JPH0410274B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an image reading device.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus that uses a one-dimensional image sensor such as a CCD array as an image reading means and reads an image by scanning an image surface with the one-dimensional image sensor in main and sub-scanning directions.

[Conventional technology]

As a specific example of this type of image reading apparatus, FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of an apparatus for reading and processing required frame image information on a roll microfilm. This device will be explained below as an example.

In the figure, F is a roll microfilm, which is wound on the unwinding reel 2, and the leader tape section on the leading end side can be attached to the take-up reel 1 manually or by an autoloading and automatic winding mechanism (without automatic winding mechanism). (as shown). The take-up reel 1 is rotated clockwise by a motor M1, and the film F is sequentially wound from the unwinding reel 2 side to the reel 1 side. Directly feed the film in this direction a
shall be. The rewinding reel 2 is rotated counterclockwise by the motor M2, and the film F is sequentially rewound from the take-up reel 1 side to the reel 2 side. The film traveling in this direction is referred to as reverse feeding b.

C denotes individual frame images photographed and recorded sequentially along the length of the film on the F side of the film, and m denotes a frame counting mark formed at the edge position of the film corresponding to each frame image.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a film frame illumination and projection optical system disposed between the film rewind reel 2 and the take-up reel 1, which includes an illumination lamp 4, a condenser lens 5, a mark detection sensor unit 6, and an imaging lens 7.
Consists of etc. L is the optical axis, 8 is the film frame illumination position, and C' is the imaging plane of the frame image C located at the illumination position 8 by the imaging lens 7.

9 scans the image plane C' in main and sub-scans to read the image formed on the image plane C, that is, the film frame image information.
A one-dimensional image sensor such as a CCD array.

This one-dimensional image sensor 9 is attached and held by a holding member 10 with its longitudinal direction in the main scanning direction parallel to the lateral direction XX of the imaging plane C (forward and reverse feeding directions of the film F).

The holding member 10 is attached to the base 11 with brackets 12,1
2 in the longitudinal direction Y-Y of the imaging plane C' (film F
It is free to slide vertically along a pair of left and right vertical guide rails 13, 13, which are arranged in parallel to the forward and reverse feeding directions (directions perpendicular to the forward and reverse feeding directions). 14,15
16 is a driving pulley and a driven pulley disposed on the lower side and upper side of the base 11, and 16 is an endless wire suspended and stretched around both pulleys 14 and 15. A part of the wire and the side of the holding member 10 The side protruding lug 10a is connected. The drive pulley 14 is driven to rotate in forward and reverse directions by a forward and reverse rotation motor M3. When the drive pulley 14 is driven to rotate in the forward direction, the wire 16 is rotated counterclockwise and the holding member 1 of the one-dimensional image sensor 9 is rotated.
0 moves downward along the rails 13. Conversely, the holding member 10 moves upward along the rails 13, 13 by driving the drive pulley 14 to rotate in the opposite direction. The holding member 10 is normally held on standby with the home position being a position pulled up to the upper end side of the rails 13, 13. In this state, the one-dimensional image sensor 9 is located at a position that substantially coincides with the upper side of the imaging plane C' or slightly above it. As the holding member 10 moves downward, the one-dimensional image sensor 9 moves downward from the upper side of the image forming surface to the lower side along the image forming surface C' with its light receiving surface exactly matching the image forming surface C. do. That is, it moves in the sub-scanning direction.

Then, when the desired film frame image number (address) is specified and input into the control circuit using an operation panel (not shown) and the search key is pressed, driving of motor M2 or motor M1 is started and the film is forwarded. Feeding a or reverse feeding b is performed, and thereby the film F
The individual frame images C are at the frame image illumination position 8 of the optical system 3.
are passed one after another in the forward feeding direction a or in the reverse feeding direction b. During this passing process, the marks m of the individual frame images C are sequentially photoelectrically read by the mark detection sensor unit 6, and the sequential reading signals of the marks m are counted (additional counting or The content of the count is compared with the specified and input required frame image number in the comparator circuit. When the contents of the two match, that is, when the frame image corresponding to the designated and inputted frame image number is located at the frame image illumination position 8 of the optical system 3, a stop signal is issued from the comparison circuit to the drive control circuit. The forward feeding a or the reverse feeding b of the film F is immediately stopped. That is, a required frame image is automatically searched for at the frame image illumination position 8 of the optical system 3 and held in a stationary state, and the image of the frame image is formed as a still image on the imaging plane C' position.

On the other hand, when the read command button is pressed after the automatic search for the desired frame image is completed, the motor M3 starts to rotate in the normal direction, and the holding member 10, that is, the one-dimensional image sensor 9 is moved from the upper side to the lower side of the image forming plane C'. It moves downward.

In this way, the image formed on the imaging plane C', that is, the film frame image, is linearly main-scanned in the image sub-direction The sub-scanning is performed by the downward movement of the sensor 9 along the Y direction, and the sensor 9 photoelectrically reads the signal as a time-series electric pixel signal. sensor 9
completes reading of the entire image by descending to the bottom edge of the imaging plane C, and at that point the motor
M3 is switched to reverse rotation drive, and the accompanying upward movement of the holding member 10 returns it to its home position on the upper side of the initial image forming surface, and waits until the start of the next image reading.

