JPS6285556A - Electronic copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of component parts compared with a digital processing mode and to miniaturize an electronic copying equipment, by storing temporarily the analog signals given from an optical image input means in the form of the analog data and then reading out this analog data to print it with variable density. CONSTITUTION:A clock is applied to an optical image sensor 1 of an electronic copying device from a clock generating circuit 2. Then the image signals of characters, patterns, etc., are delivered in the form of the serial data in response to the received light quantity and applied to an analog data memory 4 with amplification 3 and synchronously with a writing clock. The writing position to the memory 4 is decided by the address input of an address generator 5. Then the data are read out of the memory 4 by the second clock of the circuit 2. These read-out analog signals are amplified 6 and applied to a driver 7 and this driver 7 is controlled by the second clock of the circuit 2. A print driver 8 is driven by the driver 7 to perform a printing action with variable density.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <Industrial application field> The present invention relates to an electronic copying apparatus capable of making grayscale copies.

<Prior art and m points in between> In a conventional electronic copying device, an analog signal from an image input device is binarized based on a certain level, and is temporarily stored in the form of digital data. Therefore, the print output is binary white/black, making it difficult to copy with gradation and not suitable for accurately reproducing images such as characters and figures. .

For this reason, when it is desired to obtain a copy with shading, it is necessary to print the digital data after D/A conversion again, resulting in a problem that the circuit configuration becomes complicated and the apparatus becomes larger.

The present invention has been made with the aim of making it possible to perform shading copying with a relatively simple configuration by focusing on the m points in between.

Means for Solving Problems α> To achieve the above object, the electronic copying apparatus of the present invention uses an optical copying apparatus that converts image signals such as characters and figures into analog signals according to the amount of received light and outputs the converted signals. an image input means; an analog data storage means for temporarily storing an analog signal from the optical image input means in the form of analog data; and printing means for performing certain printing.

<Operation> In the apparatus of the present invention, since signals are processed as analog data from input to output, stepless gradation copying can be performed without requiring A, /D or D/A conversion.

<Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of seven parts thereof.

In the figure, 1 is an optical image sensor that outputs image signals such as characters and figures as analog signals according to the amount of received light. A one-dimensional image sensor configured as described above is used, and an image sensor such as an MO3 type amorphous silicon image sensor may also be used. This image sensor 1 has a plurality of elements arranged one-dimensionally, and the output of each element becomes an analog signal corresponding to black and white or darkness of the image on the document surface, and is sent from the clock generation circuit 2. By outputting the data as serial data using the clock signal CL K 1 and sweeping it over the document surface, a signal as two-dimensional data corresponding to the image is obtained.

3 is an amplifier, 4 is an analog data memory, and the output signal of the image sensor 1 is amplified by the amplifier 3, sent to the analog data memory 4 in synchronization with the write signal WRCLK, and placed at the position specified by the address generator 5. Each is stored in the form of analog data. address generator 5
is a counter that counts up in synchronization with the clock signal CLKI.

As the analog data memory 4, for example, a system having a basic configuration as shown in FIG. 2 is used.

That is, it includes a memory cell 41 consisting of a plurality of elements, and each element of the memory cell 41 is designated by an address input signal input from the outside via an address control circuit 42. Then, the analog data input from the amplifier 3 via the input data line 43 is input to the designated element via the input control circuit 44 in response to the write signal WRCLK, and is converted into a charge amount according to the analog value of the data. be remembered. In the case of reading, an analog signal corresponding to the stored charge is output from the element specified by the address control circuit 42 to the output data line 46 via the output control circuit 45 in response to the read signal RDCLK.

6 is an amplifier for amplifying the output signal from the analog data memory 4, 7 is a print head driver, and 8 is a print head V. This printing pad 8 is capable of adding shading, and can be used with well-known thermal heads, LED printers,
A laser printer etc. can be used. For example, in the case of a thermal head, the amount of heat generated changes depending on the input current, so by printing on thermal paper or plain paper via a thermal transfer ribbon, the temperature characteristics of the heat-sensitive material are used to print in shading. It is possible to perform printing with a certain degree of accuracy.

When printing, the clock signal CLK2 is generated from the clock generation circuit 2, a specific element of the memory cell 41 is designated through the address generator 5, the 7th log code is read from the element as described above, and this signal is The signal is amplified by an amplifier 6 and driven to print via a driver 7.

Therefore, the print head 8 prints at a position corresponding to the clock signal CLK2 at a density corresponding to the analog signal in accordance with the input position to the image sensor 1, and the apparatus functions as a copying machine. , the image drawn on the original surface is reproduced, including its shading.

<Effects of the Invention> As is clear from the description of the embodiments above, the electronic copying apparatus of the present invention temporarily stores the analog signal from the image input means in the form of analog data, and It is read out as data and printed with shading. Therefore, trap copying with gradation shading is possible, and its circuit configuration is simpler and has fewer parts compared to conventional ones that store data in the form of digital data, making the device more compact and less expensive. The advantage of the shade is that it is easy to reduce costs.

[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 an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram of the same main part. 1... Optical image sensor 4... Analog data sensor 8... Print head output Sharp Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Optical image input means that outputs image signals such as characters and figures as analog signals according to the amount of received light, and analog data that temporarily stores the analog signals from this optical image input means in the form of analog data. a storage means; a printing means for printing with shading according to the analog data read from the analog data storage means;
An electronic copying device characterized by comprising: