JPH11122433A - Picture reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a picture reading device in which a picture in an original size can be read, and it can not be affected by the outside of the original even in the texture tracing mode of a white reference. SOLUTION: Only the size of an original (the outer edge of the original) is read by operating pre-scanning before the start of picture reading. The size of the main scanning direction of the original is detected from the read original size (a step 301), and the original size in a sub-scanning direction is detected (a step 302). This detection is operated by converting data related with the read outer edge of the original into size information by a CPU. The detected main scanning directional width and sub-scanning directional width are communicated to an incubator (a step 303), and the reading of a picture is executed (a step 304), and this processing is ended. When the application of a host computer requests the original size, this reading procedure can be applied at the time of operating trial reading by using the texture tracing mode of a white reference with the minimum resolution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading an original and transferring the read image data to another information processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus having the functions of a scanner and a printer is widely used, and an image reading apparatus capable of transferring read image data to another information processing apparatus is also known. In such an image reading apparatus, after setting various parameters, an image of a document is read at a low resolution full size in order to confirm the effects of the parameters, and the parameter setting is performed by trial and error. . When reading a document, if the background is followed on the basis of white in order to read an image in full size, the outside of the document to be read may be affected, and a correct white reference may not be set. It should be noted that the mode of following the background based on white is generally set to the initial setting mode of the image reading apparatus.

Further, as a device for making the outer edge of a document clear, for example, the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-170259 is known.

[0004]

By the way, when reading at full size as described above, the outside of the document to be read is affected, and a correct white reference may not be set. In such a state, the effect of the parameter may not be confirmed. In addition, there is a case where the document is read larger than the document size due to the influence of the outside of the document to be read. If the document is read larger than the document size, the data amount increases and the processing is unavoidably slowed down.
In addition, the increased amount consumes more resources.

The first object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of reading an image at the size of a document without reading the document at a full size. Is to provide.

A second object is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of reducing the time required for detecting the size of a document.

A third object is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of reading an image of an irregular size document even in an image reading apparatus which can only read an image of a regular size document.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus capable of reading an image without being affected by the outside of a document even when the white reference is set to follow the background.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first means comprises: reading means for scanning and reading an original; first detecting means for detecting a main scanning width of the original; An image reading apparatus having a second detecting means for detecting a scanning width, when a size of a document to be read is requested from another information processing apparatus, based on a detection result by the first and second detecting means; Control means for transmitting the main scanning width and the sub-scanning width of the document to the requested information processing apparatus.

[0010] The second means, in an image reading apparatus based on the same premise as the first means, when a size of a document to be read is requested from another information processing apparatus, a detection result by the first detecting means. Control means for transmitting the main scanning width of the document obtained based on the above to the requesting information processing apparatus, starting reading of the document by the reading means, and reading until the end of the document in the sub-scanning direction is detected. It is characterized by having.

[0011] The third means is an image reading apparatus based on the same premise as the first means, wherein when the size of the document to be read is requested from another information processing apparatus, the detection result by the first detecting means is obtained. The main scanning width of the original obtained from the main scanning width and the sub scanning inferred from the main scanning width are transmitted to the information processing apparatus that has requested the sub scanning and the reading of the original by the reading means is started. If the transmitted sub-scanning width is shorter than the transmitted sub-scanning width, control means is provided to compensate the transmitted sub-scanning width with specified data from the end of the document.

A fourth means is the image processing apparatus according to the first to third means, wherein the control means performs a test reading using a white-based background pursuit mode with a minimum resolution.

The fifth means is that the request for the document size is
It is performed based on an instruction from an application executed in the other information processing apparatus.

[0014]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the image reading apparatus basically includes a document reading unit 100 and a document transport unit 200 that is an ADF.

