Closed circuit control device for scanner

• US RE41,568 E1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Transpacific Systems LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chang, Tsang-Huai
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku; Negussie
• Application Number:
  US11/299,239
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 358/474, 358/1.2, 358/1.5, 358/1.4, 358/3.17, 358/420, 358/468, 358/488, 358/486, 358/494, 358/497, 358/496, 358/483, 358/482, 358/505, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 358/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/047 Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position H04N1/0402 and H04N1/17 take precedence

Abstract

A closed circuit control device for controlling carrier speed of a scanner. An optical meter is attached to the transparent glass panel of a scanner such that an image of the optical meter is formed on an optical sensor such as a charge couple device or a contact image sensor. Image of the optical meter is converted into sense signals by the optical sensor so that speed of the carrier can be accurately computed. Through the acquisition of an accurate carrier speed, scanning speed and direction can be precisely controlled.

Claims

1. A closed circuit control device for controlling the scanning speed of a plurality of carriers inside a scanner, comprising:

a plurality of optical meters attached to a transparent glass panel and an optical sensor inside the scanner, wherein at least two of the optical meters are overlapped to produce digital signals with a cyclical directional pattern, whereby the optical scanner is capable of continuously picking up images of the optical meters during a scanning session and generating corresponding sense signals for controlling speed of a plurality of carriers, and detecting a moving direction according to the cyclical directional pattern.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each optical meter has a pattern of alternating black and white strips thereon.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each optical meter includes a plurality of bands with each band having a pattern of alternating black and white strips thereon.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein between a center of a white strip and a center of a black strip in a black and white band lies a black strip or a white strip of another black and white band.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor includes a charge couple device (CCD).

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor includes a contact image sensor (CIS).

7. A closed circuit control method for controlling the carrier of a scanner, comprising:

forming an image of an optical meter attached to the carrier in an optical sensor and converting the image into sense signals;

transmitting the sense signals to a computational device for converting frequency of a sense signal to a carrier speed;

comparing a computed carrier speed with a preset speed;

reducing speed of a driving motor if the computed carrier speed is greater than the preset speed;

increasing speed of the driving motor if the computed carrier speed is smaller than the preset speed; and

maintaining speed of the driving motor if the computed carrier speed and the preset speed are identical.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each optical meter includes a pattern of alternating black and white strips thereon.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each optical meter includes a plurality of bands with each band having a pattern of alternating black and white strips thereon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein between a center of a white strip and a center of a black strip in a black and white band lies a black strip or a white strip of another black and white band.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor includes a charge couple device (CCD).

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor includes a contact image sensor (CIS).

13. An apparatus comprising:

an optical meter attached to a scanning device, wherein said optical meter comprises at least two partially offset sets of alternating black and white strips, wherein said sets are capable of producing a cyclical directional pattern in response to a moving light source, and wherein said scanning device is capable of detecting a moving direction and speed of said moving light source based on said cyclical directional pattern, the scanning device to control a movement of the moving light source based, at least in part, on the cyclical directional pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, and further comprising an optical sensor at least in part capable of detecting said cyclical directional pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, and further comprising a plurality of carriers capable of moving said moving light source, where the scanning device is configured to control the plurality of carriers based, at least in part, on the cyclical directional pattern.

16. A system comprising:

an optical sensor to detect an image of an optical meter, wherein said optical meter comprises at least two partially offset bands of alternating black and white strips;

means for converting said image of an optical meter to a frequency of a sense signal;

means for determining a carrier speed based on said frequency of a sense signal; and

means for controlling movement of at least one carrier utilized in scanning operations based, at least in part, on the determined carrier speed.

17. The system of claim 16, and further comprising:

means for comparing said carrier speed to a preset speed; and

means for adjusting a motor driving said at least one carrier based on the comparison of said carrier speed to said preset speed.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting the motor comprises means for increasing a speed of said motor.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting a motor comprises means for decreasing a speed of said motor.

20. A method comprising:

detecting, with a scanning device, an image of an optical meter, wherein said optical meter comprises at least two partially offset bands of alternating black and white strips;

converting said image of an optical meter to a frequency of a sense signal with the scanning device;

determining, with the scanning device, a carrier speed based on said frequency of a sense signal; and

controlling movement of the scanning device during scanning operations based, at least in part, on the determined carrier speed.

21. The method of claim 20, and further comprising:

comparing said carrier speed to a preset speed; and

adjusting a motor driving at least one carrier based on the comparison of said carrier speed to said preset speed.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein adjusting a motor comprises decreasing a speed of said motor.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein adjusting a motor comprises increasing a speed of said motor.