JPH0321162A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an easily usable image reader by selecting image data to be finally registered out of image data continuously inputted from an image reader to an external storage means. CONSTITUTION:The rear edge 301 of a scanner device is adjusted on a required position of an original. The device is moved once in the arrow 304 direction by a proper distance so that the reading position (c) of the device exceeds a required start position (a). Then the device is moved in the arrow 305 direction while depressing a reading switch 15. When a signal Su is not sent from a tact switch 17, a controller 150 masks a subscanning synchronizing signal ST, and when the signal Su is sent from the switch 17 by depressing the switch 15, the signal ST is demasked. When a signal S1 is sent from a photosensor 81, respective interface signals are sent from a signal generator 130 and data VD are inputted to the host side. At that time, the inputted image data of one line are stored in the address 1 of an image memory 200.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an image reading device that scans a document and reads image data.

(Prior Art) A manual scanning type image scanner is conventionally known as an image reading device that scans and reads a document. This is connected to a word processor or the like, placed on the surface of a document, and electrically reads the document by manual scanning. In this manual scanning scanner, a mark indicating a reading position is provided on the main body housing so that reading can be started from a desired position on the document. However, since the image of the document to be actually read cannot be seen, the starting position is uncertain and the operability is poor. To solve this problem, some devices have a slit in the upper surface of the housing, and a translucent plate having a predetermined transmittance is fitted into this slit.

According to this method, the reading position on the document surface can be directly monitored, and the starting position can be adjusted accurately. Furthermore, by suppressing the amount of transmitted external light to a small level using the anti-transparent plate, the influence of external light on the reading results is prevented.

In addition, when reading an image, even if the roller rotates due to the movement of the scanner, it is possible to write the image data without delaying the writing operation by the distance C between the front edge b of the scanner and the reading position C. be. When this method is used, after aligning the desired reading start position a of the document 2 with the front edge b of the scanner as shown in Fig. 2(a), manual scanning is performed to obtain the position shown in Fig. 2(b). Reading can be started from the desired reading start position a shown in FIG. 2(a).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the above conventional example has the following problems.

First, as a problem with the former technique of the prior art, the anti-transparent plate of the slit part for observing the reading position is made of a material with low transmittance in order to suppress the amount of transmitted external light. Therefore, it is often difficult to identify the reading position on the document surface through the transparent plate. Especially in the case of color scanners, the wavelength characteristics of external light are noticeable in the color tone.
I want to reduce the amount of transmitted external light as much as possible. Therefore, it becomes more difficult to identify the reading position on the document surface.

Furthermore, as a problem with the latter of the prior art, the reading position C in FIG. 2 varies due to the influence of position adjustment of the CCD, lens, etc. It will fluctuate. If an image is read using this method, the difference will be a change in distance degrees Celsius or an error in the reading start position.

Also, the scanner movement amount is a distance ll! from the read image length!
Il. It will be longer than Q. Therefore, if the desired read image is in the corner of a thick piece of wood as shown in FIG. 10, this method cannot be used because if the leading edge b is aligned with the reading start position a, the roller will not come into contact with the document surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and provide an image reading device that is compact, convenient to handle, and has a simple configuration.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, an image reading device of the present invention is an image reading device that has a function of sequentially reading image data and continuously inputting the image data into an external storage means as the document is manually scanned. The image processing apparatus is characterized by comprising means for selecting image data to be registered in the external storage means for storing a certain amount of latest data from among the image data.

[Effect]

In the above configuration, the selection means selects image data to be finally registered from among the image data successively inputted from the image reading device to the external storage means.

[Embodiment] The embodiment of the present invention described below includes a detection means for detecting when the storage location of the image memory for storing read image data is full, and a detection means for deleting the oldest data in the image memory. By providing a memory control unit that stores the latest data and a display control unit that displays the latest data next to the previous data, reading can continue even after the capacity of the image memory has been read, and new data can be read. It stores and displays the read images.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

r illuminated by a xenon cathode tube 1 that emits white light.
The reflected image of the g document 2 is reflected by the mirrors 3 and 4 and formed on the CCD image sensor 6 via the lens 5.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a rubber roller, which is rotatably attached to a position where it comes into contact with the document surface. An encoder plate 91 is attached to the shaft 13 that rotates as the rubber roller 7 rotates. By passing through the slit provided in the encoder plate 91, a signal S is output from the photo sensor 81. 10
1 is a circuit board in which an image processing circuit and the like are incorporated, and 11 is a signal cable for transmitting an image signal to the outside.

12 is a housing, which is made in a shape suitable for manual scanning. Reference numeral 15 denotes a reading switch, which turns on the tact switch 17 by being pushed in the direction of arrow 16. At this time, the tact switch 17 emits a signal Su. Further, as will be described later, this reading switch 15 also serves as a switch for instructing termination when a desired image is obtained.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a manual scanning scanner and host embodying the present invention.

