JP3047247B2 - Image input device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image input apparatus for inputting image information of a document, converting the information into an electric signal, and transmitting the electric signal to a host computer such as a personal computer or a word processor.

2. Description of the Related Art As the image input device, a type in which a reading main body (scanner) is placed on a document and the image is input by moving the document manually or by a motor driven self-propelled system is known. It is.

In this type of apparatus, there is generally a reading section on the bottom of the reading body.

Therefore, conventionally, when the reading main body is placed on the original, the original is covered by the reading main body, so that there has been a problem that it is difficult to accurately position the reading main body at a position where the reading of the original is desired to be started.

Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-25560 discloses a method in which a mark is formed at a position corresponding to a reading portion on the outer surface of a reading body which is manually moved, and the mark is read in accordance with a desired reading start position of a document. It is disclosed to start and move the reading body until the mark is at a desired reading end position.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, even in the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-62-25560, the desired reading portion of the original is covered by the reading main body.
The desired reading start position cannot be visually observed, and it is insufficient to accurately position the reading main body at the reading start position.

Similarly, when reading is completed, the reading end position cannot be accurately known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image input apparatus that can accurately confirm an image input range of a document in a device that inputs an image while moving on the document.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image including a reading unit that reads a document line by line, and a driving unit such as a motor that moves the reading unit along the document. In the input device, an instruction unit provided at a distance from the original reading position and indicating the last line of the original reading, and a control unit for stopping the driving unit by matching the last line of the original reading with the instruction unit. Is provided.

Further, the reading unit is provided behind the reading position in the moving direction of the reading unit, and an instruction unit indicating the last line of the original when the movement of the reading unit is stopped, and after the image is read up to the last line of the original reading, the reading unit is further moved. And control means for moving the distance from the reading position to the instruction section to stop the driving means.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

<Structure> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the image input apparatus of this embodiment includes a transport unit 1 and a detachably mounted upper portion of the transport unit 1 for transferring the original from the side facing the original. A reading section 2 having a reading section main body for inputting an image and a document tray 3 for supporting a document are provided, and the reading section is connected to a processing device (not shown) such as a word processor or a personal computer for use.

 The transport section 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

A guide unit 4 for guiding a document on the document tray 3 is provided. A friction pad 6 is provided on the upper surface of the guide unit 4, and the friction pad 6 is connected to a separation roller 11 described later on the reading unit 1 side.
Is pressed by a spring.

Press rollers 9 and 10 are supported at the bottom by leaf springs 7 and 8, and a later-described transport roller 13 and a discharge roller 14 on the reading unit 2 side.
And are pressed against each other.

The reading section 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. FIG.

Separating roller 11 that presses against the friction pad 6 of the transport unit 1
The separation roller 11 is driven and rotated by a pulse motor 12, and separates the original into one sheet by the separation roller 11 and the friction pad 6.

A transport roller 13 and a discharge roller 14 are provided to contact the press rollers 9 and 10 of the transport unit 1, respectively. The transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are driven and rotated by the pulse motor 12, and The document is conveyed between them and used as a sheet feeder type.

When the reading unit 2 is separated from the conveying unit 1, the conveying roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are driven and rotated, and the reading unit 2 is used as a self-propelled type that self-protrudes along a document and inputs an image. I do.

The separation roller 11 idles by a one-way clutch (not shown) when the reading unit 2 runs by itself.

One pulse motor 12 is provided as a drive source for the separation roller 11, the transport roller 13, and the discharge roller 14.
The transmission mechanism from the pulse motor 12 to the separation roller 11 and the transmission mechanism to the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are configured as follows.

Double gears 15 and 16 are attached to the rotation shaft of the pulse motor 12, and one of the gears 15 meshes with a gear 17, and a pulley 18 provided integrally with this gear 17 forms a tension pulley 20 by a belt 19. The pulley 21 is connected to the separation roller 11 via a one-way clutch (not shown).

On the other hand, the other gear 16 attached to the rotation shaft of the pulse motor 12 is connected to a pulley 23 by a belt 22, and a pulley 24 integrally provided on the pulley 23 is connected to a pulley via a tension pulley 26 by a belt 25. Linked to 27,
The pulley 27 is connected to the transport roller 13 via a one-way clutch (not shown) and is connected to a pulley 29 by a belt 28. The pulley 29 is integrally connected to the discharge roller 14.

