Image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors

• US 5,991,467 A
• Filed: 07/10/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kamiko, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/891,130
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 382/312, 382/313, 382/100, 382/124, 382/125, 382/126, 382/127, 250/214 AL, 250/556, 250/214 B, 250/214 SW, 250/208.1, 356/71
• US Class Current: 382/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing

Abstract

An inexpensive, miniaturized and thin image reading apparatus reads various types of images, such as fingerprints. The apparatus includes a transparent substrate. A light-emitting unit emits light to pass through the transparent substrate and to be applied to a subject pressed against the substrate. A plurality of light-receiving units are disposed on the substrate in the vertical and horizontal directions with intervals therebetween and receive the light which is emitted from the light-emitting unit and is reflected from the subject. A reading device reads an image of the subject in accordance with the amount of light received by the light-receiving units.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a light-emitting unit for emitting light to pass through said transparent substrate and to be applied to at least one subject pressed against said transparent substrate;

a plurality of received-light thin-film transistors having active layers composed of photoconductive semiconductors, said received-light thin-film transistors spaced apart in the vertical and horizontal directions in said transparent substrate at a surface of said transparent substrate to which said at least one subject is pressed, said received-light thin-film transistors receiving light emitted from said light emitting member and deflected from said at least one subject, and wherein said received-light thin-film transistors generate an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of said light received from said light deflected from said at least one subject;

switching thin-film transistors arranged at said surface of said transparent substrate having said received-light thin-film transistors arranged therein in correspondence with each of said received-light thin-film transistors so as to control an output of each of said received-light thin-film transistors;

reading mechanism operational to read an image of said at least one subject, wherein said reading mechanism includes a received-light-voltage generating circuit operational to generate a received-light-voltage for each of said received-light thin-film transistors corresponding to the amount of said electrical signal generated by each of said received-light thin-film transistors; and

an image signal outputting mechanism operational to output an image signal in response to a received-light-voltage generated by said received-light-voltage generating circuit.

2. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting unit comprises a light-emitting unit for emitting rays of light representing a plurality of different colors.

3. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said received-light-voltage generating circuit is comprised of an operation amplifier having two input terminals and one output terminal, one of said input terminals being connected to an output side of said switching thin-film transistor and the other input terminal connected to a reference potential;

an electrical load absorbing capacitor connected between said one input terminal of said operation amplifier and said output terminal of said operation amplifier; and

a resetting transistor having a control electrode to which a reset signal for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor is inputted and input/output electrodes for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor.

4. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 3, wherein a resistor element for dampening an action of parasitic capacitance of said resetting transistor is connected between an input electrode of said resetting transistor and a reference potential.

5. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said received-light-voltage generating circuit is comprised of an operation amplifier having two input terminals and one output terminal, one of said input terminals being connected to an output side of said switching thin-film transistor and the other input terminal connected to a reference potential;

a series-connected resistor circuit connected between said output terminal of said operation amplifier and said reference potential;

an electrical load absorbing capacitor connected between a mid-point of said series-connected resistor circuit and said one input terminal of the operation amplifier; and

a resetting transistor having a control electrode to which a reset signal for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor is inputted and input/output electrodes for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor.

6. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said received-light-voltage generating circuit is comprised of an operation amplifier having two input terminals and one output terminal, one of said input terminals being connected to an output side of said switching thin-film transistor and the other input terminal connected to a reference potential;

an electrical load absorbing capacitor connected between said one input terminal of said operation amplifier and said output terminal of said operation amplifier;

a comparator having two input terminals and one output terminal, one of said input terminals connected to an output side of said operation amplifier and the other input terminal connected to said reference potential; and

a resetting transistor having a control electrode to which a reset signal for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor is inputted and input/output electrodes for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor, and one of said input/output electrodes being connected to an output terminal of said comparator and the other electrode being connected to said one input terminal.

7. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said received-light-voltage generating circuit is comprised of a MOS transistor having its gate electrode connected to an output side of said switching thin-film transistor, one of its source electrode and its drain electrode being connected to a reference potential and the other electrode being applied as an output electrode;

an electrical load absorbing capacitor connected between said gate electrode of said MOS transistor and said output electrode; and

a resetting transistor having a control electrode to which a reset signal for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor is inputted and input/output electrodes for resetting an electrical load of said capacitor.

8. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 7, wherein a source of constant current is connected to the output electrode of said MOS transistor.

9. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said image signal outputting means is a multiplexer for selectively changing-over signals outputted from a plurality of said received-light-voltage generating circuits and outputting them.

10. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 1, wherein said received-light thin-film transistor has a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, said semiconductor active layer, a drain electrode and a source electrode, and a light shielding electrode placed between said semiconductor active layer and said transparent substrate and electrically spaced apart from said gate electrode so as to prevent a direct light emitted from said light emitting member from being incident to said semiconductor active layer in cooperation with said gate electrode.

11. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a light emitting member for emitting light passing through said transparent substrate and radiating to the subjects pressed against said transparent substrate;

a plurality of received-light thin-film transistors having active layers composed of photoconductive semiconductors spaced apart in horizontal and vertical directions in said transparent substrate at a surface of said transparent substrate to which the subjects are pressed, receiving a reflected light of light emitted from said light emitting member and radiated against said subjects, and generating an electrical load in response to an amount of received light of said reflected light;

switching thin-film transistors arranged at a surface of said transparent substrate having said received-light thin-film transistors arranged therein in correspondence with each of said received-light thin-film transistors so as to control an output of each of said received-light thin-film transistor;

a reading means for reading the image of the subjects in response to an amount of received light of said received-light thin-film transistors; and

wherein said reading means includes a received-light-voltage generating circuit for generating a received-light-voltage for each of said received-light thin-film transistors in response to an amount of electrical load generated by said received-light thin-film transistors; and

an image signal outputting means for outputting an image signal in response to a received-light-voltage generated by said received-light-voltage generating circuit, and the surface of said transparent substrate against which the subjects are pressed can be moved up and down.

12. An image reading apparatus containing light receiving transistors and switching transistors according to claim 11, wherein means for moving up or down the surface of said transparent substrate against which the subjects are pressed is comprised of a base bottom plate and a resilient means for supporting said light emitting member in such a way that it may be moved up or down in respect to said substrate.