The time-series electric pixel signal as an image reading signal output from the one-dimensional image sensor 9 is input to an image reproducing device (not shown), and an image corresponding to the read image is reproduced by a CRT display or a printer (laser beam printer, etc.). It will be done.

There is also a type of micro-fissure film in which a required frame image portion is located at the illumination position 8 and the image is read in a similar manner.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, roll microfilm or microfissure film is used to store individual frame images C as shown in Figure 5a.
Alternatively, there are images that are photographed and recorded in portrait mode, as shown in c, and images that are photographed and recorded in landscape mode, as shown in b and d of the figure.

The above-mentioned image reading device shown in FIG. 4 is for use with rolled microfilm in portrait mode, and as long as the film F used is in portrait mode, it reads the film frame image (the image) as shown in FIG. Main scanning and sub-scanning reading by the one-dimensional image sensor 9 (imaging plane C') is performed sequentially from the top side of the vertically oriented image to the other side, and there is no problem with image reproduction on a CRT display, printer, etc. in the vertical orientation. When the film F used is in the horizontal image mode, the main scanning and sub-scanning reading by the one-dimensional image sensor 9 of the film frame image (imaging plane C'' of the image is performed with one side of the image as the top. Therefore, (1) the reproduced image on a CRT display or printer will be oriented horizontally, making it very difficult to see; (2) the main scanning length of the one-dimensional image sensor 9; Dimension l
(Dimension in the main scanning direction (X-X direction dimension) of the imaging plane C'' of the frame image in landscape mode relative to (Fig. 6)
Since W becomes larger, α ₁ and α ₂ of the imaging plane C″
The portion falls outside the reading range of the one-dimensional image sensor 9, and in many cases, the reproduced image will be missing the top and bottom sides, making it inaccurate and useless.

There was a problem.

The present invention does not have the above-mentioned problems, that is, regardless of whether the image to be read is in portrait mode or landscape mode, the reproduced image on a CRT display or printer, etc., has the top up and the bottom down. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading device which can be used in both modes, which reads an image in portrait orientation and without image defects.

[Means, actions, and effects for solving problems]

The present invention is an image reading device that uses a one-dimensional image sensor to read an image by main scanning and sub-scanning, which includes: a one-dimensional image sensor 9 that reads an image placed at a reading position;・M3 and the first image C', which is placed vertically at the reading position so that the top and bottom of the image are vertical, are read with the horizontal direction X-X as the main scanning direction and the vertical direction Y-Y as the sub-scanning direction. and a second posture in which the vertical direction Y-Y of the image C'' placed horizontally at the reading position so that the top and bottom of the image form left and right sides is the main scanning direction, and the horizontal direction XX is the sub-scanning direction. The image reading apparatus is characterized in that it includes means 17, 18, M4 for rotating the image sensor 9 and the sub-scanning movement mechanisms 10 to 16, M3.

That is, when the image to be read is in the portrait mode, the one-dimensional image sensor and its sub-scanning movement mechanism are switched to the first attitude with respect to the image surface, and the image is read. If the mode is landscape orientation, the image reading is performed by switching to the second orientation.

Then, in the former case, the vertical image C' is scanned by the one-dimensional image sensor 9, with the horizontal direction It is read and processed as a direction. Therefore, the orientation of the reproduced image based on the read signal is vertical, and the entire image is read without any defects.

In the latter case, the horizontal image C'' is a one-dimensional image sensor 9 whose posture has been changed by 90 degrees with respect to the former case.
(shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 6), the vertical direction of the image plane Y-
Reading processing is performed with Y as the main scanning direction and horizontal direction XX as the sub-scanning direction. That is, the horizontal image
The reading direction of C'', that is, the main scanning and sub-scanning directions, has exactly the same relationship as that of the vertically oriented image C'. Therefore, the orientation of the reproduced image is vertical, and the entire image can be read without missing parts. , the above objectives are well achieved.

〔Example〕

1 to 3 relate to the microfilm frame image reading device shown in FIG. 4, which is adapted to read and process both microfilm frame images in portrait mode and frame images in landscape mode without any trouble according to the present invention. This is an example. Components that are common to the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

A base 11, on which the one-dimensional image sensor 9 and its sub-scanning movement mechanisms 19, 12 to 16, and M3 are assembled and held, rotates the film frame around a support shaft (not shown) coaxial with the optical axis L of the optical system 3. It is supported for free rotation in a plane parallel to the image formation planes C' and C''.17
is a large gear attached to the back of the base 11 concentrically with the support shaft, and 18 is a small gear rotationally driven by a forward/reverse rotation motor M4, which is meshed with the large gear. By driving the motor M4 in the reverse direction, the base 11 is rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft via the small gear 18 and the large gear 17, from the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 to the second position.
Converts to the 90° horizontal position shown in the figure. In the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2, the motor M4 is rotated in the normal direction, thereby rotating clockwise and returning to the vertical position shown in FIG.

