing, and can read in the same width as the printing width. Print head cartridge 3 for electrical connection with main body
0 and a common connector section 31.

The carriage 40 has a contact portion (not shown) for transmitting and receiving a read control signal from the main body via a connector portion of the scanner head cartridge 10. The scanner head cartridge 10 is connected to the contact portion by a hook 42 and a hook spring 43. Is pressed, and the carriage 40 and the scanner head cartridge 10 are securely connected. The read signal passes through the flexible cable 44 via the contact section and is transferred to the image processing section of the apparatus main body.

The carriage 40 is provided on a side plate 45 of the frame 45.
Reading is performed by reciprocating in the main scanning direction along the slide shaft 46 and the slide plate 47 between a and 45b. A drive motor 48 moves the carriage 40 via a belt 49.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a paper feed stacker for feeding a document, and in a case where it is used as a printer, also serves as a place for recording paper.

The carrier sheet 1 sandwiching the manuscript Gs
Paper is fed from the paper feed stacker unit 50 to the conveyance path from the rear of the apparatus by a paper feed roller 51 with the adhesive white 5 at the head, and is conveyed to a reading position below the carriage 40 by an LF (line feed) roller 52 and a pressing roller 53. Then, one line is read together with the movement of the carriage 40, and the entire area of the image is read while intermittently performing line feed by the LF roller 52 by the reading width, and the sheet is discharged by the sheet discharging unit 54.

FIG. 3 shows the scanner head cartridge 10.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration explanatory diagram illustrating configurations of a transport path H and a transport unit. The upstream side of the transport path H is the sheet feeding stacker section 50.
(The right side in the figure), the LF roller 52 and the pressing roller 53 as the conveying means on the upstream side along the conveying path H from the sheet feeding stacker section 50, the reading position L by the scanner head cartridge 10, and the conveying means on the downstream side. Are provided with a first discharge roller 54a and a spur 56a and a second discharge roller 54b and a spur 56b.

The scanner head cartridge 10 includes a sensor reading unit 11 and a lens 12 for forming an image at the reading position L on the sensor reading unit 11. The image at the reading position L is photoelectrically converted by the sensor reading unit 11 and becomes image data. Will be transferred.

The carrier sheet 1 sandwiching the small-size original Gs is fed from the paper feed stacker 50 to the LF
After passing through the roller 52 and the pressing roller 53, the platen 5
5, after passing through the reading position L while being transported in the air above the
It reaches the nip (abutting portion) between the first paper discharging roller 54a and the spur 56a as a pressing portion.

The adhesive white 5 is composed of a paper discharge roller 54a and a spur 56
There is a length from the nip to the portion including the reading position L, and shading (white correction) is performed in this state. The white correction corresponds to, for example, a change in the brightness of the reading position L due to a temporal change of an illumination unit (not shown) provided in the scanner head cartridge 10, and is appropriately performed to achieve high-quality image reading.

Next, when the carrier sheet 1 is intermittently fed, the first line of the document reaches the reading position L, the first line is read by the reciprocation of the carriage 40, and thereafter the line feeding and reading of the carrier sheet 1 are sequentially continued. Can be Therefore, the white correction and the image reading can be performed by one conveyance of the carrier sheet 1.

FIG. 4 shows the original Gs on the carrier sheet 1.
2 shows the relationship between the read range and the rear end of the carrier sheet 1 in the transport direction. When the end Gsa of the document is at the reading position L, the rear end portion 1a of the carrier sheet 1 has a length (holding portion) until the LF roller 52 and the pressing roller 53 sandwich the sheet. Even in the air conveyance system as in this embodiment, when the end Gsa of the original is located at the reading position L, the end Gsa of the original is
Does not occur on the platen section 55 and the image reading is not abnormal.

In this embodiment, the reading means reads the image information of one line by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 40. However, the reading means covers the entire paper width set at a right angle to the document conveying direction. Even in a line scanner type device having a line sensor, by using the carrier sheet 1, white correction can be performed without increasing the size of the device, and simple reading can be reliably performed.

[0033]

According to the present invention described above, it is possible to convey the document conveying auxiliary member to the conveying path and to adjust the white reference area to the reading position of the reading means, thereby enabling accurate white correction. In addition, the white correction can be performed by the same operation prior to the image reading of the original, and the operability is improved.

By providing a frame indicating the reading range on the transparent cover sheet of the document transport assisting member, it is possible to accurately position the document and not to read the margin of the document.

The provision of the holding unit held by the transport means before and after the reading range allows the reading range to be transported without deviating from the transport path until the reading range passes the reading position. Becomes stable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a carrier sheet according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image reading apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory cross-sectional configuration diagram (when a carrier sheet enters) illustrating the configuration of a reading unit, a conveyance path, and a conveyance unit;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional configuration explanatory view illustrating the configuration of a reading unit, a transport path, and a transport unit (when a carrier sheet is discharged).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Carrier sheet (document conveyance assistance member) 2 Cover sheet 3 Base sheet 4 Reading frame 5 Adhesive white (joining part) 10 Scanner head cartridge (reading means) 30 Print head cartridge 31 Connector part 40 Carriage 42 Hook 43 Hook spring 44 Flexible cable 45 Frame 45a, 45b Side plate 46 Slide shaft 47 Slide plate 48 Drive motor 49 Belt 50 Paper feed stacker 51 Paper feed roller 52 LF roller 53 Pressing roller 54 Paper discharge unit 54a First paper discharge roller 54b Second paper discharge roller 56a, 56b Spur Gs Document L Reading position PR1 Image reading and recording device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A white correction method for an image reading apparatus comprising a transport path and reading means for reading an image of a document transported on the transport path, comprising: a base sheet and a transparent cover sheet. At least one end is joined and overlapped so that a document can be held therebetween, and a document transport assisting member having a white reference region enabling white correction of the reading unit is transported to the transport path. And adjusting the white reference area to the reading position of the reading unit to perform white correction of the reading unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying path includes an upstream conveying unit and a downstream conveying unit that conveys the document while holding the original, and the upstream conveying unit and the downstream conveying unit disposed between the upstream conveying unit and the downstream conveying unit. A reading unit, and both of the upstream conveying unit and the downstream conveying unit,
2. The image according to claim 1, wherein a white reference area of the document transport assisting member is adjusted to a reading position of a reading unit while the transport assisting member is held, and white correction of the reading unit is performed. White correction method for reader. 3. A base sheet and a transparent cover sheet.
A document transport assisting member, comprising: a sheet, at least one end of which is joined so as to be able to hold a document therebetween; 4. The document feeder according to claim 3, wherein the base sheet is a light-shielding white sheet, and the white reference area is a junction of the two sheets on the leading end side in the feed direction. Auxiliary member. 5. The document transport assisting member according to claim 3, wherein the transparent cover sheet is provided with a frame indicating a reading range. 6. The document transport assisting device according to claim 5, further comprising a holding unit held by a transport unit at a front end and a rear end side in the transport direction, wherein the reading range is arranged between the holding units. Element.