Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2004-06-01
Williams, Kimberly (Department: 2626)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S504000, C358S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06744541
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a scanning apparatus, and more particularly to a scanning apparatus being able to scan both transparent and reflective objects.
2. Description of Prior Art
With the increasing widespread of computers and the Internet, more image data is utilized in hypertext documents. Therefore, scanners are very popular. There are various ways to input video data to a computer, for example with digital cameras and scanners, etc. But a scanner is the best choice for inputting images of flat documents such as photographs or slides, etc.
A conventional scanner is generally a reflective scanner. That is, its light source and the image detector are located at the same side of the document to be scanned. Therefore, it can only scan opaque documents, not a film or a slide.
To address this question, various scanners have been provided that is able to scan a transparent document. Referring to
FIG. 1
, Taiwanese patent application number No. 85213005 provides two sets of light sources
10
,
12
to respectively scan a reflective document and a transparent document. Then a revolvable mirror
14
is used to choose one of the light sources to project to the image recording device
18
after passing through reflective mirrors and lens set
16
. In this prior art, two sets of light sources
10
,
12
and a revolvable mirror
14
are used to choose different light paths. It has a complex structure; thus its cost is relatively high.
To address this weakness, several prior arts can scan both reflective and transparent objects have been developed. Referring to
FIG. 2
a
, Taiwanese patent application No. 85218816 provides a revolving apparatus
20
to enable the light source
22
to switch between particular positions at both sides of the glass plate
24
holding documents to be scanned. Thus, the scanner can scan a reflective object when the light source
22
and image convert device
26
are located at the same side to the glass plate
24
, otherwise the scanner can scan a transparent object. However, in order to allow the glass plate
24
to move across the supporting mechanism
20
, the mechanism
20
for supporting the light source
22
must be wider than the glass plate
24
. Hence the structure of such scanner becomes larger. Referring to
FIG. 2
b
, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,411 has disclosed a scanner mechanical structure with a reflective scanning platform
27
and a transparent scanning platform
29
. However, two light sources are used for reflective scanning and transparent scanning respectively.
To avoid the problems mentioned above, another scanner using only one light source to scan documents is disclosed. Referring to
FIG. 3
, in Taiwanese patent application No. 86200497, the light produced by the light source
30
is divided to respectively scan a reflective object
32
and scan a transparent object
34
. Different optical components are used to transmit the images of the reflective object
32
and scan the transparent object
34
respectively to a beam splitter
36
. Thus the images coming from different optical paths can be transmitted to an image retrieving apparatus
38
by means of the beam splitter
36
. However, a mask
39
has to be used to allow only one of the images being transmitted to the image retrieving apparatus
38
at a time. In this prior art, the scanner has a larger volume since it must use more components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, to address the drawbacks of the prior arts, the object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for scanning both reflective and transparent objects, which uses only one fixed light source to provide an optical path able to respectively scan both a reflective object and a transparent object.
According to the invention, only one set of optical components is needed to scan both a reflective object and a transparent object since there is only one optical path to be used. A reduced number of optical components are used in this scanning apparatus, thus lowering the cost and lessening the physical volume of the scanner.
To attain the above purpose, the invention moves the position of the image-retrieving device to switch the work position of the lens in the image-retrieving device, so that both the image of a reflective object and the image of a transparent object can be precisely formed at an appropriate position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4974948 (1990-12-01), Arai et al.
patent: 5907411 (1999-05-01), Han
patent: 1213806 (1999-04-01), None
BenQ Corporation
Ladas & Parry
Williams Kimberly
Worku Negussie
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