Therefore, when the pulse motor 12 is rotating forward (clockwise in the figure), the separation roller 11 is driven to rotate in the document loading direction (clockwise in the figure), but the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are operated by a one-way clutch. Drive is not transmitted.

When the pulse motor 12 rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in the figure), the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are driven to rotate clockwise in the figure, but the separation roller 11 is not transmitted by the action of the one-way clutch.

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, as an optical system, a light source 30 such as a light-emitting diode for irradiating light to the original is provided. Platen glass 31 that takes in the image light reflected from it, reflection mirrors 32, 33, and 34 that reflect the image light taken in from the platen glass 31, and image light that is input from the reflection mirrors 32, 33, and converted to electrical signals And a photoelectric conversion element 35 such as a CCD.

In FIGS. 1 and 4, reference numeral 204 denotes a reading position of the reading unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a lever type sensor 36 for detecting whether or not a document is set on the document tray 3 is provided. Further, an optical sensor 37 for detecting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the document tray 3 is composed of two parts 3A and 3B so as to be wrapped around the outer surface of the transport unit 2 during storage.

As shown in FIG. 1, a front end surface 202 of the case 201 of the reading unit 2 in the sub-scanning direction is set in accordance with a document reading start position, and a start position indicating unit (hereinafter, referred to as a reading start position) indicating the reading start position.
This is called a reading start reference section. ).

On the other hand, the rear end surface 203 of the case 201 in the sub-scanning direction is an end position indicating unit (hereinafter, referred to as a reading end reference unit) indicating the reading end position of the document.

When the distance between the reading start reference unit 202 and the reading position 204 is P1, and the distance between the reading position 204 and the reading end position is P2, the drive timing of the pulse motor 12 and the timing of image input when used as a self-propelled type Relationship with CPU
(Not shown) and the like are set as follows.

(1) Reading is started after moving the distance P1 after the pulse motor 12 is started.

(2) The pulse motor 12 stops when it has moved the distance P2 after the reading is completed.

<Operation> The operation of the device configured as described above will be described below.

(1) First, a case where the reading unit 2 is connected to the transport unit 1 and used as a sheet feeder type will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

The document set on the document tray 3 is detected by the sensor 36.

Next, when a feed instruction signal is input from a computer (not shown) to the reading unit 2, the pulse motor 12 rotates forward (clockwise in the figure) to rotate the separation roller 11, and the separation roller 11 and the friction pad 6 drive the document. Are separated and sent out. At this time, the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 do not rotate because the one-way clutch is interposed.

Next, a predetermined amount (a predetermined time or a predetermined number of pulses of a pulse motor) is sent after the sensor 37 detects the leading edge of the document, and the leading edge of the document is abutted between the transport roller 13 and the press roller 9 to cause the document to move. To correct the inclination of the leading edge of the document (skew correction).

Next, after a lapse of time to complete the skew correction, the pulse motor 12 is stopped and rotated in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in the figure).

By the reverse rotation of the pulse motor 12, the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are driven and rotated clockwise in the figure to transport the original. At this time, the separation roller 11 does not rotate because the one-way clutch is interposed.

When the original is transported by a predetermined amount by the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 and the leading edge of the original reaches the reading position 204, image input is started by the photoelectric conversion element 35.

Then, after the sensor 37 detects the trailing edge of the document, when the trailing edge of the document reaches, for example, the reading position 204, the image input ends.

Thereafter, the document is further conveyed, and when the trailing edge of the document is fed by an amount that passes the discharge roller 14, the pulse motor 12 is stopped.

(2) A case where the reading unit 2 is separated from the transport unit 1 and used as a self-propelled type will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.

The reading unit 2 is separated from the transport unit 1 and placed on a document.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the reading start reference portion 202 on the front end face of the case 201 is aligned with the reading start position A of the document.

The reading unit 2 is supported on a document by a transport roller 13, a discharge roller 14, and a separation roller 11.

Next, when a feed instruction signal is input to the reading unit 2 from a computer (not shown), the pulse motor 12 rotates in the reverse direction.

When the pulse motor 12 rotates, the transport roller 13 and the discharge roller 14 are driven and rotated clockwise in the figure, and the reading unit 2 runs rightward in the figure.

When the reading unit 2 moves by the distance P1, the reading position 204 coincides with the reading start position A. From this point, the reading unit 2 inputs the image of the document while traveling by itself.

When reading of the predetermined number of lines ends, reading of the image ends. However, the pulse motor 12 stops when it has further moved the distance P2.

Note that the reading is not only terminated when the predetermined number of lines are read as described above, but also when the memory for storing the image data read by the reading unit 2 becomes full.
Alternatively, the reading may be terminated in various cases, such as when reading is performed for a predetermined size (for example, B5 or B4), when reading is arbitrarily terminated by turning on the end switch of the personal computer / reading unit 2, or the like.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, with the reading start reference portion 202 on the front end face of the case 201 set at the reading start position A of the original, the pulse motor 12 is started to move the reading portion 2 to read the document. The reading is started when the reading position 204 of the unit 2 reaches the reading start position A.

Therefore, the reading start position A of the document can be visually confirmed, and in this state, even if the reading position 204 of the reading unit 2 is not at the reading start position A of the document, the reading can be performed with the predetermined amount P1 being sent.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the reading unit 2 is further moved from the time when the reading operation is completed, and when the reading end position B of the document is moved by an amount corresponding to the reading end reference unit 203 on the rear end face of the case 201, the pulse is output. The motor 12 is stopped.

Therefore, even if the reading section 2 covers the reading end position B of the document at the reading end point, the reading end position B can be visually confirmed thereafter.

Further, the reading start position A and the reading end position B of the document can be visually confirmed by the reading start reference portion 202 and the reading end reference portion 203 on the front and rear end surfaces of the case 201 of the reading portion 2, so that image input is performed. The range can be confirmed without looking at the display on the display of the host computer.

[Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various other modifications are possible.

(1) For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the reading section 2 is placed inside the reading area of the document, and the reading is started by setting the reading start reference section 203 at the front end of the reading section 2 to the reading start position A of the document. After the start, the document may be moved to the left once by a predetermined amount and the reading position 204 of the reading unit 2 and the reading start position A of the document coincide with each other, and then moved to the right to start reading.

In this case, it goes without saying that the reading unit 2 can be moved back and forth by forward and reverse rotation of the motor.

(2) In FIGS. 5 and 6, an image is input in the process of moving the reading unit 2 to the right side in the figure.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an image may be input in the process of moving to the left side in the figure.

Note that the images which are shifted to the right and input as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the images which are shifted to the left and input as shown in FIGS. Elephant processing is required.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the image input device in which the reading unit and the transport unit are detachable is shown. However, an image input device including only the reading unit without the transport unit may be used.

(4) In the above embodiment, the reading reference portion is the end surfaces 202 and 203 in the sub-scanning direction of the case 201. However, the present invention is not limited to the end surfaces, and a mark such as a lever or a projection indicating the reading reference may protrude from the end surface.

(5) The start and end of reading of the image of the document may be determined by whether or not the photoelectric conversion element 35 is inputting an image.
An image may be captured while the photoelectric conversion element is being supplied with power, and the image may be captured at the computer side receiving the image at the start of reading and not at the end of reading.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a reading unit of the image input device. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the image input device, and FIG. 2B is a side view thereof. FIG. 3 is a partially omitted vertical sectional view of the image input device. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the image input device. FIG. 5 is an operation state diagram of the apparatus. FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 are operation state diagrams of another embodiment. 1: transport unit, 2: reading unit 201: case 202: reading start reference unit 203: reading end reference unit 204: reading position A: reading start position B: reading end position

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An image input apparatus comprising: a reading section for reading a document line by line; and driving means for moving the reading section along the document. The image input apparatus is provided at a distance from a reading position of the document. An image input apparatus, comprising: an instruction unit that indicates a last line to be read; and a control unit that stops the driving unit by making the last line of the original document coincide with the instruction unit. 2. An image input apparatus for reading an image of a document facing a reading position by a photoelectric conversion element while moving a reading section provided with the photoelectric conversion element along the document by a driving means, wherein the reading is performed from the reading position. An instruction unit provided at the rear of the reading unit to indicate the last line of the original when the reading unit stops moving, and after the image is read up to the last line of the original reading, the reading unit is further moved from the reading position to the instruction. Control means for moving the distance to the unit to stop the driving means.