JPH0244959A - Reader - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a reading device such as a contact type image sensor that optically reads information using a light receiving section made up of a plurality of photosensitive elements, and particularly relates to a reading device such as a contact type image sensor that optically reads information using a light receiving section consisting of a plurality of photosensitive elements, and in particular, a plurality of the photosensitive elements are linearly arranged in the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction. The present invention relates to a reading device equipped with a light receiving section configured as follows.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 6 is, for example, from Mitsubishi Electric Technical Report, Vol. 60. N
One of the conventional reading devices shown in
1 is a sectional view showing a contact type image sensor, in which 1 is a document, 2 is a document guide, 3 is a housing, 4 is a light emitting part with a linear array of light emitting diodes, and 5 is for erect 1-magnification imaging. , a rod lens array, 6 a linear photoelectric conversion section, 7
is a signal detection processing section. Next, the operation will be explained. The original 1 is illuminated by the light emitting unit 4, and the reflected light from the original 1 is focused and imaged by the rod lens array 5. In this case, the rod lens array 5 forms a one-to-one erect equal-magnification image of the information on the surface of the original 1 on the surface of the photoelectric conversion unit 6 . In the photoelectric conversion unit 6 having the same width as the original 1, the original 1
An electrical signal corresponding to the concentration information on the surface is converted and output, and sent to the signal detection processing section 7. In a reading device using a normal reduction optical system, if the document width is A4 size and the length of the photoelectric conversion unit 6 is 30 mm,
Although an optical path length of approximately 400 cylinders is required, when the rod lens array 5 is used, the optical path length is approximately 20 to 50 cylinders to form a compact reading device. Figures 7(a) and 7(b) show a high-resolution 400DPI (dots/inch) sensor TC that constitutes a conventional photoelectric conversion unit.
FIG. 2 is an arrangement diagram of a D 11 BAC chip arrangement and a timing chart showing serial output timing. Since there is a limit to the size of a CCD chip (hereinafter referred to as a chip), the reading length (for example, 216 mm for A4 size)
In order to ensure the
1 are arranged in a staggered manner, and the rows of adjacent chips have an aperture width of 4 lines in the sub-scanning direction (0,254
mm) deviated. Further, the electrical characteristics of these four chips 8 to 11 are independent, and each chip is driven by an independent terminal. In order to obtain an electrical image signal on one line even if the physical arrangement of the chips 8 to 11 is shifted by four lines, for example, seven line memories are provided in the chips 8 to 11, It is operated at the drive timing shown in FIG. 7(b). Here, φV5. φV2. ..., φV7 is a line shift pulse, and SH is a transfer pulse to the shift register. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 7(b), if φV1 is input to the odd-numbered or even-numbered chips 8, 10 or 9, 11, the signal accumulated in the storage electrode during the period of ■ in the same figure is the odd-numbered chip. 8 and 10 are transferred to and output from the shift register through the line memories L, L2°, . . . , L7 during the period (3). On the other hand, even chip 9.1
1, the line memories L, , L2 . L3
Since the pulse of φV4 does not enter after φV3, it is stored in line memory and waits. Next, it is transferred to the line memory L4 in the period ■, and in the same operation, it is transferred to the line memory L1. Transferred to shift register. Therefore, the signals of the odd chips 8 and 10 are output in the period ■, and the signals of the even chips 9 and 11 are output in the period ■, and the signals of the even chips 9 and 11 are delayed by 4 lines with respect to the signals of the odd chips 8 and 10. Data on the same line can be obtained from all chips 8 to 11 during the period (2).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional reading device using a CCD is configured as described above, it has the following problems. (1) When manufacturing CCD chips, large chip sizes are not advantageous due to yield and cost considerations, and it is necessary to arrange multiple CCD chips in the reading length, that is, in the main scanning direction. In order to prevent the reading resolution of the same line information from decreasing at the connection part of multiple chips, when multiple chips are mounted, the COD chip position, especially pixel position alignment, requires an accuracy of 10 μm or less, and such work requires This makes it difficult to obtain a high-quality reading device and is a factor in high costs. (2) To address the need for even higher-speed reading, there are methods that output each individual CCD chip at once. There is a way to operate at a high drive frequency, but in this case,
The read information processing device, pulse circuit, etc. are large-scale, resulting in high costs. (3) There is a need for a device that can read data with different resolutions using the same device. This makes it possible, for example, to use a single device that meets both Japanese and American standards, which was not possible with conventional devices. This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a reading device that has a simpler configuration and can perform reading at higher speed and higher resolution through simple arithmetic processing. shall be.

