Mustek Systems Inc.

Other

Secux Technology Inc.

Bill Chen

Jenn-Tsair Tsai

Jern-Tsair Tsai

Te-Chih Chang

Chieng-Ming Tsaur

Emmet Chen

Kuan-Tsan Huang

Alice Bo-Wen Chang

Data storage device

A transparent document securing device, using in a flatbed scanner, includes a securing frame. The securing frame comprises at least a securing cell, wherein the securing cell further includes a concave, a cover and a clip mechanism. The concave includes at least a first opening and an open slot. The cover includes at least a second opening. The securing device employs the cover to mount a transparent document in a concave. A user is therefore be able to place the securing device along with the transparent document in the document glass of a scanning system. By a predetermined mode, the scanning system is able to directly scan the transparent document; no need to preview the scanned image to adjust the scanning area. Thus, the time for scanning is saved. Further the fixed depth of the concave is utilized to proved a precise focus of the scanning system. The quality of the scanned image is therefore improved.

Securing device for transparent documents in a flatbed scanning system

A device for quick and precise determination of a scan start point for an image scanner is disclosed. The image scanner includes a photo-processing device and a scanning platform for placing thereon a document to be scanned. The scanning platform is printed with a background region and a color block which are of different colors and located in front of the scan start point of the photo-processing device, and the color block is enclosed with the background region, and has a specified point therein being a predetermined shift to the scan start point along a specific direction. The photo-processing device moves a predetermined distance L from the home position to a pre-scan position overlapping with the color block, then moves a calculated distance L from the pre-scan position to the specified point, and moves another predetermined distance L from the specified point to the scan start point along the specific direction to start scanning. The distance L can be automatically adjusted to cover the installation error of the photo-processing device. For another image scanner disclosed herein, the movement of the distance L can be omitted by having the color blocks located at the home position which serves as the pre-scan position.

Device for quick and precise determination of scan start point for image scanner

A device for quickly and precisely determining a scan start point and improving scanning quality for an image scanner is disclosed. The image scanner includes a photo-processing device and a scanning platform for placing thereon a document to be scanned. The scanning platform is printed with a background region and two color blocks. The two color blocks are separately enclosed by the background region and are of different color from the color of the background region. The first color block has a first specified point therein being a predetermined shift to the scan start point along a specific direction. The second block has a second specified point corresponding to the first specified point in position. The photo-processing device moves a predetermined distance L from the home position to a pre-scan position overlapping with the two color blocks by four reference points, read the coordinates of the four reference points, then moves a calculated distance L from the pre-scan position to the first specified point, and moves another predetermined distance L from the specified point to the scan start point along the specific direction to start scanning. The distance L can be automatically adjusted to cover the installation error of the photo-processing device. According to the coordinates of the four reference points, the coordinates of the two specified points can be calculated, thereby realizing a deflection rate and/or an amplification error of a scanning result. For another image scanner disclosed herein, the movement of the distance L can be omitted by having the color blocks located at the home position which serves as the pre-scan position.

Device used in image scanner for quickly and precisely determining scan start point and improving scanning quality

A method and an apparatus for obtaining a magnification error in a first direction for an image scanning apparatus is disclosed. The method includes steps of (a) providing a marking pattern having a particular length in the first direction, (b) scanning the marking pattern to obtain a scanning length in the first direction, and (c) calculating the magnification error in the first direction from scanning length and the particular length.

Method and apparatus for obtaining magnification error for image scanning apparatus

A method and structure for coupling to a step motor shaft is characterized by providing a predetermined back-lash distance defined between the step motor shaft and a key, thereby to instantly reach the desired speed for driving a load. Accordingly, a shaft coupling device is provided to connect to a rotatable load. The shaft coupling device has a key which maintains a back-lash distance defined between a step motor shaft and the key. Eventually, when the step motor shaft is not driving the load, they are separated. When the step motor shaft is driven by the step motor, it self-spins in a first direction and travels through a distance so as to form a predetermined back-lash distance between the key. As soon as the back-lash distance is formed, the step motor shaft reverses its rotation direction and then starts to travel through the predetermined back-lash distance to drive the load. The speed of the step motor shaft soon increases as it rotates in a second direction and approaches the load. At that moment, the speed of the step motor has already been accelerated. Consequently, the desired speed of the step motor for driving the load will be instantly reached.

