Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-18
2001-11-27
Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2724)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C250S522100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323964
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image scanning apparatus and method for scanning an image on a reading medium such as a sheet of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a flat bed type image scanner has been widely used for reading/scanning an image on a surface of a reading medium such as a manuscript. This flat bed type image scanner normally has a contact glass arranged in a horizontal direction as medium placement means. Below this contact glass, there is provided an image scanning mechanism.
This image scanning mechanism includes, for example, an image sensor having a number of photo elements arranged in a main scanning direction and a support body for supporting the image sensor at a position parallel to the contact glass in such a manner that the image sensor can be moved in a sub scanning direction. In this flat bed type image scanner, the image on a reading medium placed on the contact glass can be scanned as a number of main scanning lines continuous in the sub scanning direction.
It should be noted that as such a flat bed type image scanner, there is a model in which the image sensor is fixed and a pair of scanning mirrors is moved in the sub scanning direction for scanning an image on a reading medium. Moreover, there is an image scanning apparatus in which the image sensor is fixed and the contact glass is moved in the sub scanning direction. Furthermore, there is an image scanning apparatus in which the image sensor is fixed and a manuscript as the reading medium is moved in the sub scanning direction by a sheet feed mechanism.
In the aforementioned image scanning apparatuses using the contact glass, the reading medium is placed with its image downward on the contact glass and a user cannot observe the image which is being scanned.
Moreover, in the model having a fixed image sensor, a reading medium is placed with its image upward on a sheet feeding mechanism and a user can observe the image which is being scanned. However, a jam may be caused in the sheet feeding mechanism when comparatively thin sheets of paper are set on the sheet feeding mechanism.
These problems are solved by image scanning apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications No. 6-13307 and No. 6-294160. These image scanning apparatuses includes a table as medium arrangement means on which a reading medium is placed, and above this table, there is provided a scanner head supported by a support arm.
The scanner head has an image sensor, an image formation optical system, and a reflecting mirror which are built in the scanner head. The reflecting mirror is rotatably supported on a rotary shaft which is arranged in parallel to the main scanning direction. The reflecting mirror reflects an image light, i.e., a reflected light or transmitting light from the reading medium, into a predetermined direction which vertically intersects the main scanning direction.
This image sensor has one-dimensional structure consisting of a number of photo elements arranged in the main scan direction so as to read a main scan line consisting of a number of dots. Furthermore, reflecting mirror is rotated so that the main scan line reading position is shifted in the sub scan direction. Thus, a two-dimensional image is read/scanned by the number of main scan lines continuous in the sub scan direction.
In the image scanning apparatus having the aforementioned configuration, a reading medium is placed with its image facing upward on the table. That is, a user can observe the image while it is being scanned. Moreover, there is no need of feeding a reading medium by a feeding mechanism. Accordingly, there is no problem in reading an image on a very thin sheet of paper or on a page of a thick book.
In the image scanning apparatus having the aforementioned configuration, the scanner head is positioned above the center of the medium area on the table. This deteriorates workability for replacing a scan medium in the medium area on the table.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image scanning method and apparatus for scanning from above an image on a scan medium placed in the medium (manuscript) area on the table, wherein the scan medium can easily be replaced, enhancing the workability on the image scanning apparatus.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the image scanning method according to the present invention comprises steps of: placing a scan medium having on its surface an image to be scanned, in a rectangular medium area defined on a flat surface of a table; and scanning from above the image on the scan medium placed in the medium area, using an image scan block, wherein the image scan block scans the image from a position immediately above a vicinity of an outer periphery of the medium.
Thus, the image scan block is positioned by the support arm so as to be immediately above a vicinity of an outer periphery of the medium area on the table. This enables to easily replace a scan medium, enhancing the workability.
It should be noted that the term “outer periphery” used here represents the four sides of the rectangular medium area, and the term “vicinity of the outer periphery” represents a portion in the vicinity inside and outside of the four sides. When the vicinity of the outer periphery is inside the medium, it is assumed that the position is in a long distance from the center of the medium area.
The image scanning apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a table having on its flat surface a medium area for placing a scan medium having on its surface an image to be scanned; an image scan block for scanning from above the image on the scan medium placed in the medium area, and a support arm for positioning the image scan block immediately above a vicinity of an outer periphery of the medium area on the table.
Thus, a scan medium having on its surface an image to be scanned is placed in the rectangular medium area defined on the flat surface of the table, and the image on the scan medium is scanned from above by the image scan block. Because this image scan block is positioned by the support arm so as to be immediately above the vicinity of the outer periphery of the medium area on the table, it is possible to easily replace the scan medium in the medium area.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the image scan block comprises: a reflecting mirror for reflecting an image light generated from the image on the scan medium placed in the medium area, into a predetermined direction vertically intersecting a main scan direction; an image formation optical system for image formation at a predetermined position from the reflected image light; an image sensor provided at the image formation position of this image formation optical system and consisting of a number of photo elements arranged in a direction parallel to the main scan direction; and a mirror drive mechanism for rotating the reflecting mirror so that a scan position of the image sensor on the scan medium is moved in a sub scan direction.
Consequently, an image light generated from the image on the scan medium is reflected by the reflecting mirror in a predetermined direction vertically intersecting the main scan direction so that an image is formed at a light receiving position of the image sensor via the image formation optical system. Thus, the image light is read as a one-dimensional main scan line by a number of photo elements arranged in the main scan direction of the image sensor.
Here, the reflecting mirror is rotated so as to move the scan position of the image sensor in the sub scan direction on the scan medium. Accordingly, the two-dimensional image is scanned as a number of main scan lines continuous in the sub scan direction.
Simultaneously with this, at least one of the image formation optical system and the image sensor is displaced in an interlocked state with the rotation of the reflecting mirror, so that the image formation position of the image formation optical system is matc
Iwakawa Masato
Yamamoto Hajime
Foley & Lardner
Grant II Jerome
NEC Corporation
Worku Negussie
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