[Means to solve the problem]

The reading device of the invention according to the first claim of the present invention includes a light receiving section including a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged on a single line in the main scanning direction, and information on the plurality of photosensitive elements of the light receiving section. , and a processing unit that sequentially extracts the data at the same time. The reading device of the invention according to the second claim of the present invention includes a light receiving section in which a plurality of photosensitive elements are arranged in a plurality of lines in the main scanning direction, and a plurality of photosensitive elements in the main scanning direction of the light receiving section. The apparatus is equipped with a processing section that operates a plurality of photosensitive elements in a line simultaneously and sequentially extracts information from each photosensitive element. In the reading device according to the third aspect of the present invention, photosensitive elements on a plurality of lines are arranged at positions that are relatively shifted from each other for each line. In the reading device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, each photosensitive element on a single line in the main scanning direction and on a plurality of lines in the sub-scanning direction is composed of a photosensitive element having a different resolution for each line. It is made up of

[Effect]

The reading device of the invention according to the first claim of the invention includes a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged on a single line in the main scanning direction,
The processing units operate simultaneously to read information, greatly increasing the reading speed. In the reading device according to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of photosensitive elements on a plurality of lines in the main scanning direction are operated simultaneously by a processing section to read information,
The reading speed will be greatly increased. In the reading device of the invention according to the third claim of the present invention, a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in relatively shifted positions for each line over a plurality of lines in the main scanning direction transmit information under the control of a processing section. The reading accuracy is high resolution. In the reading device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, information is read under the control of a processing section by a plurality of photosensitive elements having different resolutions for each line over a plurality of lines in the main scanning direction, This allows one reading device to freely perform reading at different resolutions, and also simplifies the calculation process.

【Example】

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a reading device according to the invention of the first claim of the present invention, and the embodiment of the first invention is, for example, the same as that described with reference to FIG. 6. Traditional,
An example of a reading device using a contact type image sensor is shown. FIG. 1 shows the main circuits of the light receiving section and processing section. Therefore, in FIG. 1, 12-1. 12-2゜・
..., 12-m is 1 on a single line in the main scanning direction
These are photosensitive elements consisting of photodiodes or phototransistors arranged in m pieces for each line, and constitute a light receiving section. 14-1.14-1 ......, 14-
m respectively correspond to each photosensitive element 12-1. 12-2.・・・
. . . An analog switch provided for 12-m, and an output signal QI from the shift register 16. Q2. ...Opening/closing is controlled by QP. In this case, as shown in the figure, m photosensitive elements 12-1 to 12-m on a single line in the main scanning direction are photosensitive elements 12-1, 12-2. 12-3 and 12-4. ......, 12
-m-t and two photosensitive elements 12-m are paired, and the analog switches 14-1 to 14-1 are paired.
4-m, the output signals Q, ,Q of the shift register 16
2°..., QP (P=m/2), so that each pair of photosensitive elements is simultaneously driven in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, 16-1 in the figure. 16-2 are a data input terminal and a clock input terminal to the shift register 16, respectively; 17.1
8 are photosensitive elements 12-1. 12-3.・・・・・・
12-m-1, and photosensitive element 12-2. 12-4.
・・・・・・After current-voltage conversion of each output signal from the signal output terminal 12-m and the signal output terminal 17゜18, 24,
An A/D conversion circuit that changes the A/D; 25 is a memory that stores the A/D converted data; 26 is a shift register 16. A/D conversion circuit 24. A control circuit generates control signals 28 and 29 for controlling the memory 25, and 27 is a signal output terminal. In the case of the first invention, each of the circuits 16, 24, 25, and 26 described above constitutes a processing section that reads information received by the photosensitive elements 121 to 12-m, which are light receiving sections. Next, the operation will be explained. When predetermined data and a clock are input to the data input terminal 16-1 and clock input terminal 16-2 of the shift register 16, the shift register 16 sequentially outputs output signals Q, , Q, . . . Qp. , analog switch 14-114-s,...
