Media scanner

• US 6,504,138 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mangerson, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone
• Application Number:
  US09/968,636
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 358/474, 358/475, 358/480, 358/481, 358/493, 358/494
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0473 in subscanning direction, e.g. picture start or line-to-line synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02439 Positioning method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0422 Media holders, covers, supports, backgrounds; Arrangements to facilitate placing of the medium H04N2201/0406 - H04N2201/0412, H04N2201/0434 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04712 using unbroken arrays of detectors, i.e. detectors mounted on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04715 by detecting marks or the like, e.g. slits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04734 Detecting at frequent intervals, e.g. once per line for sub-scan control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04737 by detecting the scanned medium directly, e.g. a leading edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04756 by controlling the position or movement of the sheet, the sheet support or the photoconductive surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04794 Varying the control or compensation during the scan, e.g. using continuous feedback or from line to line

Abstract

A media scanner scans information disposed on a media such as a business card or envelope. The media scanner requires no moving parts and may be incorporated in a portable, hand held, battery powered information handling system such as an electronic address book or personal digital assistant. The scanner includes a scanning element such as a linear CCD element for scanning the information stored on the medium, which is converted into a graphical image or text file. As the medium is fed past the scanning element, a detector detects the movement of the medium as the medium is fed through the scanner. Any variation of the movement of the medium, for example due to inconsistent movement or pausing caused by hand scanning, etc., is detected by detector, and scanning is executed according to the detected movement so that optimal scanning is maintained. The accommodation of the varying movement of the medium past the scanning element thereby minimizes or eliminates any errors or artifacts in the resulting scanned information (e.g., skewing) that would otherwise be caused by variable scanning movement. The detector may include an array of light detecting elements such as photodiodes or phototransistors, light detecting resistors, etc. such that light blocked from the array by the medium may be detected as a movement signal proportional to the movement of the medium. The detector may be utilized to determine the rate (relative scanning) or the position (absolute scanning) of the medium during scanning.

Claims

1. A media scanner, comprising:

a bed for receiving a medium to be scanned;

a scanning element disposed in the bed, the scanning element being capable of scanning information disposed on a medium when the medium is caused to move past the scanning element; and

a lip formed along a side of the bed, the lip including a detector capable of detecting the movement of the medium as the medium is caused to be moved past the scanning element wherein the scanning element scans the information according to the movement of the medium.

2. The media scanner as claimed in claim 1, the scanning element comprising a linear CCD array.

3. The media scanner as claimed in claim 1, the detector comprising an array of light detecting elements.

4. The media scanner as claimed in claim 1, the detector having a length being greater than a length of the medium such that the movement of the medium may be detected during an entire scan of the information disposed on the medium.

5. The media scanner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a light source disposed proximal to the detector such that the medium at least partially prevents light emanating from the light source from impinging upon the detector.

6. The media scanner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a caddy for guiding the medium along a prescribed path such that the medium may be optimally disposed with respect to the scanning element during scanning.

7. The media scanner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the caddy comprises:

first and second light transmissive sheaths hingeably attached together for allowing the insertion of a medium there between; and

an array of scanning indicia disposed along an edge of at least one of the light transmissive sheaths so as to extend under the lip for facilitating the detection of movement of the caddy past the detector.

8. A media scanner, comprising:

means for receiving a medium to be scanned;

means for scanning information disposed on a medium when the medium is caused to move past a scanning element;

means for detecting movement of the medium as the medium is caused to be moved past the scanning element wherein the scanning element scans the information according to the movement of the medium; and

means for controlling the scanning of the scanning means in response to the detected movement of the medium such that scanning of the information disposed on the medium is optimized.

9. The media scanner as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for illuminating the detecting means wherein the detecting means is variably illuminated as the medium passes between the detecting means and the illuminating means such that the movement of the medium during scanning is provided to the scanning means.

10. The media scanner as claimed in claim 8, the detecting means comprising an array of means for detecting light, each of the light detecting means providing a signal corresponding to an amount of light impinging thereupon.

11. The media scanner as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for guiding the medium along a prescribed path during scanning such that the medium is optimally disposed with respect to the scanning means.

12. The media scanner as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for storing the information scanned from the medium in an image format.

13. The media scanner as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for storing the information scanned from the medium in a text format.

14. A media scanner, comprising:

a housing having a slot for receiving a medium to be scanned;

a scanning element disposed in the housing, the scanning element being capable of scanning information disposed on a medium when the medium is caused to move past the scanning element; and

a detector disposed in the housing, the detector being capable of detecting the movement of the medium as the medium is caused to be moved past the scanning element wherein the scanning element scans the information according to the movement of the medium.

15. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, the scanning element comprising a linear CCD array.

16. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, the detector comprising an array of light detecting elements.

17. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, the detector having a length being greater than a length of the medium such that the movement of the medium may be detected during an entire scan of the information disposed on the medium.

18. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a light source disposed proximal to the detector such that the medium at least partially prevents light emanating from the light source from impinging upon the detector.

19. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a scanning caddy for guiding the medium along a prescribed path such that the medium may be optimally disposed with respect to the scanning element during scanning.

20. The media scanner as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an ejector for removing the media from the housing.