JPS61292470A - Portable image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily mount a device on a correct position of an original during scanning by optionally setting an image reading width and visually recognizing the set image reading range. CONSTITUTION:In order to set a reading width (x), an LED 24 is made coincide with a right side boundary of this scanning range to mount a reader 20 on an original 4, a power source is energized, and a reading width setting knob 22 is rotated by fingers until an LED 23a on a left side boundary of the reading range I among LED groups 23 flashes. Thus, the reading width is set to (x), and a picture except for a section (y) of an image sensor 7 corresponding to the image width (x) on the original 4 is made invalid. Accordingly, under this condition, the portable reader 20 is moved in a direction of an arrow A and a subscanning is carried out, and then, the section I on the original 4 is read by the picture element of the section (y) of the image sensor 7, converted to a digital signal by an A/D converter 30 and inputted to a CPU 27.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a portable image reading device that reads an image of an arbitrary portion of a document by manually moving the device over the document to perform sub-scanning.

Conventional Technology When you want to make a copy of a portion of a large document such as a newspaper, or when you want to make a copy of a document that is spread out on your desk and you are reading it, you can do so without getting up and going to the copier. If you want to make a copy easily, there is a portable image reading device that can read the document by simply moving it over the document manually, and can make a copy by using a built-in recording head or inputting it into a printer equipped with a word processor. It's convenient.

An apparatus for achieving such a copying purpose includes a reading section 1, a data processing section 2 that processes data read by the reading section and outputs it as an image information signal, as shown in FIG.
It is comprised of an image output section 3 that operates a recording head based on an image information signal and outputs it as an image. Each of the above parts may be configured independently or housed in one device, but the device including the reading section 1 can be held in the hand and supported on a document with a roller, for example. It is necessary to be able to move it in a certain direction accurately.

As an image reading means, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the original 4 is illuminated by a light source lamp 5 in a slit shape extending in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction shown by arrow A, and an imaging optical system 6 is used. C CD arranged in the main scanning direction through
, a configuration in which the image is projected at the same size or reduced in size onto an image sensor 7 such as , and the image is divided into reading pixels and read, and (b) an LED array 8 extending in the main scanning direction is installed at one end as shown in the figure. The original 4 is optically scanned in the main scanning direction B through the imaging optical system 6 by sequentially blinking from a) A configuration in which the image forming optical system 6 shown in the figure is replaced by a rod lens array 10 called by a trade name such as a cell hoc lens array, and a photodiode array 11 is used as an image sensor; A motor 13 rotates a rotary polygon mirror 12 that rotates around an axis parallel to , and the reflected light from the document 4 is made incident on an optical sensor 14 such as a photodiode fixed at a fixed point via the motor 13. Various methods have been considered, such as a configuration in which the position from which the original light incident on the optical sensor 14 is emitted is moved in the main scanning direction.

Now, when reading a wide document with a portable image reading device like the one mentioned above, the reading range of the document is divided into multiple parts extending in the sub-scanning direction with the scanning width of the image reading device, and each part is sequentially read by the portable image reading device. The image is scanned and read by a reading device, and the read signal is edited and output to an image output section to create one copy. However, in this case, since the sub-scanning for reading is performed manually, it is difficult to scan so that the sub-scanning starting point positions of adjacent reading ranges match and the edges of the reading width do not overlap and there are no gaps. This is impossible, and it is unavoidable that they deviate from each other in the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction. If the boundary line of the reading range falls on a line of characters, as shown in Figure 6 (,), the upper and lower parts of the characters may shift to the left or right, the middle of the characters may be closed, or the middle may be cut off. Problems may occur. If the boundary of the reading range is between lines, adjacent lines will be shifted to the left or right as shown in FIG. 6(b), but this is not a big problem because the shape of the characters will not be distorted. However, if one edge of the scanning width is placed between the lines, depending on the line spacing of the document, the other edge may not necessarily be between the lines if the scanning width is constant. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems are unavoidable.

Therefore, in order to always ensure that the boundary line between adjacent reading ranges is between the lines, the scanning width in the main scanning direction of the image reading device can be set arbitrarily according to the line spacing and character size of the document. Just do it like this.

Purpose The present invention allows the reading width of the reading element to change to the set range by arbitrarily setting the image reading width with a simple configuration, and allows the image reading range of the device to be visually confirmed during scanning. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable image reading device that makes it easy to place the device in the correct position on a stack.