Method and structure for coupling a step motor shaft

A fast and effective method and an apparatus are provided for obtaining relative and absolute magnifying factors in the transverse and longitudinal directions to improve the scanning quality. The method for obtaining relative modifying factors includes the steps of (a) providing a first line segment, which extends in a direction other than either one of the first direction and the second direction, having a plurality of scanning points wherein there is a specific functional relationship between a distance in the first direction and a distance in the second direction of any two of the scanning points, (b) scanning the first line segment at a first one of the scanning points, (c) scanning the first line segment at a second one of the scanning points, wherein the first and the second scanning points have a particular position distance in the first direction, (d) obtaining a scanning distance between the first and the second scanning points in the second direction from the image scanning apparatus, and (e) calculating a relative modifying factor from the scanning distance and the particular position distance according the specific functional relationship. The method further provides a second line segment for obtaining an absolute magnifying factor in one of the first and second directions.

Method and apparatus for obtaining relative and absolute modifying factors for image scanning apparatus

A memory is divided into several blocks in advance for storing calibrated pixels in sequence. Then, start to check each pixel row by row. The obliquity ratio of each pixel will be computed based on two referential blocks on the two sides of the calibration paper. The obliquity ratio will then divided by the length of one pixel. If the residue of the division is larger than half the length of the pixel, it indicates that that pixel is the beginning of next block. Following this rule, we can divide each row into several blocks. The skew pixels will be calibrated according to a first calibration procedure and a second calibration procedure. The calibrated pixels will be stored in the memory blocks in sequence according to their block numbers. After all the pixels of the same row have been calibrated, the calibrated pixels will be read from the memory blocks in sequence. The calibrated procedure repeats until each row of the image has been calibrated.

Method and apparatus for automatic image calibration for an optical scanner

The present invention provides a scanner with an object distance adjusting device that allows effective scanning of documents placed at varying heights over its transparent platform. The scanner comprises a movable scanning module with an optical sensing device for converting light into image signals, a lens set for focusing light onto the optical sensing device, and an object distance adjusting device for adjusting the object distance from the lens set to the document. The object adjusting device allows accurate object distances regardless of whether a transmitted document or a reflective document is scanned leading to exact resolution and high scanning quality.

Optical scanner with a distance adjusting device

The present invention relates to an optical scanning module used in an optical scanner for scanning a document. The optical scanning module comprises a housing with an opening installed on its top for receiving light transmitted from the document, an optical sensor installed inside the housing for converting the light transmitted from the document into corresponding image signals, a mirror set comprising a plurality of reflective mirrors installed inside the housing for passing the light transmitted from the document to the optical sensor, and a lens set installed between the optical sensor and the mirror set inside the housing for focusing the light transmitted from the document onto the optical sensor. The lens set and the optical sensor are movably installed inside the housing, or at least one reflective mirror of the mirror set is moveably installed inside the housing over which the length of an optical path from the document to the lens set can be adjusted by moving both the lens set and optical sensor or by moving the movable reflective mirror to calibrate the accumulated tolerance generated by various components of the scanning module.

Optical scanning module with adjustable optical path

The present invention relates to an optical scanning module with two movable lenses that move in opposite directions thus providing two different scanning resolutions. The scanning module comprises a housing with a window which receives light from the document, an optical sensing device for converting the light into corresponding image signals, and a lens module for converging the light onto the optical sensing device. Two parallel tracks are installed within the lens module, each containing a movable lens. A driving device moves either one of the two lenses into the optical track allowing light to be converged through this lens onto the optical sensing device. Each of the two lenses provide different scanning resolutions and methods for converging light.

Scanning module with two oppositely movable lenses for changing scan

The present invention provides a method for altering the light traveling distance in an optical scanning module using transparent glass. The optical scanning module comprises a transparent glass module that refracts light to alter the traveling distance of the light as it passes from the document to the optical sensing device. The proper thickness of this transparent glass module is specifically chosen to correctly calibrate the error of the traveling distance of the light created during the manufacturing of the scanner.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Bill Chen