When the base is in the vertical position in FIG. 1, the base 11
The one-dimensional image sensor 9 and its sub-scanning movement mechanism assembled and held in the image plane (imaging plane) C'
The first posture with respect to C″, that is, the lateral direction of the image plane
The apparatus is in the same relational attitude as the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, in which X is the main scanning direction and the vertical direction Y-Y is the sub-scanning direction.

In the horizontal position of the base in Fig. 2, the image plane C′・
Second posture with respect to C″, that is, image plane vertical direction Y-Y
The orientation is such that the main scanning direction is the main scanning direction and the horizontal direction XX is the sub-scanning direction.

Figure 3 shows the mode switching circuit, 19 is the image reading command push button, S is the mode switching switch, and Q is the mode switching circuit.
is the contact point on the image portrait mode side of the switch, and R is the contact point on the horizontal mode side of the switch.

(a) In case of vertical image mode (Fig. 1) Switch switch S to contact Q side. A desired film frame image C (vertical image) is searched and positioned at the illumination position 8. Press push button 19. The switch S may be switched to the contact Q side after searching for the desired frame image.

Then the AND gate 20 opens and the motor
A motor forward rotation command signal SQ is input to the forward/reverse rotation drive control circuit 22 of M4. At this time, the base 11 is already in the vertical position shown in FIG.
When is in the first attitude with respect to the vertical image plane C', the motor M4 is not driven in the normal direction regardless of the above-mentioned signal SQ, and the base 11 is maintained in its vertical attitude. The image reading control circuit 23 operates to perform a reading process for the vertical image plane C' using the one-dimensional image sensor 9 in which the horizontal direction X-X of the image plane C' is the main scanning direction and the vertical direction Y-Y is the sub-scanning direction. is executed.

Also, if the base 11 is in the horizontal position shown in the second figure when the push button 19 is pressed, the motor is activated by the signal SQ.
M4 is driven to rotate forward, and the base 11 is thereby rotated clockwise. When the base 11 rotates 90 degrees and changes to the vertical position shown in Figure 1, the motor
Further rotation of the base 11 is stopped by M4. Thereafter, the image reading control circuit 23 operates and the reading process is executed in the same manner as above.

(b) In case of image landscape mode (Fig. 2) Switch switch S to contact R side. A desired film frame image (landscape image) is searched and positioned at the illumination position 8. Press push button 19.

Then the AND gate 21 opens and the motor
A motor reverse rotation command signal SR is input to the control circuit 22 of M4. At this time, if the base 11 is already in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2, that is, the one-dimensional image sensor 9 is in the second position with respect to the horizontal image plane C', the above signal
Regardless of SR, the motor M4 is not driven in the reverse direction, the base 11 is maintained in its horizontal position, and the image reading control circuit 23 is subsequently activated to scan the horizontal image plane C″ by the one-dimensional image sensor 9. A reading process is executed in which the vertical direction Y-Y of C'' is the main scanning direction and the horizontal direction XX is the sub-scanning direction.

Also, if the base 11 is in the vertical position shown in the first figure when the push button 19 is pressed, the motor is activated by the signal SR.
M4 is driven in reverse, thereby rotating the base 11 counterclockwise. When the base 11 rotates 90 degrees and changes to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2, the motor
Further rotation of the base 11 by M4 is stopped. Thereafter, the image reading control circuit 23 operates and the same reading process as above is executed.

Switching between vertical and horizontal postures of the base 11,
That is, the first and second attitude switching mechanisms for the image planes C' and C'' of the one-dimensional image sensor 9 and its sub-scanning movement mechanism may be configured with a reciprocating mechanism using an electromagnetic solenoid, a linear motor, or the like. Yes, it can be switched manually.

Furthermore, the sub-scanning movement mechanism of the one-dimensional image sensor 9 may also be configured in various other ways.

Images to be read are not limited to microfilm frame images.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main parts in the first posture state, FIG. 2 is the same view in the second posture state, and FIG. The figure shows an example of a mode switching circuit, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main parts of an example of a conventional microfilm frame image reading device, and FIGS. FIG. 6, which is a plan view of a part of the film or microfissile film, is a reading range diagram. F is microfilm, C is individual frame image, 9
is a one-dimensional image sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image reading device that uses a one-dimensional image sensor to read an image by main scanning and sub-scanning, comprising: a one-dimensional image sensor that reads an image placed at a reading position; a sub-scanning movement mechanism thereof; , a first posture in which the horizontal direction of the image is placed vertically at the reading position so that the top and bottom of the image are vertical, and the vertical direction is the sub-scanning direction; A second posture for reading an image placed horizontally at a reading position with the vertical direction as the main scanning direction and the horizontal direction as the sub-scanning direction, and a means for rotating the image sensor and the sub-scanning movement mechanism. An image reading device characterized by: