JPS61172477A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the quality of read the original by providing a means to decide the reduction of the light quantity of the light source and monitoring always the condition of the light source for illuminating the original. CONSTITUTION:An electric signal, which is image-formed and converted to the image pick-up surface of a photoelectric converting element 103 by an image lens 102 on an original reading scanning line 101, is inputted to a binary circuit 107. Reference voltage generators 104 and 105 generate the reference voltage respectively when the usual action is executed and when the light quantity monitoring action is executed, and inputs it to a selector 106. When the original is absent on the reading scanning line 101, a light source light quantity monitoring action is executed, and the photoelectric converting element 103 is equal to the case when an all-white original is picked up. The binary circuit 107 receives the voltage of the reference voltage generator 105, and the photoelectrically converted electric signal is made binary by the slice level for monitoring a photoelectric light quantity. The number of black picture elements of the binary facsimile signal is counted by a counting device 108, and a set value and counted value compared and decided by a deciding circuit 109.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile machine used for general document transmission, and more particularly to a facsimile machine having an improved light intensity monitoring system for a light source for illuminating a document.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in a 7-stain IJ device for electronically transmitting general documents, the amount of light from the light source has been monitored indirectly through visual judgment by the operator. Furthermore, light intensity monitoring has been omitted by periodically replacing the light source element at intervals determined from its lifespan.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the case described above, when converting a document to be electronically transmitted into a facsimile signal, the condition of the light source for illuminating the document is not constantly monitored, so there is a drawback that the quality of the document to be transmitted electronically cannot be controlled on the receiving side.

Further, the operator's visual judgment is usually carried out visually by an operator on the receiving side, and there is also the drawback that it takes time to replace a defective light source element on the transmitting side only when a defective received original is received.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile machine vIL that is equipped with a light source light intensity monitoring function and can improve the reading quality of electronically transmitted documents.

[Means for solving problems]

The facsimile apparatus of the present invention includes an optical system, a light source that illuminates the original, and a photoelectric conversion that forms an image of the original on the optical system to form an image f:, V, and converts the image of the original into an electrical signal. an element, means for outputting a first reference signal, means for outputting a second reference signal sound having a white level closer to that of the first reference signal, and selecting the first reference signal when transmitting the document electronically. a selector that selects and outputs the second reference signal when the document is completely white; and a selector that binarizes the electric signal using the output of the selector as a reference and outputs a facsimile signal. a binarization circuit, a counter for counting the number of black pixels of the facsimile signal outputted from the 21'[ conversion circuit when the document is completely white; and means for determining a decrease in the amount of light.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

The image on the original reading scanning line 101 is formed by a lens 102 to form an image captured by a photoelectric conversion element 103 .

The electrical signal converted by the photoelectric conversion element 103 is input to the binarization circuit 107. During normal operation, the reference voltage generator 104 generates a reference voltage that determines the slice level required by the 2 converting circuit 107, and inputs it to the selector 106. The reference voltage generator 105 generates a reference voltage that determines the slice level required by the binarization circuit 107 during the light amount monitoring operation.

Input to selector 106. The base voltage of the reference voltage generators 104 and 105 is selected in the selector 106 and the binarization circuit 107
Output to. The output of the binarization circuit 107 is input to a terminal 110 and a counter 108. The output of the counter 108 is input to the judgment circuit 109Vc, and the judgment result is outputted to the Minamiko 1111c.

The operation during normal document reading will be explained. The original to be read passes through an original reading scanning line 101ft by an original moving device (not shown). The manuscript is also illuminated by a light source not shown in the figure. This light source is generally a facsimile fluorescent lamp. The selector 106 is controlled by a control circuit (not shown) and is connected to the reference voltage generator 1.
04 is selected and applied to the binarization circuit 107. Reference voltage generator 104! The output voltage is adjusted so that the slice level of the binarization circuit 107 is optimal for normal document reading. Therefore, the circuit consisting of the photoelectric conversion element 103, the reference voltage generator 1049, the selector 106, and the binarization circuit 107 converts the image a of the document passing on the document reading scanning line 101 into a facsimile signal. The facsimile signal is applied via a terminal 110 to a facsimile signal processing section (not shown).

Next, the operation when monitoring the amount of light from the light source will be explained.

The output of the reference voltage generator 105 is 2 during the light source light intensity monitoring operation.
The slice level of the value conversion circuit 107 is determined. The output of the reference voltage generator 105 is adjusted so that the slice level of the binarization circuit 107 is set closer to the white level than the output of the reference voltage generator 104. The output of the reference voltage generator 105 is selected by the ERI selector 106i in a control circuit (not shown) and is applied to the binarization circuit 107.

When there is no original on the original reading scanning line 101.

The light source light amount monitoring operation is performed. Since there is no document, the photoelectric conversion element 103 performs photoelectric conversion on the surface of the document holding plate of the document transport device immediately after the document reading scan @101. This document holding plate is white to improve document illumination efficiency. Therefore, the photoelectric conversion element 103 is equivalent to capturing an image of an entirely white document. Since the binarization circuit 107 receives the voltage from the reference voltage generator 105 from the selector 106, it binarizes the electrical signal photoelectrically converted at the slice level for monitoring the amount of light from the light source. This binarized facsimile signal is sent to a counter 108.
is given and the number of black pixels is counted.

Further, the facsimile signal is sent to a facsimile signal processing section (not shown) via the terminal 110, but since the document is not being read, the facsimile signal processing section does not process anything. Determination circuit 109 [receives the count value of counter 108 and compares and determines the magnitude relationship between this count value and a previously set determination value. This determination result is given to terminal 111. The output of the photoelectric conversion element 103 is proportional to the brightness on the original reading scanning line. Therefore, the output of the photoelectric conversion element 103 during the light source light amount monitoring operation is indirectly proportional to the light amount of the light source. When the light intensity of the light source decreases, the output of the photoelectric conversion element 103 shifts toward the black level side. Binarization circuit 1
Since the slice level 07 is set to the white level side for monitoring the amount of light from the light source, when the amount of light from the light source decreases, the proportion of black pixels in the output of the binarization circuit 107 increases. Counter 108
counts black pixels, and the determination circuit 109 determines the count value of the counter 108. Therefore, the output IC of the determination circuit 109
A signal is obtained indicating that the light intensity of the light source has decreased by a predetermined value.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention makes it possible to monitor the amount of light from an IC and a light source, and provides a facsimile device with improved quality of reading documents.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 101... Original reading scanning line, 1o2/old... Lens, 103... Photoelectric conversion element, 104, 10
5. Old... Reference voltage generator, 106... Selector, 107... Binarization circuit, 108...
Counter, 1o9... Judgment circuit, 110, 111
...Terminal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an optical system, a light source that illuminates the original, a photoelectric conversion element that has a captured image of the original that is formed by the optical system and converts the image of the original into an electrical signal, and means that outputs a first reference signal. and means for outputting a second reference signal that is closer to a white level than the first reference signal, and selecting and outputting the first reference signal when electronically transmitting the original to make the original completely white. a selector that selects and outputs the second reference signal; and a selector that selects and outputs the second reference signal;
a binarization circuit for converting into a value and outputting a facsimile signal; a counter for counting the number of black pixels in the facsimile signal output from the binarization circuit when the document is completely white; A facsimile apparatus comprising means for determining a decrease in the amount of light from the light source according to a count value.