An original reading unit (scanner) 100 is an original platen glass (contact glass) provided on the upper part of the housing.
1. an illumination lamp 3 for illuminating an original placed on an original platen glass 1 or an original conveyed to an original reading position B, and an illumination lamp for receiving reflected light from the original illuminated by the illumination lamp 3 The first integrated with 3
A second mirror for receiving the reflected light from the first mirror;
A mirror 4, a third mirror 5 integrated with the second mirror 4 so as to receive the reflected light from the second mirror 4,
The illumination lamp 3 and the first mirror 2 are composed of a condenser lens 38 for condensing the reflected light from the mirror 5, a CCD 6 for irradiating the light condensed by the condenser lens 38 and performing photoelectric conversion.
Are mounted on a first traveling body (not shown), and the second mirror 4 and the third mirror 5 are mounted on a second traveling body (not shown), respectively. These first and second traveling bodies are driven by a traveling body motor 7. It is driven to move in the direction A, which is the main scanning direction. Further, various control boards to be described later are arranged at the bottom of the document reading unit 100.

An original transport section 200 includes an original tray 8 on which the originals are placed, a pickup roller 9 for picking up the originals one by one, and a pair of registration rollers 10 for transporting the originals picked up by the pickup rollers 9 in a timely manner. A transport drum 11 for transporting the original sent from the pair of registration rollers 10 to a reading position B, a plurality of transport rollers 12 for nipping and transporting the original between the originals and the reading drum B; Discharge roller pair 13, 1 for discharging the original to the discharge tray 15 side
4, and a transport motor 16 for driving the transport drum 11, the transport roller 12, and the pair of paper discharge rollers 13 and 14.

In the image reading apparatus configured as described above,
A document placed on the platen glass 1 is illuminated by an illumination lamp 3, and the reflected light is scanned by a first mirror 2, a second mirror 4 and a third mirror 5, and a condensing lens 3.
The light is condensed by 8 and is incident on the CCD 6 to be photoelectrically converted.

On the other hand, the originals placed on the original tray 8 are separated one by one by a pickup roller 9,
The sheet is fed to the transport drum 11 at a timing of feeding while being sandwiched between the nips of the registration roller pair 10, is sent to the reading position B while being sandwiched by the transport drum 11 and the transport roller 12, and is further fed to the discharge roller pair 13. , 14 are discharged to a discharge tray 15. Then, the first mirror 2, the second mirror 4, and the third mirror 5 fixed at the reading position B
And is condensed by the condenser lens 38.
The data is photoelectrically converted by the CCD 6 and read.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a signal processing system for performing signal processing of the document reading apparatus according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 2, the signal system of the document reading apparatus includes an MDU (Mother Board Unit) 18 as a main control unit and an ADU (ADF Driving Unit) 3 which controls the driving of the document conveying unit 100.
7 and an RCU (Reverc
e Side Control Unit) 32, an SCU (Scaner Control Unit) 20 for controlling the original reading unit 200, and a DCU (Data Compression) for compressing the read image data.
Unit) 36 and an IEU (Imag) for performing predetermined image processing
e Enhance Unit) 28.
The CCD 6 is an SBU (Sensor Board Unit).
17 and connected to the MBU 18.

In the signal processing system configured as described above, the reflected light of the document incident on the CCD 6 on the SBU 17 is converted into an analog signal having a voltage value corresponding to the light intensity in the CCD 38. The converted analog image signal is divided into odd bits and even bits and output. This analog image signal is transmitted to the AHP (Analog
The dark potential portion is removed by a Data Handling Peripheral (19), the odd bits and the even bits are combined, the gain is adjusted to a predetermined amplitude, and then input to the A / D converter 40 to be converted into a digital signal.

An image signal digitized by the A / D converter 40 is transferred to a SIP (Scannar Imag) on the SCU 20.
ing Peripheral-depicted as SIP3 in the figure) 2
In step 1, after shading correction, gamma correction, MTF correction, and the like are performed, the data is binarized and output as a video signal together with a page synchronization signal, a line synchronization signal, and an image clock. The video signal output from the SIP 21 is
It is output to the IEU 28 via the connector 29. I
The video signal input to the EU 28 is subjected to predetermined image processing in the IEU 28 and input to the SCU 20 again.