Configuration: In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides means for setting the above-mentioned reading width, including a variable resistor, a reading width setting knob fixed to the shaft end of the variable resistor, and a reading width setting knob of the variable resistor. The present invention is characterized in that the reading width of the reading element is set in accordance with the resistance value, and means is provided for visually displaying the end position of the reading width.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the front side in the sub-scanning direction of a portable image reading device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A reading width setting knob 22 is provided on the front surface of the housing 21, a large number of LEDs 23 are arranged in a row on the left half near the lower end of the front surface of the housing 21, and one LED 24 is provided near the right end. The reading width setting knob 22 is fixed to the shaft of a rotary variable resistor, and by turning the knob, the resistance changes according to the amount of rotation. The LED 23 is for indicating the left end of the set reading width, and when one of them lights up, it indicates that the document reading width is between the LED 23 and the one near the right end.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the apparatus of this embodiment. By rotating the reading width setting knob 22 by an arbitrary angle, the resistance value of the variable resistor 25 changes. The voltage across the variable resistor 25 is digitized by the A/D converter 26 and input to the CPU 27 . In addition to the input digital values, the CPU 27 determines the data of each pixel of the image sensor 7 and sends data to the image sensor 7 via the driver 28 so as to invalidate data outside the reading range corresponding to the above values.
At the same time, the LED group 2 is controlled via the driver 29.
LED 25 a at the position corresponding to the above value out of 6
lights up.

Next, the operation of reading by this device will be explained.

In FIG. 1, a document 4 is divided into six parts I, If, and III and scanned by a portable image reading device 20. Divided scanning range! The width of is set to a width X such that both ends thereof are between the lines. To set the reading width to Rotate the reading width setting knob 22 with your finger until L E D 23m on the left border of the screen lights up. By doing this, the reading width is set to X, and in FIG. 2, pixels other than the portion y of the image sensor 7 corresponding to the image width X on the original 4 are made invalid. Therefore, when the portable reading device 20 is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 to perform sub-scanning in this state, the portion I on the original 4 corresponds to the pixel in the y portion of the image sensor 7 shown in FIG. The signal is read by the A/D converter 30, converted into a digital signal, and input to the CPU 27. Reading range of manuscript 4 ■.

III is read in the same way, and its image signal is input to the CPU 27.

On the other hand, the sub-scanning direction (first
The position in the direction of arrow A in the figure) is calculated by the CPU 27 from the pulses emitted from the disc-shaped pulse generator 31, which is rotatably mounted on the axis of the roller that is pivoted on the reader 20 and moves over the document. be done. The CPU 27 reads each of the above reading ranges 1. The image signals n and m and the position signals in the sub-scanning direction at the time when each of these signals is transmitted are edited into an image signal corresponding to the document and outputted to the memory 6.
2 and printed out as a single copy at any time.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the image reading device previously described with reference to FIG. 5(b). Components that are the same as those in the embodiment shown in No. 2- are given the same reference numerals. C by a digital value corresponding to the resistance value of the variable resistor 25 set by the reading width setting knob 22.
The lighting range is commanded from the PU 27 to the LED array 8 via the driver 28, and the LED 23 that indicates the end position of the reading width is lit. Each LE of LED array 8
The image information that is optically scanned by D, reflected from the original, and read by the photodiode 9 is input to the CPU 27 as a digital signal via the A/D converter 55, processed in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, and stored in the memory 32. .

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, by setting the image reading width with the knob, the reading range of the reading element is controlled, and both ends of the reading width are set at positions close to the document surface of the device nose. is displayed in a visible manner, which facilitates the operation when dividing and reading a document using a portable image reading device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front side of a portable image reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the reading device, and FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. 4
The figure is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of an apparatus for making copies using a portable image reading device, FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d) are perspective views showing various configurations of the portable image reading device, and FIG. ) (b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a problem when dividing and reading a document with a conventional portable image reading device. 4... Original 6... Imaging lens 7...
Image sensor (reading element) 8...LED array 9...Photodiode (reading element) 20...Mobile image reading device 21...Housing 22...Reading width setting knob 23...LED group 25 ...Variable resistance diagram 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] The document is manually moved in one direction to perform sub-scanning, and the reflected light from the document is divided into reading pixels in the main-scanning direction and is projected onto the reading element for reading, and the reading width in the main-scanning direction can be set arbitrarily. In the portable image reading device that can be used, the reading width setting means described above includes a variable resistor and a reading width setting knob fixed to the shaft end of the variable resistor, and the reading width of the reading element is set in accordance with the resistance value of the variable resistor. What is claimed is: 1. An image reading device comprising means for visually displaying an end position of a reading width.