Lightweight mobile scanners

• US 20010043377A1
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambir Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Syscan Imaging, Inc. (Document Capture Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Chengrong, Hu, Darwin, Liu, Dongtai, Hou, Alpha
• Granted Patent: US 6,704,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/505
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/024 Details of scanning heads ; Means for illuminating the original

Abstract

It is disclosed that a mobile scanner includes only the minimum components to operate as a scanner. The disclosed scanner does not have a separate power supply to energize the components to work. Further, unlike many scanners in the market, there is not a single microcontroller in the disclosed mobile scanner while the performance thereof could outperform those scanners commanded traditionally by a microcontroller in the scanners. The disclosed scanner is coupled by an interface engine to a computing device that provides system control signals and power supply. The interface engine comprises a control circuit providing logic control signals to the scanner to operate in response to the system control signals. As such, the scanner is of high performance and low cost and so lightweight that it can be used in any conditions.

Claims

1. A mobile scanner comprising;

a main case housing an image sensing module and a motion mechanism;

the image sensing module comprising;

a one-dimensional image sensor array;

an array of rod lenses mounted in front of the sensor array; and

a first illumination source;

the main case having an elongated receiving opening and an elongated exiting opening, the sensor array imaging a scanning document through the array of rod lenses when the scanning document is caused by the motion mechanism to pass from the receiving opening and exit from the exiting opening;

a base case housing a second illumination source, the base case demountably mounted to the main case.

2. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 1

;

wherein the first illumination provides illumination to the scanning object when the scanning object is opaque.

3. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 2

;

wherein the second illumination provides illumination to the scanning object when the scanning object is transparent.

4. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 1

;

further comprising;

an interface engine implemented in a PC Card; and

a multi-line cable coupling the image sensing module and the motion mechanism to the interface engine.

5. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 4

;

wherein the interface engine provides a power supply and control signals to the image sensing module and the motion mechanism to operate when the interface engine is received in a computing device.

6. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 5

;

wherein the interface engine comprises a control circuit producing the control signals in response to system control signals from the computing device operating a control process.

7. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 6

;

wherein the control process is executed by a processor in the computing device and is caused to;

detect sensor parameters of the image sensing module;

calibrate the image sensing module with respect to the sensor parameters; and

generate a set of optimum timing parameters for the first illumination source and the second illumination source.

8. A mobile scanner comprising:

a portable housing;

an image sensing module mounted in the housing and comprising;

a one-dimensional image sensor array;

a lens mounted in front of the image sensor array; and

an illumination source comprising three colored lights that are turned on independently and successively by an illumination control signal;

a motion mechanism working in synchronization with the image sensing module, the motion mechanism causing a scanning document illuminated by the illumination source to pass through the lens so that the scanning document can be imaged by the image sensor array to generate an image thereof; and

wherein the image sensing module and the motion mechanism receives are powered by a power supplied from a computing device when the mobile scanner is coupled thereto.

9. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 8

, wherein the image sensing module receives illumination control signals from the computing device to properly illuminate the scanning document and the motion mechanism receives motion control signals to cause the scanning document to move in synchronization with operations of the image sensing module.

10. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 9

, wherein the computing device executes an application that generates the illumination control signals and the motion control signals as well.

11. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 9

, wherein the image sensor array produces respectively three intensity signals when the three colored lights are turned on independently and successively by the illumination control signals.

12. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 11

, wherein the three intensity signals are transported to the computing device in which digital versions of the three intensity signals are loaded into the application.

13. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 8

further comprising a detecting means for detecting whether the scanning document is received in the housing.

14. The mobile scanner as recited in

claim 13

wherein the housing is made of a light material.