JPH0419741B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a method for attaching an image to an original cylinder on the input scanning side of an image scanning device such as a plate-making scanner and an image scanning recording device (image scanning recording device, etc.). The present invention relates to a preset focusing method and device for presetting the focusing of a pickup lens for each of a plurality of original images.

(Prior art and its problems) In a cylindrical scanning plate-making scanner, a scanning head positioned a predetermined distance from the cylinder surface is moved in the axial direction of the cylinder while rotating an original cylinder to which an original is attached. The original image is photoelectrically scanned by a photoelectric conversion element such as a photomultiplier tube or a CCD housed in a scanning head. The transmitted light or reflected light from the original image is taken into the scanning head via a pick-up lens provided in the scanning head.
Since it is necessary to focus the pick-up lens for each original image for reasons described later, the pick-up lens is movably held inside the scanning head by a mechanism as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 7, a pick-up lens 1 is supported by a support 2. In FIG. This support 2 has a moving screw 4 with a manual knob 3 formed at one end.
It is screwed into the cylinder 5 and can be moved back and forth with respect to the cylindrical surface of the original cylinder 5 by rotating the manual knob 3. When focusing on the original image 6 affixed to the original image cylinder 5, the operator first moves the entire scanning head to the position of the original image 6, then visually confirms the focus of the pick-up lens 1 through the viewer 7, The focus is adjusted by manually moving the pick-up lens 1 back and forth with respect to the original image 6 while rotating the manual knob 3.

The main reason for focusing each original image is that the focus position changes depending on the thickness of the transparent and reflective original images.For transparent original images, the focused position is on the cylinder surface side, and for reflective original images, the focus position is on the surface of the original image. The transparent original image must be attached to the cylinder with the emulsion side facing inside or outside.

In this way, focusing must be performed for each original image, so when scanning multiple original images attached to an original image cylinder, the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped when one original image is scanned, and then the next image is scanned. After moving the scanning head to the position where the original image is pasted and refocusing on the original image, scanning is started again. Particularly when pasting many original images onto one original image cylinder, the above operation must be repeated for each original image one by one, which results in a very long processing time, and the operator has to wait until all the original images have been scanned. I had to be on the spot. In addition, the actual setup of the original image involves not only focusing, but also highlight points, shadow points, USM amount, color correction,
There is a lot of work to do with settings such as magnification, transmission/reflection, negative/positive, gradation, etc., and the time the operator has to do in one place is extremely long. Note that some setups can be preset, for example, at another location, but for complete presets, it is necessary to also preset focusing.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the focus adjustment method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 158669/1983 has been proposed by the same applicant as the present application. In this method, errors in cylinder processing accuracy are detected in advance using a measuring device such as an electric micro, and thickness information of the recording film or original image is entered from the keyboard, and further correction is added accordingly to create a preset focus. It is something that multiplies. However, in the above publication, when a large number of original images are attached to an original image cylinder and scanned,
In a situation where different types of original images, including transmission original images and reflection original images, coexist, there is no discussion from the viewpoint of switching between the transmission light source and the reflection light source so that they can be scanned completely automatically.

(Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to completely automatically scan a wide variety of original images, including transparent original images and reflective original images, by attaching them to an original image cylinder. It is an object of the present invention to provide a preset focusing method and device that can perform preset focusing in a scanning manner.

(Means for achieving the object) In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention,
On the input scanning side of an image scanning recording device, etc., depending on whether the original image is a transparent image or a reflective original image, the light source is set for transmission or reflection.
It is provided so as to be switchable to either one or both of the reflective images, and also includes positional information of a plurality of original images attached to the original image cylinder, an optimum focus position of a pick-up lens of the scanning head for each of the plurality of original images, and a plurality of the plurality of original images. For each of the plurality of original images, a transmission original image and a reflection original image are stored in a storage means, and for each of the plurality of original images, before starting image input, the information stored in the storage means is recalled, and the information stored in the storage means is stored for the corresponding original image. The scanning head is moved to a scanning position, the pick-up lens is positioned at an optimal focus position, and the light source is switched to one or both of transmission and reflection.

(Embodiment) FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the entire scanner to which the present invention is applied. A plurality of original images 6 are wound around the original image cylinder 5. The original cylinder 5 is configured coaxially with a pulley 101 and a rotary encoder 102, and the motor 10 is connected to the pulley 101, a belt 103, and a pulley 104.
5 rotates the original image cylinder 5 and scans the original image 6. The main scanning position on the original cylinder 5 is detected by pulses generated by the rotary encoder 102 being taken into the control circuit 111. The scanning head 8 moves in the direction of the arrow 108 as the rotation of the motor 106 is decelerated and transmitted to the feed screw 107. At this time, a pulse is generated by the linear encoder 109 and the detector 110, which is input to the control circuit 111, and the sub-scanning position is detected.

