Scanner, lighting apparatus, and scanning method

• US 7,126,727 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Mase, Yasufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US10/223,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20030053149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 358/475, 358/509, 358/474, 358/497, 358/494, 358/505, 358/487, 358/506, 348/218.1, 348/221.1, 348/211.14, 348/373, 348/340, 348/351, 348/357, 348/374, 348/362, 356605-607, 250234-236, 250/216, 250/239, 359/205, 382/312
• US Class Current: 358/475
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0287 using a tubular lamp or a combination of such lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1013 with sub-scanning by translatory movement of at least a part of the main-scanning components H04N1/107 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1021 using a lead screw or worm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1043 of a sensor array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0436 Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0458 Additional arrangements for improving or optimising scanning resolution or quality

Abstract

A scanner is provided with a small and low-priced lighting member. The scanner scans an object having undulations on a surface thereof with good quality. The object is placed on a scanning platform. A CCD line sensor incorporated in a camera is positioned facing the scanning platform and scans the object line by line, while moving along an image plane on a lens of an optical scanning system for a specified distance. The lighting member irradiates a scanned position with light from above in a slanting direction under the same condition. The lighting member is moved in synch with the scanned position shifted when the CCD line sensor scans one line, so that the irradiation angle is constant entirely on the object to be scanned. Therefore, shadows of the undulations on the surface of the object are formed under the same conditions as those observed under the natural light without loss of stereoscopic effect of the object.

Claims

1. A scanner for scanning an object having undulations on a surface thereof, comprising:

a scanning platform on which the object is placed;

a scanning member fixedly disposed with respect to the scanning platform and facing the scanning platform, the scanning member including an image sensor that detects a line image, an optical system that forms an image on the surface of the object on a light receptive surface of the image sensor by scale-down, and a scanning device that moves the image sensor along an image plane;

a lighting member that applies light from a direction having a predetermined angle to a scanned position in a path which is scanned by the image sensor; and

a lighting member interlock device that maintains the direction that the lighting member illuminates light and brings the lighting member in synchronization with the scanned position shifted on the scanning platform in accordance with a movement of the image sensor.

2. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the lighting member interlock device comprises a lighting member moving device that moves the lighting member along the scanning platform, and a movement control device that controls the lighting member moving device such that the lighting member is moved for a specified amount in a timed relationship with a completion of scanning the line sensor by the image sensor.

3. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the lighting member is a linear light source extending toward a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the lighting member interlock device.

4. The scanner according to claim 3, wherein the lighting member includes a plurality of linear light sources each shorter than a scanning width of the image sensor, which is enlarged by the optical system, and the linear light sources arranged along the scanning width such that ends of the linear light sources overlap each other.

5. The scanner according to claim 3, wherein the lighting member includes a plurality of arrays of linear light sources placed end to end along the scanning width, and the plurality of arrays of linear light sources are made such that end portions of one array are adjacent to middle portions of another array.

6. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the lighting member further comprises a reflector that reflects light incident from a light source and causes the light to fall on the scanned position of the object.

7. A lighting apparatus for scanning an object having undulations on a surface thereof, comprising:

a scanning member fixedly disposed with respect to a scanning platform and facing the scanning platform, the scanning member including an image sensor that detects a line image, an optical system that forms an image on the surface of the object on a light receptive surface of the image sensor by scale-down, and a scanning device that moves the image sensor along an image plane;

a lighting member that illuminates light from a direction having a predetermined angle sloped with respect to a scanned position where the image sensor scans the object; and

a lighting member interlock device that maintains the direction that the lighting member illuminates light and moves the lighting member in synchronization with the scanned position shifted on the scanning platform in accordance with a movement of the image sensor.

8. The lighting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lighting member interlock device comprises a lighting member moving device that moves the lighting member along the scanning platform, and a movement control device that controls the lighting member moving device such that the lighting member is moved for a specified amount in a timed relationship with a completion of scanning the line by the image sensor.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lighting member is a liner light source extending in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the lighting member interlock device.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lighting member includes a plurality of linear light sources each shorter than a scanning width of the image sensor, which is enlarged by the optical system, and the linear light sources arranged along the scanning width such that ends of the linear light sources overlap each other.

11. The lighting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lighting member includes a plurality of arrays of linear light sources placed end to end along the scanning width, and the plurality of arrays of linear light sources are made such that end portions of one array are adjacent to middle portions of another array.

12. The lighting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lighting member further comprises a reflector that reflects light incident from a light source and causes the light to fall on the scanned position of the object.

13. A scanning method, comprising the steps of:

placing an object to be scanned having undulations on a surface thereof on a scanning platform fixedly disposed with respect to a scanning member and the scanning member facing the scanning platform, the scanning member including an image sensor that detects a line image, an optical system that forms an image on the surface of the object on a light receptive surface of the image sensor by scale-down, and a scanning device that moves the image sensor along an image plane;

moving the image sensor to start scanning the object; and

moving a lighting member that illuminates a scanned position where the image sensor scans the object with light from a direction having a predetermined angle sloped with respect to the scanned position in synchronization with the scanned position shifted on the scanning platform in accordance with a movement of the image sensor, while maintaining the direction that the lighting member illuminates light.