14-m are closed one after another. Accordingly, two photosensitive elements 12-1 and 12-Q 12-3 and 1 are made into a pair.
2-4. --------, 12-m-1 and 12-m are sequentially driven simultaneously, two of each pair, to read information from document 1, and output a photocurrent corresponding to the read information as a signal. Terminals 17 and 18 are supplied. This photocurrent is A/D
After current-voltage conversion is performed by the conversion circuit 24, it is written in the memory 25, and subjected to predetermined arithmetic processing under the control of the control circuit. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention of the first claim, each of the paired photosensitive elements 12-1 and 1
2-2112-3 and 12-4.・・・・・・+ 12−
By operating m −1 and 12-m simultaneously,
Analog switch 14-1. 14-2.・・・・・・
The number of stages of the shift register 16 that opens and closes is substantially 1.
/2 has the effect of doubling the reading speed. Therefore, in this case, a modification in which three or more photosensitive elements are operated simultaneously in the main scanning direction is even more effective. Next, referring to FIG. 2, an embodiment of the reading device according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described. In the figure, 12-111
2-2,..., 12-m and l 3-1.
13-2..., 13-m are the above-mentioned photosensitive elements arranged linearly for two lines in the main scanning direction. In this case, A and B in the figure indicate photosensitive element rows consisting of photosensitive elements 12-1 to 12-m and photosensitive elements 13-1 to 13-m, and these photosensitive element rows A and B are mutually arranged in the sub-scanning direction. They are arranged in parallel. Also, 14-1. 14-2. ......, 14-m
and 15-1. 15-2. ......, 15-m
are analog switches provided for each of the photosensitive element rows A and B, which are sequentially opened and closed in response to signals Q, .about.Q from the shift register 16. The other parts are the same as those shown in FIG. Next, the operation will be explained. In the same way as explained for the case of the invention of the first claim in FIG.
6 to output signals Q, , Q2 . ......When QLN outputs sequentially, analog switches 14-1 to 14-m and 15-1 to 15-m close sequentially, and light corresponding to the read information of each photosensitive element in photosensitive element rows A and B is output. Current is signal output terminal 1
Output on 7.18. However, this photocurrent is subjected to predetermined arithmetic processing by each of the circuits 24 to 26 of the processing section described above. Thus, for this embodiment of this second invention:
Two photosensitive element rows A and B can be read and processed simultaneously. In this case, the photosensitive elements 12-1 to 12-m, 13-1 are arranged at intervals that provide the desired resolution in the sub-scanning direction on the substrate on which the ``-2 photosensitive element rows A and B are installed.
By making .about.13-m, there is no need to pay attention to the chip position in the sub-scanning direction when the chips, that is, the photosensitive elements 12-1 to 12-m13-1 to 13-m are arranged in a staggered manner. n=1.2.
By linearly arranging sensor ICs incorporating photosensitive elements (...), it is possible to simultaneously read two lines, thereby realizing a reading device that can achieve twice the reading speed. In the above example, an example of two lines has been described, but if three or more lines of photosensitive element arrays are provided, it is naturally possible to increase the reading speed accordingly. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the second invention shown in FIG.
As shown in the example of the invention according to the first claim in the figure, a combination with a method of simultaneously driving two photosensitive elements at a time, or even three or more photosensitive elements at a time in the main scanning direction, that is, Combining the examples in Figures 1 and 2, there are n columns in the sub-scanning direction (n = 2゜3,...) and m columns in the main scanning direction (m
=2.3. By operating the photosensitive elements (...) at the same time, higher speeds can be achieved. That is, the light receiving section of the present invention having the above-described photosensitive element arrangement, that is, the photoelectric conversion section 6 and the light emitting section 4 in the conventional device shown in FIG. Rod lens array 5. By combining the signal detection processing section 7, a reading device capable of higher speed reading can be obtained. Next, an embodiment of the reading device according to the third aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In Figure 3, 19-1
．． 19-2. . . . 19-m is a photosensitive element arranged at a pitch D, 20-1. 20-Q,...
