JPS6276960A - Color ccd line sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To upgrade definition by constituting a photoelectric converting part with plural pieces of picture-element strings, providing filters of different colors for respective picture-element strings, and constituting the respective photoelectric converting part for respective colors with the same pitch as that of white-and-black CCD sensor. CONSTITUTION:The picture-element strings of respective colors are constituted with a constant distance C between themselves. This distance C is made equal to the distance on the device which is a contraction by a contracting optical system of the distance D of one time transfer of a paper of the machine in which the line sensor is incorporated. Of the three picture-element strings, the upper one corresponds to the upper lines in the plane of a paper, the central one corresponds to the central lines in the said plane, and the lower one to the lower lines in the same. The paper 20 to input a picture is transferred downward by a paper conveying mechanism for the constant distance D at each stepping. The lowest line in the paper is assumed to be line 1, and the top one to be line (n). The reading of the picture is sequentially executed from the line 1 to the line (n). The light 23 reflected on the surface of the paper is reflected by a mirror 21, condensed by a lens 22, and is made form an image on the photoelectric converting part of the CCD line sensor 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the configuration of a color CCD line sensor.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention utilizes a color CCD line sensor that can read multiple σ] colors at once, by configuring multiple rows of photoelectric conversion sections and configuring a different color filter for each row, thereby improving the image quality compared to conventional black and white. All input elements for high-quality color images were constructed using a process similar to the back-path process used in

[Prior art]

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for colorization in facsimiles, image input devices, etc. that convert image data drawn on paper into electrical signals at high resolution, and research has been conducted on various systems.

Conventionally, these technologies include CCD (Qhargθdan0U-
Line sensors with photoelectric conversion units arranged horizontally are used, and colorization technology is also being attempted as an extension of these. There are many. In Figure 3, in the monochrome CCD line sensor that has been used in the past, the entire configuration of red (R), green (G), and f (B) color filters is sequentially applied to each pixel to create a color system. An example of what happened? show. The pixels of the photoelectric conversion section are lined up in a horizontal line (1 in the figure), just like in conventional black and white line sensors, and 2 red, 3 green, and 4 blue filters are sequentially attached, and the pixels correspond to the color of each filter. signal(
)? , two CCD analog shift registers (5,
6), data corresponding to each color is obtained and an image gI is constructed. 7 is an output amplifier.

[Problems and objects to be solved by the invention] The above-mentioned method is a straight extension of the prior art and can be easily constructed, but it is difficult to increase the density due to manufacturing restrictions on the pixel spacing. There are limits to how much higher resolution can be achieved. In a black and white image, the distance a between adjacent pixels shown at 8 in Figure 3 is the pixel pitch, and these pixels are normally configured to be 8 pixels/m to 16 pixels/m on the input paper surface. colorized CCD
In the line sensor, the pixel pitch for each color is arranged at a distance of five times a, and the resolution of the input paper decreases at this rate, making it unsuitable for handling high-quality images.

The present invention solves these problems and provides a complete technology for realizing colorization of a CCD line sensor without causing a decrease in resolution.

[Means to solve all problems]

The present invention is characterized in that, in a CCD sensor, a conversion section for light 1 is constituted by a plurality of pixel columns, and filters W* of different colors are formed in each of the pixel columns.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration of the present invention, the photoelectric conversion parts for each color can be configured with the same pitch as the conventional monochrome CCD sensor using the existing manufacturing process, and a high resolution color CCD line sensor can be realized. can.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, 3
A book has seven pixel columns, each of which has a different color (red: R
1 Green; G1 Blue; Covered by the filter held in B)'. Let the upper pixel row be red 10, the middle pixel row gold border 11, and the lower pixel row real 12.

13 and 14 are two CCD analog shift registers, and in this configuration, data is read by these two registers. The upper red (10) signal is read out by the upper register 13, the lower blue (12) signal is read out by the lower register 14, and the middle green 11 signal is read out by the upper and lower shift registers every other time. It is then divided into two parts and transported.

Therefore, from the upper OCDCD analog foot register blade amplifier, signals are read out in the time series of red, green, red, green, red, red, red, red, green, red, red, etc. sequentially from the left pixel. From the output amplifier,
Actually, it is read out according to the chronological order of green, blue, blue, green, blue, green, green, blue, blue, blue, green, green, blue, blue, blue, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, blue, green, blue, green, blue, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, green, blue, green, green, blue, green, green, green, blue, green, green, green, green, green, blue, green, etc. An image signal containing a mixture of these color signals is separated into image signals for each color by an external color separation circuit.

In addition, in the present invention, the pixel columns of each color are separated from each other by a certain distance C. This distance C is configured to be equal to the distance reduced on the device by the distance tliIn reduction optical system sent by - times of paper feeding in the apparatus in which the line sensor of the present invention is incorporated. The three pixel columns σ) correspond to the upper row of the paper, the middle σ) pixel row corresponds to the middle row of the paper, and the lower pixel row corresponds to the lower row of the paper.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of an imaging device using the ClCD line sensor of the present invention. show. Reference numeral 20 denotes a sheet of paper on which an image is input, and is moved downward every foot distance by a paper feeding mechanism. Let the bottom of the paper be row 1, and the top of the paper be row n.

Image reading is performed sequentially from the 1st line to the nth line. 21 is a mirror for bending the entire original path; 22
is a condensing lens for forming an image on the CCD line sensor. The light 25 reflected on the paper surface is reflected by the mirror 21, condensed by the lens 22, and is imaged on the photoelectric conversion section on the caD line sensor 24.

As shown in Figure @2, the lines on the paper are 1 to n, and if we consider signal readout at a certain time, the red line is the +1st line, the green line is the +1st line, and the blue line is the 11th line. Read 1-elemental data. Next, the paper is fed a certain distance, and in response to the optical signals reflected from the paper surface, the amount of paper is accumulated, and the next data is retrieved. At this point, red is +2nd line, green is -)-1
Row σ) Image data is read out. In this way, in the present invention, data of different colors corresponding to different rows on the paper are sequentially read out, and an image for each color is reconstructed by this color-mixing female circuit.

[Invention Q) Effect]

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize color conversion while keeping the separation of each color to about 1 ant compared to the conventional black and white CCD line sensor, and it is possible to achieve colorization using the most minute process currently available. High resolution achieved by CC σ) Resolution equivalent to that of a black and white CCD line sensorg! Every time? It is possible to realize color CCD line sensor mode. Further, there is no need for the complexity of using a light receiving element for each color. In addition, according to the line sensor of the present invention, the filters of each color can be arranged in a large horizontal row, which facilitates manufacturing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a human-powered imaging device that conveniently utilizes the color CD line sensor of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a conventional color CCD line sensor. Engraving of the above drawings (no changes to the contents) -g"7- CCD line processor. Month 4 En Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Procedural amendment (method) % formula % 2 Name of invention Color CCD licensor 1 Correction Relationship with Case 4F Applicant No. 1, 2-4 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (236) Representative J41 of Seiko Epson Corporation
j#W role Hattori - Department 4, agent

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of photoelectric conversion units for converting optical input signals into electrical signals, a CCD analog register for capturing charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion units and transferring them, and for outputting the electrical signals. 1. A color CCD line sensor, characterized in that the photoelectric conversion section is composed of a plurality of pixel columns, and each of the pixel columns is provided with a filter of a different color.