JPH021688A - Microfilm retrieving/reading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a scanner by providing a picture reader with a projector lens and an image sensor positioned between cartridge fetching space and a take-up reel and a light source positioned at the opposite side of them while pinching a film therebetween. CONSTITUTION:When the scanner 30 is carried to the front of an objective cartridge 14, it releases a stopper 26 so as to discharge the cartridge 14 toward the fetching room 44 by the tension of a belt 20, and fetches it in the space 44. Then, the take-up reels 15, 46 are made to rotate by a film traveling device so as to travel the film 16. The picture reader 48 is provided with an EL plate 52 as the light source, and when an objective picture comes, the EL plate 52 presses the film 16 to a glass plate 54. The EL plate 52 becomes a surface light source, and the projected picture of the film 16 is led to the image sensor 58 through the glass plate 54 and the projector lens. By constituting the scanner into such the constitution, the scanner can be miniaturized, and can be stored compactly in a storage shelf.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention searches for a target image from a storage shelf containing a large number of microfilm cartridges, transfers it to a scanner, reads the image using an image sensor in the scanner, and processes the image. This invention relates to a microfilm retrieval/reading device that outputs signals.

(Technical Background of the Invention) One cartridge is selected from a large number of microfilm cartridges stored in a storage shelf, a target image contained therein is read out by an image sensor, and this image signal is output as a digital signal. A device is being considered. For example, it has been considered to use this image signal to output an image to a CRT, printer, or facsimile, or to output a desired form or document by printing it in combination with the output of another data processing device. In other words, by converting microfilm images into digital signals, it becomes possible to collaborate with other digital image processing devices using a data communication network, increasing the usefulness of microfilm. A rotating shelf type device and a bookshelf type device are conventionally known. In the zero-rotating shelf type, a number of cartridges are housed in multiple stages in a rotating drum that can be attached to and removed from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum. A desired cartridge is taken out by a take-out device that only moves up and down, and the cartridge is transferred to an image reader having an image sensor to read the image.

In addition, in the bookshelf type, a large number of cartridges are stored on a bookshelf-like fixed shelf, and a carrier that runs in the X-Y direction in front of this shelf searches for any one cartridge and stores it in a predetermined position.
The image is then carried to an image reader fixed at a location where the image is read.

However, in conventional devices, the scanner for reading images from the selected cartridge tends to be large, making it difficult to store it compactly in a storage shelf.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and is a microfilm retrieval system that miniaturizes a scanner for reading images so that it can be stored compactly in a storage shelf.
The purpose is to provide a reading device.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, this purpose is to select a cartridge containing a target image from a storage shelf storing a large number of microfilm cartridges, transfer it to a scanner, and read out the target image from this cartridge with an image sensor. In the microfilm retrieval/reading device that outputs image signals using A microfilm retrieval system characterized by comprising a projection lens and an image sensor located between the take-up reel and a light source located on the opposite side of the projection lens with the film in between.
This is accomplished by a reading device.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the storage shelf and the scanner, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the cartridge storage state in the storage shelf, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the cartridge loaded into the scanner.
FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a system using this device, and FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of the system developed into a large-scale system.

In FIGS. 1.5.6, reference numeral 1o indicates a prismatic case, and a cartridge storage shelf 12 is assembled in this case 10 to one side. This storage shelf stores a large number of cartridges 14 in a vertically stacked manner. The cartridge 14 has a reel 1 wound with a microfilm 16 (see FIGS. 2 and 4).
5 is stored.

Each shelf board 12A of the storage shelf 12 is equipped with a transport device for the cartridge 14, as shown in FIGS. That is, on each shelf board 12A, there are a large number of guide rollers 18, belts 20 wound around these guide rollers 18, and take-up pulleys 22, 24 around which both ends of the belt 2o are wound and which apply tension to the belts 20. and is provided.

Therefore, the cartridge 14 pushed in from the right side in FIG. 3 enters the cartridge storage chamber S surrounded by the guide rollers 18 (the imaginary line position in FIG. 4) while pushing the bell 20, and is stopped by the stopper 26. This stopper 26 is operated by a scanner 30 to be described later, and when this scanner 30 releases the cartridge 14 from the stopper 26, the cartridge 14 is automatically moved to the scanner 3 by the tension of the belt 20.
It is designed to be discharged towards 0.