The video signal input to the SCU 20 again is input to the selector 30. The other input of the selector 30 is a video signal output from the SIP 21 and allows the IEU 28 to select whether or not to perform image processing. The output of the selector 30 is input to the selector 31. The other input of the selector 30 is a video signal from the RCU 32, so that the reading surface of the original can be selected. RCU32 is SCU2
0 is controlled by the CPU 25 in serial communication, and the read back side image data is used as a video signal in the MBU 18.
Transfer to the SCU 20 via. The video signal from the selector 31 is connected to the selector 32 and the connector 33. The other input of the selector 32 is a video signal from the video adapter 39. With this configuration, the video adapter 3 can be connected via the connector 33.
9 can be connected. The video signal output of the selector 32 is supplied to an SBC (Scan
Buffer Controller) 22.

The video signal output from the SIP 21 via the above-described path is transmitted to the SBC which manages the DRAM 41.
22 and input to SIMM (Single Inline Momory Mod
ule) 23 are stored in the image memory constituted by the DRAM 41. The image data stored in the image memory can be read and written by the CPU 25 via the SBC 22. The image data stored in the image memory is connected to the selector 34 and the connector 35, and further connected to the DCU 36 via the connector 35, and the DCU 36 compresses the image data. Note that DC
The image data compressed by U36 is supplied to the selector 34.
The selector 32 selects whether to compress the image data. The image data output selected by the selector 34 is sent to the host computer via the SCSI controller 24. Also, on the SCU 20, C
A PU 25, an EPROM 26, and a RAM 27 are mounted, and control the SCSI controller 24 to perform communication with a host computer. Note that the CPU 25
The timing control of the drive timing of the traveling body motor 7 composed of a stepping motor, the sheet feeding motor and the transport motor 16 is also performed. The ADU 37 has a function of relaying the power supply of the electrical components used in the document transport unit 200.

Here, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for determining a reading area when a document has a standard size;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for determining a reading area when a document has an irregular size, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another example when the document has an irregular size.

If the original is of a standard size, the reading area is determined according to the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, prescanning is performed before starting image reading, and only the size of the document (the outer edge of the document) is read. The size of the document in the main scanning direction is detected from the size of the read document (step 301), and further, the size of the document in the sub-scanning direction is detected (step 302). This detection is performed by converting data on the outer edge of the read document into size information by the CPU 25.

Accordingly, here, the first and second
Is constituted by the CPU 25. The width in the main scanning direction and the width in the sub-scanning direction detected in this way are notified to the initiator in step 303, and
In step 4, the image is read, and the process ends. Therefore, on the host computer side, it is sufficient to secure a memory amount and resources corresponding to the area to be read, and the data amount can be reduced by that amount, so that the processing time is shortened, and as a result, the processing speed can be improved. it can. Also, since the original size is determined and the influence of the outside of the original can be eliminated, when the application of the host computer (other information processing device) requests the original size, the background tracking mode based on white with the minimum resolution is used. When performing the test reading, the effect of the mode can be reliably obtained.

On the other hand, when the original is of an irregular size, FIG.
The reading area is determined according to the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, before starting the image reading, the prescan is performed only in the main scanning direction to detect the document size in the main scanning direction (step 401). Then, after notifying the initiator of the size in the main scanning direction detected in step 401 (step 402), image reading is started (step 403). This reading is continued until the end of the document in the sub-scanning direction, and the image reading is stopped when the end of the document in the sub-scanning direction is confirmed (step 40).
4) The end of the document is notified to the initiator (step 40).
5) Finish the processing. Therefore, the host computer sets the memory amount and the resource corresponding to the main scanning direction and starts reading, so that the time required for pre-scanning in the sub-scanning direction can be reduced.

In this embodiment, when the original is of an irregular size, only the size of the original in the main scanning direction is detected, a fixed size is set to match the size of the original, and the size of the original in the sub-scanning direction is assumed. Can also be read. The processing procedure at this time is as shown in FIG.

