Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2004-03-02
Williams, Kimberly A. (Department: 2626)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S497000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06700684
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image inputting apparatus such as scanner, facsimile and the like usable for an apparatus optically reading out letters or images described on medium such as paper.
The image inputting apparatus of the type mentioned above includes various types of scanner such as a card-type scanner which is usable in operative connection with an information processing unit such as portable information device such as electronic note, personal computer, personal word processor or the like and also includes an image reader generally comprising an image reading unit and an image processing unit.
For example, there is known a card-type scanner as a card-type image read-out memory device as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open (KOKAI) Publication No. SHO 64-5163. This card-type scanner is provided with a read-out section at a card central portion and the read-out operation is performed by slidingly scanning the card. Image data read out, through the scanning, is inputted into a memory section inside the card and is then outputted (displayed) to a dedicated output device through a card I/F, which is a dedicated device provided with a card throttle through which the card-type scanner can be inserted.
In recent days, an information processing unit provided with a card I/F has been developed by making compact a portable information device such as electronic note, personal computer, personal word processor or the like, whereby it becomes possible to directly display images read out by the scanner on a screen of the information processing unit.
In such conventional structure mentioned above, however, when performing the scanning operation while connecting the card-type scanner to the information processing unit and confirming the image data inputted by the card-type scanner, there is provided a problem that the whole body, except a connector, projects from a display device and also provided a difficulty for closely contacting a read-out surface of the scanner to a medium to be read out, further leading to a problem that a read-out operation while confirming the inputted image data cannot be precisely performed.
In view of the above problems, Japanese Patent Laid-open (KOKAI) Publication No. HEI 7-283910 provides an image reading device, which is composed of an image read-out module and a portable information equipment body, the image read-out module being integrally constructed of a sensor unit including an image sensor and a copy (medium) lightening means and a PC card interface unit, and the portable information equipment body being provided with an image display means and a PC card insertion unit. This image reading device is further provided with a fixing means for fixing the image read-out module to the portable information equipment body at a time when the image read-out module is inserted into the PC card insertion unit of the portable information equipment body to thereby read out (input) the image. In the image reading device of Japanese Patent Laid-open (KOKAI) Publication No. HEI 7-283910, however, since the image read-out module is merely fixed to the portable information equipment body, it is necessary to move the image read-out module and the portable information equipment body together with respect to the image read-out surface when the image is read out, thus being inconvenient in use.
Furthermore, in the conventional scanner of the type mentioned above, since an image reading direction can be freely selected, there is a case that an image may be reversed according to the image reading direction, thus also being inconvenient.
In another aspect, the image inputting apparatus is applied for an apparatus optically reading out letters or images described on a medium such as paper, converting the read-out images into electric signals which are then digitalized, and displaying and/or transferring the same.
Japanese Patent laid-open (KOKAI) Publication No.SHO 63-296557 discloses a conventionally known image read-out circuit means, which has a structure represented by a block diagram shown in
FIG. 36
, which comprises an image read-out unit
301
, an A/D conversion unit
302
for converting analog signals of letters or images read out by the image read-out unit
301
into digital signals, a peak value storing unit
303
for detecting and storing a peak value (analog signal) of read-out values based on one line read-out of a copy to be read (inputted) and giving the peak value to the A/D conversion unit and an image processing unit
304
for binarizing (binary coding) the digital data from the A/D conversion unit
302
into whited ata and black data.
In this known image read-out circuit means, the peak value of the input data stored in the peak value storing unit is used for determining a dynamic range at the time of the A/D conversion in the A/D converter. Further, in the image processing unit, a reference value for the binary coding (binarization) is required. In this known circuit means, with reference to the peak value stored in the peak value storing unit, a threshold value as a reference for the binary coding judgement is determined.
According to the known circuit means mentioneda bove, since the threshold value is determined with reference to the peak value of the read-out values based on the one line read-out of the copy, in a case where large variation of the white data of the copy is caused by irregularity of the sensitivity of the sensor or lightening means, there may cause a case where the actual input white data becomes lower than the threshold value and, hence, is erroneously discriminated as black data and the threshold value cannot be stably produced. Thus, the binary coding or binarization processing of the image has not been accurately performed, providing a problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art described above and to provide an image inputting apparatus which is capable of performing an easy and accurate image inputting operation and providing an improved structure therefor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide, in one aspect, an image inputting apparatus of a card-type scanner structure capable of easily reading images on a medium to be read and preventing the image from being reversely displayed due to a reading direction.
A further object of the present invention is to provide, in another aspect, an image inputting apparatus capable of accurately performing binarization (binary coding) even in a case of reading out a base portion (white portion) of the medium (copy) due to irregularity of sensor sensitivity or lightening condition in addition to easy maneuvability of an operator.
These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, there is provided an image inputting apparatus to be used in combination with an information processing system, comprising an image reading unit and a PC card unit operatively connected to the image reading unit and the information processing system, the image reading unit comprising an image reading section for optically reading out an image on a medium to be read and converting a read-out image into an analog electric signal and a movement measuring section for measuring a moving amount of the image reading section moving on the medium, and
the PC card unit comprising an image signal processing section for processing the analog image signal from the image reading section, a read-out control section for performing a driving control of the image reading section in accordance with the moving amount from the movement measuring section and a PC card interface (I/F) section operatively connected to the read-out control section and the external information processing system so as to perform interruption and access to the information processing system, and the PC card unit having a structure in shape of card capable of being inserted into a pre-determined portion of the information processing system
Chiba Hirotaka
Noda Tsugio
Sakai Kenichiro
Fujitsu Limited
Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian LLP
Williams Kimberly A.
Worku Negussie
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