A is a manual scanner part, B is a host part, and 110 is C
An amplifier that amplifies the analog image signal of the CD6, +20 a binarization circuit that converts the analog image signal amplified by the amplifier 110 into a binary signal, 130 a signal generator that generates an interface signal, and +50 a tactile converter. The controller controls the transmission of the sub-scanning synchronization signal -X''.-ST in response to the signal Su of the switch 17, and stores 512 lines of read image data. 200 is an image memory for storing image data, 220 is a 7&.
AM (Video RAM), LCD screen 220
There is a one-to-one correspondence with the VRAM 240, and images are displayed on the liquid crystal screen 220 according to the data written in the VRAM 240.

VRAM 240 has n addresses from 1 to n. 2
Reference numeral 10 denotes an atres counter, which indicates the correspondence between the atres of the image memory 200 and 71-res of the VRAM 240, and the controller 1/roller 230 copies the contents of the image memory 200 to the VRAM 240 according to this content. Also VR
In the AM 240, areas from Atres 1 to 1+51 are used for image display. And the address counter 2
10, an address j of the image memory 200 corresponding to an address i of the VRAM 240 is written.

Then, address j+1 of the image memory 200 and VRAM
240 addresses i+1, j+2 and 1+2, and so on. Figure 4 shows how the measures were taken. However, for example, when j=100, the image memory 200 is at address 5.
12 I don't have time to wait, so I set the address i+ of VRAM240.
412 corresponds to address 512 of the image memory 200, and the subsequent address i+413 corresponds to address 1 of the image memory 200, address i+414 of address 1 corresponds to address 2, i+511 corresponds to Atres99.

The controller 230 then writes the data in the image memory 200 to the VRAM 240 according to this corresponding address.

250 is a floppy disk drive device (hereinafter F
(abbreviated as DD) and is controlled by controller 1 to roller 230. Controller 230 is address counter 210
According to the value J, image data is sequentially taken out from the address j of the image memory 200 and recorded on the disk set in the FDD 250. Note that the default value of the atres counter 210 is 1. In addition, the signal generator 13
0 is the interface signal AR.0 based on the signal S\1.
Output AU, WG, ST. The timing chart is shown in FIG.

AR is a signal indicating the start of main scanning, AU is a main scanning synchronization signal, and WG is a data capture timing signal. On one side of the host 1 where the image display device is located, data VD from the AR immediately after detecting the rising edge of the sub-scanning synchronizing signal ST to the next AR is processed as valid data.

The operation of reading a document using the image processing apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

Let k=1, j=l, and FLG=O (S1).

First, as shown in FIG. 7, the rear edge 301 of the scanner device is aligned at a desired position on the document. Figure 7(a) is manuscript 2
This is a top view of the device placed on top of the device. Marks 302 and 30 indicating the reading position in the width direction are on the rear edge 301.
3 is provided. Then, the device is moved once in the direction of arrow 304 by an appropriate amount to an extent beyond the reading position C of the device or the desired starting position a (S2). The situation is shown in Part 7.
Shown in Figure (b). Then, without pressing the reading switch 15, the device is moved in the direction of the arrow 305.

The controller 150 receives the signal Su from the tactile switch 17.
When the sub-scanning synchronization signal ST is not sent, the reading switch 15 is pressed and the tact switch 17 is
When the signal Su is sent out, the mask of the signal ST is released (S3).

At this time, when a signal S1 is sent from the photo sensor 81 (S4). Each interface signal is sent out from the signal generator 130 (S5), and data VD is taken into the host side. At this time, since the value j of the atres counter is the default l value 1, the captured image data of the first line is stored at address 1 of the image memory 200 (S6).

At the same time, data is written into the VRAM 240 by making the address j of the image memory 200 correspond to the address 1 of the VRAM 240 (S7).

According to the contents of the VRAM 240, the read statue is displayed on the 7-night crystal screen 220 (S8).

Next, 1 is added to the value of the counter k (S9).

If the value of k does not exceed 512, the process advances to step S11 (SIO).

If FLG is not 1, the process advances to step 512.

When the value of k becomes 513 in step S10, FLG is selected in step S10 to proceed to step 513, and FLG=1 (511).

Reading is completed by key operations on a keyboard or the like provided on the host side, and when an instruction to save to the FD is given, the entire operation ends. Otherwise, return to step S3 (s1
2).

One line of image data read in this way is written to a desired address in the image memory 200, and stored in the VRAM 24.
It is transferred to 0 and a liquid crystal display is performed. This operation is repeated in sequence, and FIG. 8 shows the situation when, for example, 400 lines are read.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), images AB C. L
, M, and N are read and displayed on the liquid crystal screen 220.

When the reading operation continues and 512 lines of data have been read, the image will be displayed to fill the entire image display area of the liquid crystal screen 220. At this time, all data has been written to the image memory 200 as well. Conventionally, when this state is reached, the reading operation is controlled to end, but in the image processing apparatus of this embodiment,
It can be further read continuously as follows.

That is, in step S9 after 512 lines of data have been read, k=k+1=11 512+1=513, so in step S10 k>
512, and the process advances to step S13.

Set FLG=1 in step S13, step 514
is reset to k=1. Since FLG=1 in step Sll, the process advances to step 515. In step S415, j=k+1 is set, and the value of j of the address counter 210 is set to k+1, that is, j=2.

Then, the next read k data is written to address k, ie address 1, of the image memory 200 (S6). In other words, the data that has already been written will be erased.

Next, the data in the image memory 200 is transferred to the VRAM 240 (S7). At this time, the value j of the address counter 210 is 2, so the display start address i of the VRAM 240 corresponds to the address 2 of the image memory 200. That is, the image is shifted by one address, and the image is scrolled upward on the liquid crystal screen -1- (S8). After that, S9→StO→Sit→S15→1
2 S 12 → S 3 → S 4 → S 5 →
The steps are repeated in the order of S6 → S7 → S8 → S9, and the oldest images in the image memory 200 are sequentially rewritten with newly read images. When the desired image area on the document is displayed on the LCD screen, press the reading switch 15 again in the direction of 16 to instruct the end, and the series of reading operations will be completed and the image will be stored in the FDD 250. (s12)
.

FIG. 9 shows the relationship of each part at the end of the process. The reading position C of the scanner device is located past the images F and Q of the document 2. On the liquid crystal screen 220, C and N to F and Q are displayed. That is, the contents of addresses 1 to i+511 of the VRAM 240 are as follows. 401 schematically shows the data contents of the image memory 200;
．． P. F, Q from address 1 to address j-1,
Also, from address j to 512, C, N. D. O is written on it. In other words, it can be seen that the address j of the image memory 200 has been transferred in correspondence with the address i of the VRAM 240.

As described above, in this embodiment of the apparatus configured using an image memory of the minimum necessary capacity, even after the memory becomes full, the manual scanning scanner is moved and image data is sent to the old one. Since the displayed image is scrolled while rewriting the data, scanning can be continued until the desired image is displayed, and the desired image can be read accurately.

In particular, the alignment work, which had been done carefully until now,
It's a good idea to start reading a little earlier, so it will be much easier.

It can also be used for exploratory reading, such as proceeding with reading without looking at the display screen and finishing when the image composition is to your liking.

Note that in this embodiment, once stored in the image memory, the VR
There is also a method of transcribing to AM or writing directly to VRAM. In this case, the data is sequentially transferred to the next address, and the newly read data is written to the last empty address.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the invention can be applied not only to black-and-white originals but also to scanning scanners that read color originals.

Also, did you explain using a manual scanning scanner as an example?
For example, an automatic scanning type scanner may be used in which the main body of the scanner is fixed on the document and only the CCD section is movable to perform automatic scanning.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the image memory 200. Atre counter 210 VRAM 240 is host section B
Alternatively, some or all of these parts may be located in the manual scanner part A.

The tact switch generates the signal Su when pressed for the first time, and
The second press may end the reading and instruct the registration to the FDD 250, or the signal Su is generated at the moment of the press, and when the press continues, the reading operation is performed. It is also possible to instruct the end of reading f and registration in the FDD 250 at the time the switch is released.

As explained above, according to the above embodiment of the present invention, image reading can continue even after the memory becomes full, so if the target image is not displayed when the memory becomes full, The desired image can be obtained by continuing reading until the desired image is displayed.

In this way, it is possible to scroll the displayed image without increasing the memory capacity, and to obtain the desired image without complicated PIE operations such as reading position alignment, thereby providing an easy-to-use manual scanning scanner system.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the start, end, and image registration of image reading can be instructed by the tact switch of the scanner section at hand, so the operability is very good and the circuit configuration is simple.

As described above, according to this embodiment, a compact image reading device with excellent operability can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use image reading device with a simple configuration.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is an electrical block diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, 16 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of a conventional device, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. is an address correspondence diagram, FIG. 5 is a timing chart, FIGS. 6-1 and 6-2 are image reading flowcharts, FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining the scanner device set, and FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the scanner device set. , FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state during reading, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state at the end of reading, and FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the drawbacks of the conventional device. 2...Original 6...CCD 7...Roller 17...Tact switch 200...Image memory 210...Atres counter 220...LCD screen 230...Controller 240...VRAM 2 5 0... FDD 3 0 1... Trailing edge 3 0 2 3 03... Mark JP-A-3 21162 (9) 1-

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image reading device having a function of sequentially reading image data and continuously inputting the image data into an external storage means in accordance with manual scanning of a document, and storing a certain amount of the latest data of the image data. An image reading device comprising means for selecting image data to be registered in the external storage means.