In this processing procedure, first, before starting the image reading, the size of the document in the main scanning direction is pre-scanned only in the main scanning direction to detect the size of the document in the main scanning direction (step 501). Next, the size in the main scanning direction of the document detected in step 501 is regarded as the size in the main scanning direction in the standard size, and the size in the sub-scanning direction corresponding to the standard size is estimated (step 502).
After notifying the initiator of the detected size in the main scanning direction and the estimated size in the sub scanning direction (step 50)
3) Read an image (step 504). When the document is read to the end of the document, in other words, to the final position in the sub-scanning direction (step 505), the read final position is compared with the estimated size in the sub-scanning direction, and the read sampling position is estimated. If it is shorter than the size of the document, the process is completed by filling the data up to the final position of the estimated size with data designated by the initiator or the user in advance, for example, "white" data (step 507). Step 506
If the size is equal to or greater than the detection size, the process is terminated.

By performing the processing as described above, the processing to fill in the insufficient area is performed. Therefore, the processing is performed in the same manner as the pseudo-standard-size reading, and is particularly effective for an application that can handle only the standard size. is there.

In the description of these embodiments, the size detection is performed by the prescan, and the first and second sizes are detected.
Is configured by the CPU 25, but needless to say, a document size detected by a known document detection sensor (not shown) can be used.

When the document size is detected as shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 3 to 5, even if the document is read using the background tracking mode based on white at the minimum resolution, the host computer side sends the main scanning direction. Since the original width in the sub-scanning direction is transmitted in addition to the original width in the sub-scanning direction in addition to the original width in the main scanning direction, the white reference effect can be obtained correctly without being affected by the outside of the original when reading an image. .

[0034]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since only the original size is read, the data amount is reduced, and the speed and the resource consumption are reduced. be able to.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since reading is started by detecting only main scanning, time required for scanning in the sub-scanning direction can be saved, and an image can be read at a higher speed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the present invention is effective for an information processing apparatus that can handle only a fixed size, and it is possible to reduce problems on the initiator side by changing the data size. .

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even when the color reference is set to follow the background, the effect of the white reference can be correctly obtained without being affected by the outside of the read document.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is effective for an application that can handle only the standard size, and it is possible to reduce the problem on the initiator side by changing the data size.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for determining a reading area when a document has a standard size according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for detecting a size when a document has an irregular size according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for filling a size and data when a document has an irregular size according to the present embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 platen glass 2, 3, 4 mirror 8 document tray 11 transport drum 15 discharge tray 17 SBU (Sensor Board Unit) 18 MBU (Mother Board Unit) 20 SCU (Scaner Control Unit) 25 CPU 28 IEU (Image Enhance Unit) 32 RCU (Reverce Side Control Unit) 36 DCU (Data Compression Unit) 37 ADU (ADF Driving Unit) 39 Video adapter 100 Document reading unit 200 Document transport unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for scanning and reading a document; first detecting means for detecting a main scanning width of the document; and second detecting means for detecting a sub-scanning width of the document. When the size of the document to be read is requested from another information processing device, the main scanning width and the sub-scanning width of the document are transmitted to the requested information processing device based on the detection results by the first and second detection means. An image reading apparatus, comprising: a control unit for transmitting the image data. 2. An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for scanning and reading a document; first detecting means for detecting a main scanning width of the document; and second detecting means for detecting a sub-scanning width of the document. When the size of the document to be read is requested from another information processing device, the main scanning width of the document obtained based on the detection result by the first detection unit is transmitted to the requesting information processing device, An image reading apparatus comprising: a control unit that starts reading of a document by a reading unit and reads the document until the end of the document in the sub-scanning direction is detected. 3. An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for scanning and reading a document; first detecting means for detecting a main scanning width of the document; and second detecting means for detecting a sub-scanning width of the document. When the size of the document to be read is requested from another information processing apparatus, the main scanning width of the document obtained from the result of detection by the first detecting means and the sub-scanning estimated from the main scanning width are requested. The document is transmitted to the information processing apparatus and reading of the document by the reading unit is started. If the end of the document in the sub-scanning direction is shorter than the transmitted sub-scanning width, the transmitted sub-scanning is performed from the end of the document. An image reading apparatus comprising a control unit that compensates for a width with designated data. 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a test reading in a white-based background pursuit mode with a minimum resolution. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request for the document size is made based on an instruction from an application executed in the other information processing apparatus. Image reading device.