JPS61259378A - Portable type document scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a hand-held (belt) document scanner, in particular a hand-held (belt) document scanner that is capable of moving across representations such as characters and symbols and that is capable of being scanned. The present invention relates to a hand-held scanner for use with an optical character recognition circuit that is capable of recognizing scanned characters and the like and producing a meaningful output representative of the scanned characters.

[Prior Art] The field of character recognition technology has a history spanning several decades, and one of its early achievements was a universal reading aid. This reading aid for all wealthy people usually scans characters and symbols represented by alphabets, numbers, etc. with predetermined dimensions, shapes, and directions, etc. using a photo hill. It is used to obtain output representing symbols, etc., and scanning in this case is performed by Braille, typing, or other means. Such document scanners are highly constrained, making them cumbersome and expensive, and considering the conditions necessary for their operation and the intended audience for many of these devices.
The operation was also difficult. With the subsequent miniaturization of electronic circuits and improvements in optical character reading technology, for example, various codes such as bar codes, characters and symbols represented by alphabets and numbers, etc., and the size, shape, direction, etc. Very sophisticated reading devices have been developed that are capable of reading with great diversity.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, these conventional reading devices require scanners that are themselves expensive and require complicated circuits.

Means for Solving Problems c] Thus, the present invention can be used not only as a document reading aid to compensate for total blindness or amblyopia, but also as an educational aid for children to read texts and perform mathematical operations. Served as a tool,
A handheld document scanner is provided for use with known optical character recognition systems. In the present invention, such a hand-held scanner is housed in a housing that is sized and shaped like a small pine box so that it can easily fit into the user's hand, and the housing has an upper wall. It has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a lower wall, a lower wall, and an end wall. A plurality of openings are formed in the wall, and one of these openings is shaped like a slit, and the light from the light source passes through this slit to the characters and symbols represented by the alphabets and numbers that are being scanned. The reflected light passes through the slit in the opposite direction and reaches the optical system described later. The other two of the openings are provided to accommodate a plurality of rollers supported within the housing, which rotate through the openings to allow the hand-held scanner to operate during scanning. To enable characters, symbols, etc. represented by the full alphabet 1~, numbers, etc. to be moved from end to end.

The lower wall further includes a fourth slot through which a wheel or rubber tire coupled to a position encoder secured within the housing rotates and hangs therethrough during movement of the scanner. The position and direction of movement of the scanner can be determined by the rotation of wheels or rubber tires. It goes without saying that the two rows and one wheel or rubber tire define three points that determine the plane on which the scanner moves. The housing further includes an optical system including a first mirror, and the irradiation light passes through a slit formed below the first mirror to detect the - part of the character or the like being scanned. Then, the image is guided to a second mirror, and the image from the second mirror passes through a magnifying lens and enters a charge-coupled device, where optical information is picked up and transmitted inside the scanner. Alternatively, it is supplied to an electronic circuit provided externally. This optical information is read out in a conventional manner by an optical character recognition circuit in conjunction with a readout signal from the position encoder that determines the scanning direction and position of the scanner. In this way, it becomes possible to read out the detected characters and symbols represented by alphabets, numbers, etc., and an appropriate output signal representing the detected characters, etc. is generated. The system configured in this manner has the advantage of being relatively simple in structure and extremely inexpensive compared to conventional optical character recognition systems.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The conventional optical character recognition system shown in FIG. 1 includes a hand-held scanner 1 that scans letters, symbols, codes, etc. represented by alphabets, numbers, etc. This optical character recognition system is connected to an interface device 3 by a coiled cord 5 in this embodiment, for example.

The interface device 3 may be used when the circuits that constitute the hand-held scanner 1 and the power necessary for the operation of the scanner cannot all be provided within the scanner, or when the output of the hand-held scanner 1 is connected to the optical character recognition circuit 7. This is provided in case the input conditions do not directly match the input conditions. This optical character recognition circuit 7 is known per se, and constitutes a circuit for actually using the information obtained by the hand-held scanner 1, recognizes the read result, and outputs a corresponding output. is generated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the optical character recognition circuit has a pair of outputs, one of which is a conventional ASCII output, and the other output is provided via a known audio output system 11. It may also be a known voice synthesis bag W19 that generates a voice output as a voice sound. The audio output system 11 may be a system that reads out information represented by alphabets, numbers, etc. displayed at the bottom of the image on the screen, and utters the audio represented by the alphabets, numbers, etc. that is currently being scanned. This makes it useful for use as a teaching aid in reading texts aloud. Such a system can also serve as an aid for people with low vision or the fully affluent to read printed matter without relying on Braille. Alternatively, the ASCI output can be used to convey information to a partner device, such as a Braille typewriter, so that the Braille output can be read by a Braille reader.