The image signal taken in by the scanning head 8 by scanning the original image is applied to the recording head 113 via a known color correction circuit or the like 112, and a desired image is exposed and recorded on a film 115 wound around a recording cylinder 114. The recording cylinder 114 is configured coaxially with the pulley 116 and the rotary encoder 117,
Motor 12 via belt 118 and pulley 119
It rotates by the drive of 0. The recording main scanning position is detected by the control circuit 111 using pulses generated by the rotary encoder 117. Recording head 11
3 moves in the arrow direction 123 as the rotation of the motor 121 is decelerated and transmitted to the feed screw 122. At this time, a pulse is generated by the linear encoder 124 and the detector 125, which is taken into the control circuit 111, and the recording sub-scanning position is detected.

The control circuit 111 also controls the outputs of the shutters 9 and 10 and the rotary encoder 21 and the drive of the focus motor 19, which will be explained in FIGS.
is controlled via control line 126.

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the entire input side scanning head when the preset focus method, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is applied to a plate-making scanner, and Fig. 2 shows the vicinity of the pick-up lens in detail. FIG.

In FIG. 1, the scanning head 8 has a light source 11 that can be switched between a transmission original image and a reflection original image by a transmission shutter 9 and a reflection shutter 10, which are driven by a solenoid or the like. At this time, as shown in the figure, the transmission shutter 9 is "open",
The reflective shutter 10 is “closed” and the light source 11
The light from the auxiliary condenser lens 12a, the mirror 13,
The light is guided perpendicularly to the circumferential surface of the cylinder from the inside of the original cylinder 5 made of a translucent material via the condenser lens 12b. On the other hand, when used for reflective originals, contrary to the illustration, the transparent shutter is "closed" and the reflective shutter 1 is
0 is "open", and the light from the light source 11 is guided from the outside of the original image cylinder 5 to the cylindrical peripheral surface via the condenser lens 12c and the optical fiber 14.

A plurality of original images 6, 6, . . . are pasted on the outer peripheral surface of the original image cylinder 5. Light transmitted through the original image 6 (when the original image 6 is a transparent original image as shown in Figure 1)
Alternatively, the light reflected on the surface of the original image 6 (if the original image 6 is a reflective original image) is captured through the pick-up lens 1, and when inputting the image, it is transmitted through the mirror 15 to the photoelectric conversion element 16 (a plurality of them are used, but for convenience of illustration) ), and at the time of focusing, is guided to the viewer 7 via the optical path switching mirror 17.

In FIG. 2, a pick-up lens 1 is supported by a support 2. In FIG. The support body 2 is screwed into a moving screw 4, and moves back and forth with respect to the cylindrical surface of the original cylinder 5 as the moving screw 4 rotates.
The pick-up lens 1 can be positioned at any position. The moving screw 4 is connected to the manual knob 3 and the focus motor 1 via a gear train 18.
9, and is rotationally driven by the operator's manual rotation of the manual knob 3 or by driving the focus motor 19. A rotary encoder 21 is connected to one end of the moving screw 4 via a coupling 20 to determine the rotational speed of the moving screw 4, that is, the position of the pick-up lens 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control device (part of the control circuit 111 in FIG. 6) using a microcomputer to control the preset focus device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. . As a general configuration, the bus line B of the microcomputer includes a CPU 22 which is a central control unit,
A ROM 23 storing a control program for preset focus processing and a RAM 24 for writing various data during the preset focus processing are connected. Furthermore, via the bus line B, various detections described below,
Drive and input devices are connected.

As mentioned above, the rotary encoder 21 is for knowing the position of the pick-up lens 1, and its output pulses are sent to the up/down counter 2.
5, and the main scanning and sub-scanning positions of the pick-up lens 1 or the focus position corresponding to the original image number are taken in as the count value.
As described above, the focus motor 19 is for moving the pick-up lens 1 back and forth, and is driven via the motor drive circuit 26 based on a drive command from the CPU 22. The shutter drive device 27 is for switching the transmission shutter 9 and the reflection shutter 10 depending on whether the original is a transmission original or a reflection original. Driven. Cylinder drive device 28
is for rotationally driving the original image cylinder 5, and usually uses the above-mentioned pulleys 101, 104,
belt 103, main scanning motor 105, and
It consists of a motor drive circuit (not shown) for driving the main scanning motor in response to drive commands from the CPU 22. The head driving device 29 is for moving the scanning head 8 in the axial direction of the original image cylinder 5, and usually includes a feed screw 107 connected to the scanning head 8, and a sub-scanning device for rotationally driving the feed screw 107. Motor 106 and CPU
It consists of a motor drive circuit (not shown) for receiving a drive command from 22 and driving the sub-scanning motor. The head position detection device 30 is connected to the scanning head 8.
For example, a rotary encoder 102 is attached to the rotation shaft of the original image cylinder 5 to detect the rotational position (i.e., the main scanning position) of the original image cylinder 5; It is configured to include a linear encoder 109 and a detector 110, which are arranged along the movement path of the head 8 and used to determine the position of the scanning head 8 in the cylinder axis direction (ie, the sub-scanning position). The input device 31 consists of, for example, a keyboard, and is used by the operator to input required information.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure when an operator performs setup. First, in step S1, for the first of the many original pictures 6, 6, etc. pasted on the original picture cylinder 5,
Enter the original image number (No.) and manually focus. That is, the operator moves the scanning head 8 to the position of the first original image 6, and
While checking the focus of the pick-up lens 1 visually through the lens, the manual knob 3 is manually rotated to focus the pick-up lens 1. Then, when the focus is achieved, if a predetermined key operation on the input device 31 is performed (step S2), information on the optimal focus position is transferred to the rotary encoder 2.
1. The information is taken from the up/down counter 25 to the CPU 22 via bus line B, and the information is
It is stored in RAM24.

Next, in step S3, the trimming point of the original image,
That is, the positional information of the image input start point and end point of the first original image 6 is input. In this operation, the operator moves the original image cylinder 5 and the scanning head 8 while visually viewing the viewer, and operates a predetermined key on the input device 31 when the trimming point is reached. As a result, the trimming position (main scanning/sub-scanning position) information of the first original image 6 is transmitted from the head position detection device 30 to the CPU 2 via the bus line B.
2, and the information is stored in the RAM 24. In the following step S4, the first original image 6 is distinguished from transparent original image/reflective original image, as well as highlight points, shadow points, USM amount, color correction,
Various data such as magnification, negative/positive, gradation, etc. are set up. These data are inputted via the input device 31. For example, several sets of data can be prepared in advance depending on the type of original picture and inputted using a menu method. The input data is sent via bus line B.
The data is taken into the CPU 22 and stored in the RAM 24.

The above-mentioned operations are similarly performed sequentially for the remaining original pictures 6, and when the setup for all the original pictures is completed, the setup work is completed via step S5.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of automatic image input processing performed based on the above-mentioned setup data. First, in step S6, the operator turns on the scan start switch of the input device 31. Then, in step S7, a main scanning motor drive command is issued from the CPU 22, and the cylinder drive device 28 starts driving the original image cylinder 5.

Next, in step S8, the data for the first original image 6 among the setup data stored in the RAM 24 is called, and the CPU 22 performs the trimming process in step S9 based on the position information of the trimming point and the optimum focus position information of this data. , the scanning head 8 is moved to the trimming starting point, and the pickup lens 1 is focused. That is, the CPU 22 gives a sub-scanning motor drive command to move the scanning head 8 by the head drive device 29, and this movement is caused by the head position detection device 3.
Trimming is continued until the sub-scanning position of the scanning head 8 detected by 0 matches the sub-scanning position information of the called trimming start point. Also CPU2
2 gives a motor drive command until the position of the pick-up lens 1 detected by the rotary encoder 21 and the up/down counter 25 reaches the called-out optimum focus position, and moves it by the motor drive circuit 26 and the focus motor 19. The pick-up lens 1 is moved back and forth by rotating the screw 4.

Next, in step S10, based on the called setup data, the shutter 9 or 1 related to the light source 11 is
0 and other setup conditions are set. That is, the CPU 22 gives an opening/closing command to the shutter drive device 27, and when the first original image 6 is a transparent original image, the transparent shutter 9 is "opened", the reflective shutter 10 is "closed", and the light source 11 is used as a transparent light source. For reflective originals, use transparent shutter 1
9 is "closed" and the reflective shutter 10 is "open" so that the light source 11 is used as a reflective light source. In addition, the CPU 22 is
Other setup conditions such as highlight point, shadow point, USM amount, color correction, magnification, negative/positive, gradation, etc. are also set.

With the above steps, preparations for image input for the first original image 6 are completed, and image input is started in step S11. Then, in step S12, the scanning position of the scanning head 8 detected by the head position detection device 30 is waited for to reach the trimming end point of the first original image 6, and when it reaches the trimming end point, the process proceeds to step S13, and the entire original image is imaged. It is determined whether the input is finished. Since only the image input of the first original image 6 has now been completed, the determination result is "NO", and the process advances to step S14, where data for the next original image 6 from among the setup data stored in the RAM 24 is called. . and step S9
The processes from ~S13 are performed in the same manner as described above, and when the image input of all original images is completed, the process proceeds from step S13 to step S15, the main scanning motor and the sub-scanning motor are turned off, and a series of automatic image input processing is performed. is completed.