In Figure 1.2.4, 30 is a scanner. The scanner 30 moves vertically on the front surface of the storage shelf 12 within the case 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, this scanner 30 is held movably up and down by guide rails 32.32, and is moved up and down by a pair of wires 34.34. The wire 34 connects to the upper and lower pulleys 36, 38
(FIG. 1) It is wound between the two ends, and both ends thereof are fixed to the scanner 30. One pulley 38 is driven by a servo motor 40
As a result, the scanner 30 is moved up and down. Note that a counterweight 42 is fixed to this wire 34 at a position symmetrical to the scanner 30, and a counterweight 42 is fixed to the wire 34 at a position symmetrical to the scanner 30.
This reduces the burden on 0.

The scanner 30 is configured as shown in FIG. That is, when facing a certain shelf board 12A, there is a take-in space 44 that faces the cartridge 14 on the storage shelf 12 side and takes in the cartridge 14, a take-up reel 46, and an image reader 48 disposed between these two. , and a film running drive device (not shown) that drives the reels 15 and 46 to run the film 16. In this embodiment these are the shelves 12
A storage shelf 12 and scanner 3 are arranged in parallel to face each other.
The case 10 including 0 is approximately square in plan view with each side being approximately 30 cm.

The image reader 48 includes a sealed reader unit 50 and an EL plate 52 as a light source. The EL plate 52 can be pressed against and separated from the film 16, and is controlled by an electromagnetic plunger (not shown) or the like. The reader unit 50 includes a glass plate 54 facing the EL plate 52 with the film 16 in between.
It also includes a projection lens 56 and an image sensor 58 housed in a sealed case. Lens 5 here
6 is moved in the optical axis direction by a motor, piezoelectric element, etc. to enable focusing.

Accordingly, when the scanner 30 is brought in front of the target cartridge 14, it releases the stopper 26.

The cartridge 14 is ejected into the take-in space 44 by the tension of the belt 20 and taken into this space 44. The film 16 is then run by rotating the reels 15 and 46 by the film running device. At this time, the EL plate 52 is separated from the film 16. When the target image arrives, the EL plate 52 presses the film 16 against the glass plate 54.

The EL plate 52 serves as a surface light source, and the projected image on the film 16 is transmitted to the image sensor 5 through the glass plate 54 and the lens 56.
8. The image sensor 58 scans the image and outputs a time-series image signal a (see FIG. 1). This signal a
is binarized by the temperature processing circuit 60, converted into a digital signal, and inputted to the control means 100. Here, the image sensor 58 is preferably a two-dimensional area sensor, but an image may be read by moving a -dimensional line sensor in a direction perpendicular to its length direction (sub-scanning direction).

In this embodiment, the control means includes a child control means 100A provided for each case 10, and a child control means 100A provided for each case 10.
and a parent control means 100 for giving address information such as a target cartridge and a target image to the target cartridge.

These control means 100.1oOA are formed by a small computer, and the control means 100, as shown in FIG.
PU102, input φ output interface 104, 106
, a ROM 108 that stores a control program, and a RAM 110 that stores data during control, such as data when performing autofocus. 112 is a memory means such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape,
Alternatively, it is constituted by a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, and stores data such as the storage address of the cartridge 14 in the storage shelf 12. These control means 100 and memory means 112
is housed in a cabinet 114 in FIG.

Data such as the contents and storage address of each cartridge 14 are inputted to the CPU 102 from the keyboard 116 and stored in the memory means 112. When searching for the target image,
For example, the code of the target image is input from the keyboard 116. The CPU 102 outputs address information such as the position of the cartridge 14 containing the target image and the target image from the memory means 112 to the slave control means 100A. Child control means 1
00A searches for the corresponding cartridge 14 based on this address information, operates the motor 40, and moves the scanner 30 in front of this cartridge 14. When the scanner 30 comes in front of the target cartridge 14, the child control means 100A moves the reel 15 by the traveling drive device 44.
．． 46 is controlled so that the target image is placed between the EL plate and the glass plate 54. Note that this target image can be confirmed by checking the blip marks (recorded in advance on the microfilm 16).
(not shown) or the like with another optical sensor (not shown).

