JPS58217087A - Electronic reading pen device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a multi-point reader with a low cost, by providing plural photoelectric converter at the other end of an optical fiber for reception of light along with plural LEDs set at the other end of an optical fiber for projection and making use of combinations of these photoelectric transducers and LEDs. CONSTITUTION:For optical fibers 2 for projection, LEDs 1 are provided at ends 2a and the other ends 2b are arrayed in a row to irradiate the paper surface. While photoelectric converter 4 are provided at ends 3a of optical fibers 3 for reception of light, and the other ends 3b are set opposite to the ends 2b. For these optical fibers which are opposite to LEDs and converter 4, the array of optical fibers and the driving of the LEDs and converter 4 must be considered in terms of time and space not the two adjacent surfaces do not operate simultaneously. The reading is possible for (nXm) points by means of (n) units of LEDs and (m) units of photoelectric converter.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an electronic reading pen device.

It has a pen-shaped peripheral device, and when it comes into contact with the paper surface on which printed or handwritten information is written, the pen-shaped peripheral device is manually moved, and the pen-shaped peripheral device is moved in a direction perpendicular to the flow of text information (rows or columns). Several methods are conceivable for scanning an image in an electronic reading device that sequentially reads 8 to 32 optical images in a line. That is, the pie-shaped envelope is continuously moved manually, and the moving speed is not necessarily uniform. When reading optical images for 8 to 32 black areas perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pie-shaped envelope, there are two methods: reading all of them in parallel at the same time, or reading 8 to 32 parts in several batches.
A method of performing two readings serially in time is conceivable.

For simultaneous reading of 8 to 32 optical images, at least 8 to 32 independent circuits are required as electronic circuits on the light receiving side.

In the serial reading method, only one circuit is required on the light receiving side, so electronics such as a 32-bit CCD sensor can be used.

However, the movement of the pen-shaped envelope is uneven, and
Since the reading time of 32 optical images is different at the beginning and end, there is a risk that the images may be distorted. Therefore, it is desirable to perform reading in a short time.

The present invention is an electronic reading pen device having an optical reading part in which an optical image is constructed using an LED and a phototransistor, or a photodiode and a plastic optical fiber at low cost.

Regarding the circuit configuration of an electronic reading pen device, the usefulness of the function and cost performance are influenced by the arrangement of optical information in the memory and compatibility with other information devices such as a pan controller.

In addition, information read by an electronic reading device becomes more useful when it has the ability to be displayed on a CI (T) or reproduced on a printer. The system is configured using address sequential method of memory with beat/byte (1 byte) configuration, but the contents of the memory are also read out horizontally in 8 bits sequential manner.Therefore, reading by an electronic reading device is 8 bits per bit. Even if bits are read in parallel and stored in memory, special array conversions are required afterwards.

Therefore, it is considered that the serial type reading method of the electronic reading pen device is more suitable.

The present invention provides a complete, compact and economical electronic reading pen device that combines off-the-shelf, inexpensive electronics and optical fibers without using a CCD sensor/sensor that requires a complex drive circuit.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an optical image reading section of an electronic reading pen device according to the present invention.

l is a plurality of (three or more) LEDs. 2 is an optical fiber for projecting light, 3 is an optical fiber for receiving reflected light, and 4 is a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (phototransistors, photodiodes).

The light emitting end 2b of the light emitting optical fiber is paired with the light receiving end 3a of the reflected light receiving optical fiber and is lined up in a row. One end 2a of the light projecting optical fiber 2 is grouped every few, and faces the plurality of LEDs L1 to L5.

The light emitting end 2b of the optical fiber facing the same LED and the other end 3b of the reflective light receiving optical fiber end 3a paired with it must be in different groups.

When one row of optical image groups is composed of m IJDs and n photoelectric conversion elements, there is a relationship of t=m x n.

Since LEDs are generally cheap, m>mouth is more economical,
In an extreme case, it may be configured with t=m LEDs and one photoelectric conversion element.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the paper information reading section of two sets of optical fibers for light emission and light reception, and the light emission end 2b of the light emission optical fiber 2.
and the receiving end of the optical fiber for reflected light receiving are close to each other,
A tiny gap? It is held in a pen-shaped peripheral device (not shown) so as to face the paper surface 5. 6 is character information such as a pencil, a ballpoint pen, a pen, a Xerox, and printed letters.

5- FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an LED and an optical fiber, and the light-receiving end 2a of the light-emitting optical fiber 2 is bundled into groups and facing each other in the vicinity of the tip of the opaque plastic lens at Ll. The amount of light received by the optical fiber light receiving end 2a must be uniform for each optical fiber. Of course, the gap may be filled with a suitable adhesive or the optical fiber end may be placed in the mold of the LED.

Similarly, the other end 3b of the optical fiber 3 for reflected light reception is bundled as shown in FIG. 4 and is closely opposed to the photoelectric conversion element 4. Since the light projected or incident from the end of the optical fiber spreads over an aperture angle of 70° or more, when adjacent optical fibers on the light receiving side face the same photoelectric conversion element as shown in Figure 1, L E D L 1. The projected light is adjacent to 1 to 2
The light may reach the book's optical fiber for receiving reflected light and be transmitted to the same photoelectric conversion element, causing malfunction or resolution degradation.

Therefore, it is desirable that at least every other group of optical fibers on the reflective light-receiving side face different photoelectric conversion elements.

6- An example of this is shown in FIG. In the electronic circuit behind the photoelectric conversion element, we organize the reading position and time series relationship.
It is necessary to store the optical readout button as digital information in a memory matrix in a format that is easy to match with the font of other I10 devices (eg, CRT display device, printer 1).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the Li light emission timing of a plurality of LEDs and the operation timing of a plurality of phototransistors PTj.

On the photoelectric conversion element side, a serial configuration in 8-bit units is desirable for effective use of the IC. When the LEDi is emitted with the configuration shown in FIG. 1 at the timing shown in FIG. 6, five consecutive optical images are sequentially read out from one photoelectric conversion element. Since the optical images of the reading section facing the paper are not all read out at the same time, the output of the four phototransistors is 2O.
When combined in the R circuit, all the read information is output in series.

Parallel reading of 4 bits or 8 bits is also possible by combining an LED, a light emitting optical fiber, a light receiving optical fiber, and a photoelectric conversion element. Combination optical fiber projection,
It is desirable to have a configuration that prohibits two adjacent sets from operating at the same time at the reflection receiving end.

Furthermore, by preventing adjacent optical fibers from facing the same LBD or photoelectric conversion element, it is possible to prevent a decrease in resolution due to leakage light.

Tying shown in Figure 5, L shown in Figures 1 and 6
The numbers and arrangement combinations of EDs, photoelectric conversion elements, and optical fibers are illustrative and do not limit the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an electronic reading pen device that can read inexpensive linear and black-and-white patterns using existing LEDs, Fort transistors, glass and plastic optical fibers with a thickness of O1 to 0.5 gourd.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of the light emission, optical fiber, and photoelectric conversion element of an electronic reading pen device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the optical fiber end of the paper for projecting light and receiving reflected light. be. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of the input end of the LED and optical fiber, Figure 4
The figure shows the configuration of the optical fiber end and phototransistor. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation timing of an LED and a phototransistor, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another combination of an LED, an optical fiber, and a phototransistor. 1...LED, 2...Optical fiber for light emission, 3...Optical fiber for reflected light reception, 4...
...A photoelectric conversion element. 9- Atsushi / Figure z 2 Ward

Claims (1)

[Claims] 8 to 32 light-receiving lights are located at the tip of the pen-shaped peripheral device, and the end face faces the paper surface that contacts and slides at a very small distance, and is arranged in a row in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pen-shaped peripheral device. In order to limit and illuminate the reading area of the paper surface of the fiber array and the optical fiber array, one or two fibers are paired with the light-receiving optical fiber.
Arrange 8 to 32 book light emitting optical fibers in parallel with a light receiving optical fiber array in a straight line, and read 1 [optical image on the line l foot number'fct, then m light emitting LFiDs.
At the other end of the light emitting optical fiber bundled as a group, n
The photoelectric conversion elements are arranged at the other ends of the optical fibers for reflective light reception that are bundled together as a group, and are arranged in a relationship of t-rnxn. An electronic reader/device having an optical information reading section configured with a different temporal and spatial arrangement so that two adjacent surfaces at opposing light emitting ends and reflecting light receiving ends do not operate at the same time.