Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controlled circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-17
2004-11-09
Le, Que T. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controlled circuit
C250S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06815654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor device, more particularly to an image sensor device of fully contact type which is installed in an image input device such as a facsimile or a hand-held scanner.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image sensor device, there have heretofore been image sensors of the fully contact type which are installed in a small sized image input device such as a facsimile or a hand-held scanner, and various structures of image input devices have been known. Among these image sensors, a thin film light source of plane radiation type has been used as means for further achieving a reduction in a size of the image sensor devices. For the image sensor device using such thin film light source, various structures have been known. Such a typical image sensor device will be described below.
Japanese Patent No. Showa 59-41629 discloses a first conventional example in which an image sensor is used.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view showing a configuration of an image sensor device of the first conventional example.
The image sensor device consists of an optical fiber collection member
1201
composed of a plurality of bundled optical fibers
1202
; an illumination unit
1204
utilizing electroluminescence (EL); photoelectric conversion elements
1203
utilizing a thin film semiconductor such as amorphous silicon (a-Si); and a light blocking unit
1205
. In
FIG. 1
, although only three photoelectric conversion elements
1203
are shown, actually the photoelectric conversion elements
1203
of such structures are sequentially arranged in a arrangement direction. The number of the photoelectric conversion elements ranges from several hundreds to several thousands.
Next, an operation of the image sensor device will be described. Light emitted uniformly from the illumination unit
1204
travels through the optical fibers
1202
to reach a document
1290
. The reflected light from the document
1290
partially travels through the inside of the document and a small gap between the document and the optical fiber collection member
1201
, and passes through the inside of the optical fiber
1202
. This reflected light is detected by the photoelectric conversion element
1203
. Brightness information for one line of the document can be obtained from an output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged on a line. By recording the information while continually moving the document in parallel, reading out for the document is conducted. If the light from the illumination unit
1204
is incident on the photoelectric conversion
1203
, contrast of the image read out from the document is deteriorated. This is prevented by the light blocking unit
1205
which prevents light from being directly incident on the photoelectric conversion element
1203
. Moreover, the optical fiber collection member
1201
also functions as a supporter for the photoelectric conversion element
1204
formed by thin film processes.
Japanese Patent Laid Open No. Heisei 7-58910 discloses a second conventional example in which an image sensor such as a CCD and a MOS type sensor, formed of crystalline silicon, is used.
FIG. 2
is a section view showing a configuration of an image sensor device of the second conventional example.
This image sensor device is constructed such, that on a supporting body in which optical fiber array
1301
is sandwiched between opaque glass substrate
1302
and transparent glass substrate
1303
, an image sensor chip
1305
such a CCD is mounted interposed by adhesion layer
1309
in such a way that light receiving element array
1306
faces the document. At this time, the image sensor chip
1305
is electrically coupled to an external circuit (not shown) by a circuit conductive layer
1308
, formed on the opaque glass substrate
1302
, and an electrode
1307
. Moreover, an illumination unit
1310
utilizing electroluminescence (EL) is arranged, close to the light receiving element array
1306
, on an upper portion of the transparent glass plate
1303
. A light blocking layer
1304
is provided on the surface of the transparent glass substrate
1303
on the document side.
Next, an operation of the image sensor device of the second conventional example will be described. Light emitted from the illumination unit
1310
passes through the transparent glass plate
1303
to be incident on the side surface of the optical fiber array
1301
. The light illuminates the document
1390
located at the place facing the light receiving element array
1306
. The reflected light from the document passes through the optical fiber array
1301
so that it is detected by the light receiving element
1306
.
The two conventional examples described above use the optical fiber collection member. A conventional example using no optical fiber collection member will be described as a third conventional example. The third conventional example is an image sensor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. Showa 62-27975.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view showing a configuration of the image sensor device of the third example.
The image sensor device of the third conventional example is constituted such that a sensor section
1410
and an illumination section
1420
are formed in parallel on a glass substrate
1401
, both being close to each other. The sensor section
1410
is constituted by arranging an a-Si layer
1403
between a bottom electrode
1402
and a transparent electrode
1404
and the illumination section
1420
is constituted by arranging an EL element
1406
formed of a thin film between an electrode
1405
and a transparent electrode
1407
.
Next, an operation of the image sensor device of the third conventional example will be described. Light emitted from the illumination section
1420
toward a document
1490
passes through a protection layer
1408
to irradiate the document
1490
. The reflected light from the document
1490
is partially detected by the sensor section
1410
, thereby obtaining brightness information of the document
1490
.
The conventional examples explained above have the constitution that the illumination section and the sensor section are arranged close to each other on the same plane. A conventional example in which both illumination and sensor sections are stacked will be shown as a fourth conventional example. The fourth conventional example is an image sensor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. Heisei 5-344280.
FIG. 4
is a sectional view showing the constitution of the image sensor device of the fourth conventional example.
The image sensor device of the fourth conventional example is constituted by stacking a transparent substrate
1501
having a light receiving element array
1502
formed therein and a transparent substrate
1503
having a dispersion-type EL element
1504
formed therein interposed by an adhesive layer
1511
, the dispersion-type EL element
1504
being composed of a transparent electrode
1505
, a light emission layer
1506
, an insulation layer
1507
and an opaque electrode
1508
. In the dispersion-type EL element
1504
, a light transmission window
1510
is formed corresponding to the light receiving element array
1502
. Since the light from the dispersion-type EL element
1504
should not be directly incident on the light receiving element array
1502
, a light emission section is covered with a frame portion
1509
and the opaque electrode
1508
.
Next, an operation of the image sensor device of the fourth conventional example will be described. The light emitted from the light emission layer
1506
passes through the transparent substrate
1503
to illuminate a document
1590
. The reflected light from the document
1590
partially passes through the light transmission window
1510
. The light having passed through the light transmission window
1510
is detected by the light receiving element array
1502
, whereby information as to brightness of the document can be obtained.
By combining the conventional components
Fujieda Ichiro
Saito Takeshi
Le Que T.
NEC Corporation
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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