When the target image comes in front of the glass plate 54, the slave control means 100A presses the EL plate 52 against the film 16 to cause it to emit light. The projected image of the target image is guided to the image sensor 58.

The image signal a of the image sensor 58 is subjected to various processes such as correction of variation in characteristics of each light-receiving element, shooding correction, waveform shaping, etc. in the signal processing circuit 60, and is then binarized and then inputted to the slave control means 100A. Ru. Further, when performing an autofocus operation, this circuit 60 selects, for example, a predetermined spatial frequency component of the image signal a using a band pass filter, and obtains a contrast signal by integrating the absolute value of this component. The slave control means 100A controls the lens 56 to a position where this contrast signal is maximized. Note that it is of course possible to separately prepare another element exclusively for autofocus, such as an element using a phase difference detection method, to perform autofocus.

When the image is read by the scanner 30 in this way, this image signal is read into the parent control means 100, and the CPU 10
2 outputs this data to various image processing devices. For example, this image may be output to the CRT 118 or the printer 120, or may be stored in other external memory means such as the optical disk device 122. It is also possible to output the data to a remote facsimile 126 (see FIG. 5), CRT, etc. using a data communication network 124 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Note that the CPU 102 can also read data from an external image processing device using this data communication network 124, and use image data from the outside within this system.

The smallest scale of this system is completed by combining one case 10 with a workstation as shown in FIG. That is, the keyboard 116 and the CRT
118, a printer 110, and a cabinet 114 that houses the control means lOO and the memory means 112 (see FIG. 1).

In the above embodiment, since the control of the case 10 is performed by the main control means 100 and the separate slave control means 100A, the control becomes easier when a large number of cases 10 are connected to increase the scale. There is. However, it goes without saying that the slave control means 100A may be integrated with the main control means 100, and the present invention also includes such a structure.

When increasing the scale of this system, for example, as shown in FIG. All you have to do is connect it to your workstation.

In this way, this device can be easily scaled up by collecting a large number of cases 10 as one unit, and in this case, if each case 10 is controlled simultaneously and in parallel, the access time can be further reduced. 30 is 1
In other cases 10, access time can be reduced by moving the scanner 30 up and down to locate and prepare for reading the target image while reading an image from one cartridge.

In addition, by connecting the cases 10 distributed at different locations to each other via the data communication network 124, they can be used freely and the microfilm can be shared.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an embodiment showing another arrangement of the storage shelf 12a and the scanner 30a. In this embodiment, the take-up pulleys 22a and 24a are brought close to the storage chamber S, so the storage shelf 12a is placed close to the scanner 30a. The case 10a can be arranged in parallel in the direction of the pitcher's force, and in this case, the case 10a can be formed into a rectangular shape with a thin width in plan view. Therefore, it is convenient when arranging the case 10a in close contact with a wall.

In the above embodiment, the scanner itself moves to take in the target cartridge, but it may also be configured such that the scanner is fixed at a fixed position within the case and a carrier that moves up and down carries the cartridge to the scanner. , the present invention includes such things.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, since the scanner is configured such that the image reader is disposed between the cartridge take-in space and the take-up reel, the scanner can be miniaturized.
It has the effect of being able to be stored compactly in a storage shelf.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the storage shelf and scanner, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the storage shelf with film cartridges stored.
Figure 4 is a plan view showing the state in which the cartridge is loaded into the scanner, Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram of a system using this device, Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of the system developed into a large-scale system, and Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of a system using this device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment. 10.10a... Case, 12.12a... Storage shelf, 14... Cartridge, 18A... Guide roller,
22.24... Winding pulley, 30.30a... Scanner, 44... Capturing space, 48... Image reader, 00.100A... Control means, 12... Memory means. Patent Applicant Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Mountain 1) Text Eloquent Buried Mountain 1) Yo Shipun Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Microfilm search and reading in which a cartridge containing a target image is selected from a storage shelf containing a large number of microfilm cartridges, transferred to a scanner, the target image is read from this cartridge by an image sensor, and an image signal is output. In the apparatus, the scanner includes a cartridge intake space, a take-up reel, and an image reader disposed between the two, and the image reader includes a projection lens located between the cartridge intake space and the take-up reel. A microfilm search/reading device comprising: an image sensor; and a light source located on the opposite side of the projection lens with the film in between.