KR19980085428A - Original width detection device and method of shuttle scanner-type MFP - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a detection device and method for detecting a width of an actual document by mounting a document detection sensor on a scanner module in a shuttle scanner-type MFP in which a shuttle scanner module is installed on the same drive shaft as a print head. It is about.

By checking the magnitude of the output voltage of the document detection sensor according to the position of the shuttle scanner being moved, it is determined whether the document is present or not and the area outside the actual document size is processed in white.

Therefore, when the scanned image data is output, portions outside the actual original area are processed in black, thereby preventing the ink from being consumed excessively in printing.

Description

Original width detection device and method of shuttle scanner-type MFP

The present invention relates to a multifunction apparatus equipped with a shuttle scanner module, and more particularly, to a detection apparatus and a detection method capable of detecting an actual document width by mounting an original detection sensor on a scanner module.

In recent years, office equipment is in the trend of integrating multiple devices. In other words, the development of a multifunction printer in which a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and the like are integrally developed. Among these multifunction printers, a multifunction printer equipped with a scanner module in the carriage of an inkjet printer will be described.

1 shows a schematic system configuration of such a multifunction apparatus. The CPU 1 is a part for controlling the entire system and controls the system memory 6 in which a program for driving the entire system is embedded.

The image processing unit 2 is controlled by the CPU 1 to control shadowing, gamma correction, resolution conversion, and edge enhancement of image data coming from the shuttle scanner module 3. Edge emphasis, Error Diffusion, etc.

Under the control of the CPU 1, the modem unit 9 performs fax transmission of the processed image data, and printing at the PC or printing at the reception of the fax is performed by the printer driver 7-1.

The shuttle scanner module 3 performs a shuttle scanning as a part for reading image data.

The rasterizer 4 is a part for rasterizing image data read into the vertical blocks.

The image memory 5 is a buffer for image data processing required for image processing by the image processing unit 2.

The system memory 6 is composed of an EPROM in which the entire system program is embedded and an SRAM for processing system data.

The ECP 7-2 is a module for direct parallel interface with a PC. It is a part for transmitting scanned data to a PC and receiving data to be printed on the PC.

The printer driver 7-1 performs printhead injection control, drive control of the carriage motor and line feed motor, and handling of printing data necessary for printing.

Looking at the configuration of such a system as a whole can be represented as shown in FIG.

The scanner module 3 and the ink cartridge module 13 move along the same horizontal moving axis 14. Therefore, it drives by using the moving belt 12 and the carriage return motor 11.

The document 100 is fed and discharged by the line feed roller 16 which is rotated according to the drive of the line feed motor 15.

3 is a side view illustrating a scanning process of a multifunction device centered on a scanner module. Such a shuttle-type scanning device can be configured together with the inkjet head module to use the same drive system.

The scanner module 3 and the ink cartridge module 13 constrained by the moving belt 12 reciprocate left and right along the original surface by rotating the carriage return motor 11.

This drive is used for a method of implementing image reading and printing.

The document 100 stored in the paper cassette 40 is drawn between the drive roller 41 and the pinch roller 42 by the paper feed roller 45. After the scanning process of the scanner module 3 is completed, it is discharged by the rotational force of the discharge roller 43 and the pinch roller 44.

The printing function is to transfer the ink of the inkjet head of the cartridge module 13 to the document 100 while the scanner module 3 and the ink cartridge module 13 move left and right.

The scanning function irradiates the document 100 with light by the lamp 31 in the scanner module 3 while the scanner module 3 and the cartridge module 13 move left and right. At this time, the amount of light reflected on the original surface, that is, the image data of the original surface passes through the scanner glass 32 and passes through the lens 33 to reach the CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor 34 by focusing the image data. To poison. Here, the CCD 34 is a sensor for converting light energy into voltage which is electrical energy.

In the case of a general scanner, a white roller or a white bar is used for all areas that can be mechanically scanned. All other parts of the black data on the original are configured in a white process. Therefore, even if a separate printing area is not set, areas other than the original are read out as white and treated as white when printing.

In addition, the pre-scan function is mainly adopted as a method for taking the area to be read. In other words, it scans at a low speed (approximately 75 DPI) and the shape to be scanned at a high speed.

Then display the data on the monitor of the computer system and select only as many parts as you want. And I'm using a scanning method that actually chooses the scanning resolution. Therefore, only the actual original size can be read and only the data can be printed.

As described above, in the sheet feeding scanner method, since all areas other than the portion to be read are processed in white, there is no problem.

However, when scanning from a multifunction device using a shuttle scanner method, the prescan concept is used to print black only when printing unless the actual original size is read or the part other than the original is made white.

In addition, multifunction machines that combine scanner, printer, and fax functions may not be able to prescan because they implement stand-alone fax and copy functions.

In such a case, since a large portion of the left and right sides of the A4 printing paper is printed in black, ink is unnecessarily consumed and printing quality is also degraded.

In particular, such a phenomenon causes a problem that the other party's receiving print toner, etc., during fax transmission causes excessive consumption and sends unnecessary data other than the actual data, thereby reducing the transmission speed.