The photoelectric conversion element 16 is used in the embodiment shown in FIG. Alternatively, a photoelectric conversion element (for example, a photomultiplier tube) with low resolution may be used (for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
226348). In this case, if you specify the original picture and line drawing in advance, you can switch the photoelectric conversion element 16 between line drawing and picture at the same time as switching the light source 11 between transmission and reflection in the above embodiment. It can be done automatically.

Modification Example 1 In order to directly obtain the output laid out on the recording film like a composing scanner that can perform simple layout, the recording output on the recording film is further input in step S3 in Fig. 4. It's okay.

Modification 2 Although the recording side is also shown in the diagram of the embodiment in FIG. 6, when applied to a layout scanner, the image signal from the scanning head 8 or the color correction circuit 112 is temporarily transferred to a storage medium such as a magnetic disk. Retained.

Modification example 3 Both transmitted and reflected illumination may be used simultaneously.

When scanning a transmitted original image, it is generally undesirable because flare is caused by the reflected light source. but,
When scanning an original image in which reflective original images are pasted multiple times on an original image pasting mount, transparent images are used to prevent the differences in level caused by pasting from being recorded as shadows, and to prevent scratches on the original film from being recorded by exposure. A light source may also be used, and in this case, an instruction to use both types of illumination may be set in step S4 of FIG.

Modification 4 If the color separation setup conditions as well as the focusing data and light source switching data disclosed in this application are input into the original image setup device independent of the scanner, offline control can be performed and the operation rate of the scanner can be improved. will be further improved.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the preset focusing method and device of the present invention, a wide variety of original images including transparent original images and reflective original images can be stored in an original image cylinder, such as in a composing scanner. In the case of pasting and scanning, fully automatic scanning with light source switching and preset focus can be performed.

In addition, since this invention incorporates the focus adjustment and adjustment position before the start of scanning, even if the roundness accuracy of the original image cylinder deteriorates due to changes in ambient temperature or changes over time due to long-term use, these defects can be avoided. It is effective in dealing with.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 are mechanical configuration diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a block diagram of its control section, Figure 4 is a flowchart of the setup procedure, and Figure 5 is the flowchart of automatic image input processing. Chart,
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the entire scanner to which the present invention is used, and FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional focusing mechanism. 1... Pick up lens, 3... Manual knob, 4... Moving screw, 5... Original picture cylinder,
6...Original picture, 7...Viewer, 8...Scanning head,
9...Transmission shutter, 10...Reflection shutter, 11...Light source, 19...Focus motor,
21...Rotary encoder, 22...CPU,
24...RAM, 27...Shutter drive device, 2
8... Cylinder drive device, 29... Head drive device, 30... Head position detection device, 31... Input device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. On the input scanning side of an image scanning recording device, etc.
A light source is provided so as to be switchable to one or both of transmission and reflection depending on whether the original is a transparent original or a reflective original, and the position information of the plurality of originals attached to the original image cylinder and each of the plurality of originals is provided. storing in a storage means the optimum focus position of the pick-up lens of the scanning head for each of the plurality of original images and the distinction between a transparent original image and a reflective original image for each of the plurality of original images, and before starting image input for each of the plurality of original images; the information stored in the storage means is called up, the scanning head is moved to the corresponding scanning position, the pick-up lens is positioned at the optimum focus position, and the light source is set to one or both of transmission and reflection. A preset focus method characterized by switching to a preset focus method. 2. The photoelectric conversion element of the scanning head is switchable between line drawing and picture use, and the photoelectric conversion element is switched between line drawing and picture use in association with the original line drawing or the original picture. Preset focus method described in section. 3. On the input scanning side of the image scanning recording device, etc.
a first storage means for storing positional information of a plurality of original images pasted on an original image cylinder; a focus position detection means for detecting an optimum focus position of a pick-up lens of a scanning head for each of the plurality of original images; a second storage means for storing detected focus position information; a third storage means for storing information on whether the original image is a transparent original image or a reflective original image for each of the plurality of original images; a light source switching means for switching the light source to one or both of a transmission original image and a reflection original image; control means for calling the stored information, moving the scanning head to a corresponding scanning position, positioning the pick-up lens at an optimal focus position, and switching the light source to one or both of transmission and reflection; A preset focus device comprising: 4. The photoelectric conversion element of the scanning head can be switched between line drawing and picture, and the photoelectric conversion element can be switched between line drawing and picture in association with the line drawing or picture original. The preset focus device described in Section 1.