These above-mentioned applications represent only a small number of possible uses for the system shown in FIG.
Moreover, the units constituting the system are all small and portable type.

2 and 3 show the structure of the hand-held scanner 1 in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, with FIG. 2 showing the structure on the bottom wall 13, and FIG. The internal configuration is shown with the parts removed. A slit 15 is formed at the upper left corner of the bottom wall 13 in the figure, but the position of this slit is not particularly important, and it may be provided at any location on the bottom wall 13. . The width of this slit 15 is extremely small, and in this embodiment, it is designed to correspond to a small percentage of the width of each character to be scanned.
The width of the slit 15 does not necessarily have to be extremely small; the required width is determined by the dimensions of the sensor mediated by the lens system, which will be described later.

Thus, the light emitted from the light source 17 installed inside the housing 19 passes through the slit 15 and illuminates the characters and other objects to be scanned below the slit, and the reflected light from these scanned characters and symbols passes through the slit 15 again. through the
The light is incident on a mirror 21 located directly above the housing 19 and fixed thereto. The incident light on this mirror 21 is reflected from this, and then enters a mirror 23 which is also fixed to the housing 19, and is further reflected and passes through a lens system 25, which will be described later, whereby the passing image is magnified and is used in a well-known charge-coupled device. 27 (COD). The C0D27 is itself a well-known device, a typical example of which is the TC-102 chip. The output of the C0D 27 is sent to an electronic circuit 29 provided within the housing 19 or outside the housing within the interface 3 of FIG. A pair of rollers 31 and 32 are provided inside the housing 19, and these rollers pass through slots 35 and 37 formed in the bottom wall 13 of the housing 19 to form a roller consisting of three O-rollers. Two rollers of the mechanism are configured, and the roller mechanism supports the scanner and the housing when scanning characters, etc. using the handheld scanner. A third roller or wheel 39 of the roller mechanism passes through a slot 42 also formed in the housing 19 and supports the hand-held scanner as described above. This third wheel 39 forms part of a position encoder 43 fixed to the housing 19 and connected to the electronic circuit 29, which position encoder 43 is known per se in the prior art and is connected to the housing 19 and connected to the electronic circuit 29. 39 produces an output indicating the distance traveled and a polarity signal indicating the direction of rotation of the roller. Thus, the position and direction of movement of the scanner 1 are determined by the electronic circuit 29. Note that this electronic circuit 29 also has a known configuration and does not constitute a part of the present invention, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

Next, regarding the operation mode of the handheld scanner with the above configuration,
This will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows the scanner 1 in the process of scanning characters and symbols represented by alphabets, numbers, etc. of a character string 45 on a sentence 147. When the scanner 1 moves from left to right or from right to left along the line (character string) currently being scanned in contact with the roller 31.33° 39, the light from the light source 17 passes through the slit 15 to It is incident on the document line 47 being scanned.

At this time, only a portion of each character, etc. that is the object of scanning is visible through the slit 15, and is only a vine. The reflected light from the characters and symbols to be scanned travels through the slit 15 in the opposite direction and reaches the mirror 21 . The image formed on this mirror 21 passes through a line indicated by a broken line and enters the mirror 23, and the light reflected here is magnified by passing through a lens system 25, and is then sent to the CCD.
Reach 27. The output of this C0D 27 is sent to the electronic circuit 29. As the hand-held scanner 1 moves from left to right along the line 45 of the document 47, the roller 39 rotates to determine the position and direction of movement of the scanner 1 onto the document 47. , and thus each time the roller 39 rotates over a certain distance, the electronic circuit 29 transmits said signal with a polarity corresponding to the direction of rotation of the roller 39 together with the output signal from the position encoder 43. You will receive it at As described above, the signal from the position encoder 43 and the signal from the C0D 27 appear simultaneously in the electronic circuit 29. At this point, the electronic circuit 29 is C0D27
and passes those signals to the optical character recognition circuit 7. This optical character recognition circuit 7 itself is publicly known, and the receiver uses the information thus obtained to determine when scanning of characters, symbols, etc. is completed, as well as to specify the character or symbol, and to identify the character or symbol. Generate output according to the results.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the hand-held scanner 1 according to the present invention is coupled to a larger portable unit via the flexible cord 5, and the portable unit can recognize data and its signals. This handheld scanner 1 includes a light source 17, an optical system 23, 25,
It has a CCD 27 that optically inputs representations such as characters and symbols and detects them, and the optical character recognition circuit 7 uses the data from the position encoder 43 to identify the characters and symbols to be scanned by i! It is configured to recognize the COD output data inputted to the position encoder 43, and can be used for educational purposes to compensate for total blindness or amblyopia, or as an aid for document reading. Therefore, compared to a conventional hand-held document scanner using a scanner system, it has the advantage that it has fewer components, is extremely simple in construction, and is relatively inexpensive.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the apparatus according to the present invention may be implemented by making appropriate additions or changes to such embodiments.

The following sections are further disclosed in connection with the above description.

(1) @ A housing having a bottom wall portion, and an optical opening and a plurality of slots formed in the bottom wall portion of the housing; (e) optical means for transmitting light into the housing; (e) detection means for detecting the thus transmitted light and generating an output signal corresponding thereto; supporting means (O) fixed inside the housing and passing through a predetermined one of the slots to control the moving direction and position of the housing; (a) a recognition means for recognizing information contained in the transmitted light and generating information corresponding to the information in response to the measurement means and the detection means; A document scanner featuring:

(a) The document scanner of claim 1, wherein the optical means comprises a light emitting means secured within the housing and adapted to transmit light through the optical aperture.

(3) The optical means includes a mirror located near the optical opening and provided inside the housing to send reflected light into the housing through the optical opening; 2. The document scanner according to claim 1, further comprising a magnifying means for magnifying the light.

(4) The optical means includes a mirror located near the optical opening and provided inside the housing to send reflected light into the housing through the optical opening; 3. The document scanner according to claim 2, further comprising a magnifying means for magnifying the light.

(5) The document scanner according to claim 1, wherein the detection means comprises a charge-coupled device.

(6) The document scanner according to claim 2, wherein the detection means comprises a charge-coupled device.

(1) The document scanner according to claim 3, wherein the detection means comprises a charge-coupled device.

(8) The document scanner according to claim 4, wherein the detection means comprises a charge-coupled device.

(9) The document scanner described in the first tomb, wherein the supporting means includes a plurality of rollers.

(10) The document scanner according to item 2, wherein the support means comprises a plurality of rollers.

(11) The document scanner according to item 4, wherein the support means comprises a plurality of rollers.

(12) The document scanner according to item 8, wherein the support means is a plurality of rollers.

(13) The measuring means responds to the rotation of the rotating wheel.
2. The document scanner according to claim 1, wherein the document scanner is configured as an encoder.

(14) The document scanner according to claim 2, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(15) The document scanner according to item 4, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(16) The document scanner according to claim 5, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(17) The document scanner according to claim 6, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(18) The document scanner according to claim 8, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(19) The document scanner according to item 9, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotary wheel.

(a0) A document scanner according to claim 12, wherein the measuring means is configured as an encoder responsive to rotation of the rotating wheel.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an optical character recognition system using a hand-held scanner according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the housing of the hand-held Bunmen scanner according to the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of various circuits and other components provided inside the housing of the handheld document scanner according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which displayed characters, symbols, etc. are being scanned. 1...Scanner, 5...Code, 7...Optical character recognition circuit, 17...Light source, 23.25...Optical system, 27... ...Charge coupled device, 43...Position encoder.

Claims (1)

Scope of Claims: (a) a housing having a bottom wall; (b) an optical opening and a plurality of slots formed in the bottom wall of the housing; (c) a housing provided inside the housing; (d) optical means for transmitting light into said housing through an optical aperture; (d) detection means for detecting the light thus transmitted and producing an output signal corresponding thereto; and (e) inside said housing. (f) supporting means fixed to the inside of the housing and passing through a predetermined one of the slots; (g) responsive to the measuring means and the detecting means to recognize and respond to information contained in the transmitted light; A document scanner comprising: a recognition means for generating information.