・20-m is a photosensitive element I Lx, L 9-2. +++
+., 19-m, with an interval P corresponding to the desired resolution in the sub-scanning direction, and the photosensitive element 19-1.
19-2. . . ., photosensitive elements are arranged at intermediate positions of 19-m relative to each other by a pitch D/2. Note that C is the photosensitive element 19-1. 19-2.・・・・・・
・Photosensitive element row consisting of 19-m, D is photosensitive element 20-1
20-2. . . . is a photosensitive element array consisting of 20-m. Each of the illustrated circuits 24 to 26 is a shift register 16.
Along with the above 1. This is the same circuit constituting a processing section similar to the second invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in the photosensitive element row C, the photosensitive elements 19-
1 and 19-! 2. ......, 19-(m-i
) and 19-m are paired, and in the photosensitive element array, photosensitive elements 20-1 and 20-s, . . .
.... 2Q-(m-1) and 20-m are paired in pairs, so that each pair of photosensitive elements receives the output signal Q1. . . . are simultaneously driven by Qm. Next, the operation will be explained. In FIG. 3, when the shift register 16 is operated by the control signal 28 output from the control circuit 26 and the output signals Q, , Q, . . . are output from the shift register 16, the analog switch 21
-1. 21-2.・---, 21-m opens and closes sequentially. As a result, the two photosensitive elements 19-
1 and 19-L 20-1 and 20-s+,...
・, 19-(m -1) and 19-m, 20-(
Ill-1) and 20-m are sequentially driven simultaneously, two of each pair, and a photocurrent corresponding to the read information is applied to the photosensitive element 1.
9-1. 19-2゜20-1. 20-2.・・・・・・
The photocurrent is output from the signal output terminal 17.18
Output from. In that case, the output state of the control signal 28 may be changed to cause the photosensitive element arrays C and D to read the same line information, and the read signal of the same line may be obtained from the signal output terminal 27. At this time, the resolution of the photosensitive element rows C and D in the main scanning direction is 1/D, but the resolution from the signal output terminal 27 is 2/D.
It can be read at twice the resolution equivalent to D. In the above example, there are two photosensitive element rows, and the relative positional deviation of each photosensitive element in both photosensitive element rows is further equal to 1 of the photosensitive element spacing.
Although we have explained the case of 72, for boat fishing, it is possible to use an example of n-line photosensitive elements, and by making the relative positions of these photosensitive elements arbitrary, it is possible to have a low-resolution photosensitive element arrangement.
High-resolution reading can be performed. Next, an embodiment of a reading device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, E represents photosensitive elements 30-1. 30-2. . . . A photosensitive element row consisting of 30-m, F is a photosensitive element array 31-1 . 31-2.・・・・・・31-
a photosensitive element array consisting of m, 32-1. 32-2. ...
..., 32-m and 33-1. 33-L...
・, 33-m are the output signals Q, , Q of the shift register 16
2. ......An analog switch 35 is opened and closed by Q, and converts the photocurrent from the photosensitive element rows E and F into an A/D converter.