An object of the present invention for solving this problem is to prevent the printing of the black data generated in the portion other than the original during printing by scanning only the actual original size in the shuttle scanner method.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent waste of ink by preventing printing in areas other than the actual original size.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the print quality because it does not print unnecessary parts.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lens (Lens) for focusing the reflected light of the original, in which the light generated from the lamp is reflected on the original surface, and the reflected light energy transmitted through the lens in the form of electrical energy. In a shuttle scanner type multifunction apparatus using a scanner module composed of a sensor (CCD) for converting the image into an image; The document detection sensor is attached to the lower end of the scanner module to indicate the output voltage differently depending on the presence or absence of the document.

In addition, a detailed feature of the present invention is that the original sensor is used as an infrared sensor.

1 is a block diagram briefly showing an internal configuration of a shuttle scanner-type MFP;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the system of FIG. 1 from a mechanical perspective; FIG.

Figure 3 is a side view showing the scanning process during operation of the multifunction device,

4 is a block diagram of originals for fax transmission or copying during operation of the multifunction apparatus.

An example of scanning by dividing into

5 is an exemplary diagram of scanning one shuttle block of FIG. 4;

6 is a state diagram of original detection during scanning according to an embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the CCD sensor used in the shuttle scanner module uses 128-160 dots. Thus, documents of A4 size (2551 × 3507: 300 DPI) are divided into 22-27 shuttle blocks for reading.

The inkjet printing module consists of a print head capable of printing 300 nozzles 300 DPI, divided into 34 printing blocks (2551 × 3507: 300 DPI standard).

The read resolution and the number of print nozzles are given to help the understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is applicable to all modules without being limited by the resolution (DPI) and the number of nozzles (Nozzle).

4 is an exemplary diagram for scanning an A4 sized document into 27 blocks. After dividing into a plurality of blocks, the first shuttle block is scanned, and the point where the black data at the start point changes from the white data is checked.

The scanning method of one shuttle block may be represented as shown in FIG. 5. The read for one shuttle block is moved horizontally by a carriage return motor after reading a vertical 1 line (Slice). (A4 size: 2551 Slice poison: 300 DPI standard)

In order to determine the size of the original in performing the scanning as described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the original detection sensor 200 is installed at the lower end of the scanner module 3.

This document detection sensor 200 uses an infrared reflection sensor. The sensor recognizes that it is the end of the document if it is out of the original area within the maximum scanning area. From that point on, the data is processed in white.

That is, the output of the original sensor is kept low (LOW = 0 V) when there is an original, and is converted to high (HIGH = +5 V) when there is no original, and transferred to the CPU and the image data processing apparatus.

In this way, if the end of the original is recognized by scanning the first shuttle block, the existence of the original is not checked for each shuttle block. From the point checked in the first shuttle block, it is recognized as the end of the original in the vertical line, and data is processed in white by the scanning area from that point in every shuttle block.

In order to ensure more reliability, the end of the original is recognized by checking the presence or absence of the original even when scanning from consecutive second to third shuttle blocks in addition to the first shuttle block. If checked at the same point as when scanned in the previous shuttle block, accurate information can be obtained.

The above operation process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When the scan command is delivered, the first shuttle block is scanned (step S1).

The document detection sensor starts to check whether the document is present or not (S2).

When the output voltage of the original sensor becomes 5V, that is, find the point recognized as the end of the original width (step S3).

The position information of the point recognized as the end of the original width is stored in the memory (step S4).

The data of the remaining area from the end of the original width to the scan area (A4 size) is processed as white (S5 process).

It is determined whether the shuttle block is the 27th to determine whether the scanning operation is finished.

If it is not the 27th block, that is, the last block, line feeding is performed to move to the next shuttle block for scanning.

It is determined whether the position information of the end point of the original width transmitted through the original detection sensor matches the position information stored in the memory in step S4. If it is determined to be the same point, the process returns to S5. (S8 course)

As described above, the present invention can detect the actual width of a document by scanning a non-standard paper using a document detection sensor in a shuttle scanner and an ink jet printer-type MFP. Therefore, when the part outside the original document area is a white panel, a state contaminated by ink is recognized, or when the panel is black panel, a section outside the original area is recognized as black. In addition, since only the data of the actual document is transmitted, it is possible to solve the problem of unnecessary consumption of ink for receiving the other party's fax.

Claims (3)

A lamp for injecting optical energy onto the original surface according to an applied power source, A lens for focusing the reflected light of the original, from which the light generated from the lamp is reflected on the original surface; A shuttle scanner type multifunction apparatus using a scanner module comprising a sensor (CCD) for converting the reflected light energy transmitted through the lens into a form of electrical energy to recognize an image; A document width detecting device of a shuttle scanner type multifunction device, characterized in that a document detection sensor is attached to a lower end of the scanner module to display an output voltage differently according to the presence or absence of an original. The method of claim 1, The document detection sensor of the document width detection device of the shuttle scanner-type multifunction device, characterized in that using an infrared sensor. Scanning the first shuttle block according to the delivery of the scan command, Calculating the position information of the end of the original width using the output voltage of the original sensor; Processing the data of the area remaining from the end of the original width to the scan area (A4 size) as a null value, Original width detection method of shuttle scanner type MFP which proceeds with scanning while detecting original width using original detection sensor until the last shuttle block of original.