A signal processing circuit for converting and processing, 34 is this circuit 35
This is the input terminal for the control signal input to the . Note that the photosensitive element rows E and F constitute a light receiving section, and 16.3
5 constitutes a processing circuit. Next, the operation will be explained. Output signals Q, , Q2 . . . . , Ql is sequentially connected to the analog switch 32-1 . 32-L・----, 32-m and 33-1. When 33-L -・-・- and 33-m are opened and closed, two of each photosensitive element in the photosensitive element rows E and F operate simultaneously, photocurrent is output to the signal output terminal 17.18, and the signal processing circuit 35 for processing. In the art, photosensitive element row E has a resolution of 400DPI, and photosensitive element row F
consists of each photosensitive element with a resolution of 300DPI, and since these photosensitive element rows E and F are provided on the same IC sensor chip or sensor board, a read signal (photocurrent) with a resolution of 400DPI is output from the signal output terminal 17. ), and the signal output terminal 18 outputs read signals (photocurrent) with different resolutions of 300 DPI. FIG. 5 shows a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. In the figure,
41-1. 41-2...41-m and 42-1. 42-2. ......, 42-m
23 is a current-voltage conversion and output signal selection circuit; 24 is an A/D conversion circuit; 25 is a memory;
27 is an output signal terminal. Furthermore, 26 is the current-voltage conversion and output signal selection circuit 23. A/D conversion circuit 24
．． Memory 25. This is a control circuit that outputs control signals 28 and 29 that control the shift register 16. Therefore, in the modified example of FIG. 5, in the main scanning direction, extremely high-speed reading is possible by having a configuration that allows simultaneous reading of 4 elements in the photosensitive element row E and 3 elements in the simultaneous simultaneous reading of 3 elements in the photosensitive element row F. Current-voltage conversion and signal selection are performed in a current-voltage conversion and output signal selection circuit 23, and an A/D conversion circuit 24. memory 25
By controlling the signals with the control signal 29 from the control circuit 26, signals of desired resolution can be sequentially obtained. In the case of the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5 described above, 300D
A single reading device (sensor) can read different resolutions such as PI and 400 DPI, and in 1984 CC ■ TT had a resolution of 300 DPI. For G4 facsimile machines, which are recommended to standardize 400DPI reading and make them optional, as well as scanners and DCRs (optical readers) that require various high-resolution readings, 1.
This has the advantage that reading can be performed with different desired resolutions using one sensor. Further, in the above embodiment, the combination of reading at 300 DPI and 400 DPI has been described, but a combination with a different resolution such as 240 DPI may be used, and the combination is not limited to only two different resolutions.

【Effect of the invention】

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the reading device simultaneously operates a plurality of photosensitive elements on a single line in the main scanning direction to read a plurality of pieces of information. Since it is configured to read at the same time, it is possible to obtain a reading device that can greatly increase the reading speed with a simple circuit. Further, according to the second claim of the present invention, the reading device reads a plurality of pieces of information at the same time by simultaneously operating a plurality of photosensitive elements provided over a plurality of lines in the main scanning direction. With this configuration, there is an effect that a reading device capable of high-speed reading can be obtained. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the reading device has a low-resolution photosensitive element array in the main scanning direction and an element array in which the relative positions of the photosensitive element arrays are shifted in the sub-scanning direction. Since it has a light receiving section and is configured to operate a plurality of photosensitive elements simultaneously, it is possible to obtain a reading device that can perform high resolution reading even if the photosensitive element arrangement in the main scanning direction is coarse. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the reading device is configured to have a light receiving section capable of reading different resolutions within one device, different resolutions can be obtained, which conventionally required complicated arithmetic processing. This has the advantage of providing a reading device that can read information using extremely simple processing and at high speed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a reading device of the invention according to the first claim of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the reading device of the invention according to the second claim. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a main part of an embodiment of the reading device of the invention according to the third claim, and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the main part of the reading device of the invention according to the fourth claim. A circuit diagram, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a modified embodiment of FIG. 4,
FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a conventional reading device, and Part 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a conventional CCD staggered photoelectric conversion unit and its operation. 12-1 to 12-m, 13-1 to 13-m, 1
9-t~19-m, 20-1~2 o-ml 30
-1 to 30- m +31-1 to 31-m are photosensitive elements (
16 is a shift register (processing section), 24 is A
/D conversion circuit (processing section), 25 is a memory (processing section), 2
6 is a control circuit (processing section), and 35 is a signal processing circuit (processing section). In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A reading device equipped with a light receiving section consisting of a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged on a single line in the main scanning direction, and a processing section that simultaneously and sequentially extracts information from the plurality of photosensitive elements of the light receiving section. . (2) A light receiving section in which a plurality of photosensitive elements are arranged in multiple lines in the main scanning direction, and a plurality of photosensitive elements are operated simultaneously in the plurality of lines in the main scanning direction of this light receiving section to detect each photosensitive element. A reading device including a processing section that sequentially extracts information on each element. (3) The reading device according to claim 2, wherein the photosensitive elements on the plurality of lines are arranged at relatively shifted positions for each line. (4) The reading device according to claim 2, wherein each of the photosensitive elements on the plurality of lines is constituted by a photosensitive element having a different resolution for each line.