Fujitsu Corporation

Pfu Limited

Yoshio Tabata

Tamio Amagai

Yukako Murai

Akio Suzuki

Keiichi Saito

Norio Kanemitsu

Yoshihiro Takashimizu

Noriaki Yamazaki

Hirotoshi Kakegawa

Masahiro Yoshida

Junichi Asano

Hiroyuki Maruyama

Toshiaki Anzai

Seigo Umeda

Fumiaki Harada

Toshio Saito

Yukako Takei

Masaru Wakabayashi

The present invention relates to a document feeder, document feed method, and image capture device. The document feeder includes a sheet separation mechanism that restricts the number of sheets to be fed by a pull-in portion. The sheet separation mechanism includes a first separation portion that contacts the sheet, and moves so as to feed the sheet, a second separation portion, located opposite to the first separation portion, which defines a part of a sheet feed path between the second and first separation portions, and moves so as to allow the sheet to be fed, and a brake portion that variably applies to the second separation portion a load allowing the second separation portion to move.

Document feeder, document feed method, and image capture device

A transmission-type sensor and a reflection-type sensor are provided for detecting paper at the same position of a transfer path, and a sensor mode used according to kinds, printed conditions, and the like of the paper is selected. A transmission-type sensor processing unit and a reflection-type sensor processing unit are provided according to the transmission-type sensor and reflection-type sensor. The paper pass detection unit detects presence of paper, and decides presence of double-feed for the second and later sheets of paper based on detection information of the first sheet of paper.

Transfer control apparatus for optical image reading apparatus

An improved image reading apparatus suitable for use with an image scanner which can read a large number of paper sheets successively and rapidly and cope with various paper sizes from a small size to a large size. The image reading apparatus includes a paper supply mechanism, a paper transport mechanism, an optical image reading mechanism for optically reading information on a paper sheet being transported by the paper transport mechanism, and a paper stacking mechanism. The paper transport mechanism includes a paper transport path including an inclined transport path and a paper reversing transport path contiguous to the inclined transport path, a plurality of paper transport rollers disposed in a spaced relationship from each other by a distance smaller than the length of a paper sheet in its transportation direction along the paper transport path, a roller driving mechanism for driving the paper transport rollers, and a roller driving mechanism control apparatus for controlling the roller driving mechanism. The optical image reading mechanism includes an optical image reading unit, and an image information extraction control apparatus for controlling extraction of image information obtained by the optical image reading unit.

Image reading apparatus having a steeply inclined paper transport path

A cut sheet feeding device having a function of detecting a skew of the sheet to be fed is incorporated in an image reader, a printing apparatus, etc. The cut sheet feeding device is capable of surely detecting the skew of a document without an operator visually monitoring the same. The cut sheet feeding device has size sensors corresponding to standard sheet sizes, respectively, for detecting the size of a document that is being fed along a feeding path. The detected document size is compared with a set document size stored in advance. If the detected document size is greater than the set document size, it is determined that there is an abnormality in feeding the document. The cut sheet feeding device also has a document passage detector for detecting the passage of the document. The outputs of the document passage sensor and size sensor are compared with each other, to calculate a skew of the document that is being fed. This skew is used to determine whether or not the document is being fed normally.

Cut sheet feeding device having a function of detecting a skew of the

An apparatus having an ink-jet head has a time measuring unit, a recording unit, and a prefiring operation control unit. The time measuring unit is used to measure an elapsed time from execution of prefiring operations for the ink-jet head, and the recording unit is used to record whether or not printing nozzles disposed in the ink-jet head are operated. The prefiring operation control unit determines a number of prefiring operations in accordance with a measurement result obtained by the time measuring unit and operated conditions of the printing nozzles recorded in the recording means, and executes prefiring operations for the ink-jet head. Therefore, the apparatus is capable of executing prefiring operations often enough and sufficient for the actual operated conditions of the printing nozzles disposed in the ink-jet head, and thereby preventing ink from being consumed at enhanced rate by useless prefiring operations.

Prefiring method for an ink-jet head and apparatus having the ink-jet

A data transfer method and apparatus for an image reading apparatus suitably used with an image scanner is improved in that a transfer line apparatus is simplified in construction and produced with a reduced cost by an improved transferring technique of data. The data transfer apparatus is incorporated in an image reading apparatus including first and second optical image reading units and comprises a storage section for storing data from a first operating one of the first and second optical image reading units from which paper image information is to be read out later, a first data transfer section for successively transferring, by way of a data transfer line, data from the first operating image reading unit, and a second data transfer section for successively transferring, after the data from the first operating image reading unit have been transferred by the first data transfer means, the data from the other later operating image reading unit stored in the storage means at a rate higher than the data transfer rate at which data are transferred by the first data transfer means by way of the data transfer line.

Data transfer method and data transfer apparatus for image reading

The invention provides a white level information correction apparatus for an image reading apparatus suitably used as an image scanner, which is improved in that analog to digital conversion can be performed effectively for originals of different ground colors with a high degree of accuracy. In the image reading apparatus, image information of a paper sheet being transported along a paper transport path is optically read at a fixed location of the paper transport path using an optical image reading unit and analog data obtained by the optical image reading unit are converted into digital data using white level information of the image information as an index to a conversion reference. The white level information correction apparatus comprises a plurality of storage apparatus for storing a plurality of pieces of white level information to be used as indices to the conversion reference, a data magnification variation apparatus for multiplying white level information from a storage apparatus by a coefficient to vary the magnification of the data, and a data write control apparatus for storing white level information varied in magnification by the data magnification variation apparatus into a storage apparatus to update the stored data.

White level information correction apparatus for image reading apparatus

A paper end detection apparatus for an image reading apparatus suitable for use with an image scanner, which is superior in that an end of a paper sheet can be detected accurately. The paper end detection apparatus is incorporated in an image reading apparatus wherein paper image information is read from a paper sheet being transported along a paper transport path by an optical image reading unit at a fixed location along the paper transport path, and includes a one-line peak value detection section for detecting, from an image signal from the optical image reading unit, a peak value in one line along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the paper sheet is transported, a storage section for storing a past peak value in one line detected prior to the current peak value detected by the one-line peak value detection section, and a comparison section for comparing the current peak value detected by the one-line peak value detection section and the past peak value from the storage section and outputting a result of the comparison as a paper end detection signal.

Paper end detection apparatus for image reading apparatus and image

A document reading device suitable for use for a personal computer, a facsimile, and a work station or the like, and comprises a reading means for reading the image information provided on a manuscript, a read controlling means for controlling the reading means in such a way that when the reading operation of the reading means is interrupted while reading said manuscript, a predetermined amount of the image information read by the reading means immediately before said interruption occurred, can be reread after the reading operation is restarted, and a processing means for processing both groups of the image information duplicately read by the reading means before and after the interruption thereof, respectively, by modifying them in such a way that a portion of the image information finally output and based upon the image information read by the reading means before the interruption, and another portion of the image information finally output and based upon the image information read by the reading means after the interruption, can be connected to form a continuous configuration. By using this device, an unnatural configuration of reproduced image caused by the interruption of the reading operation and by the restart thereof, can be eliminated.

Document reading device

An image processing system for obtaining a binary signal from a multi-level signal read by an image scanner from an original document including mixed characters, ruled lines, and photos, and then obtaining a reproduced image from the binary signal, the image processing system including: a fixed slice processing unit for receiving said multi-level signal, and for slicing the multi-level signal by a predetermined fixed threshold level, and outputting the binary signal sliced by the fixed threshold level; a half-tone processing unit for receiving the multi-level signal, and for slicing the multi-level signal by a plurality of threshold levels defined by a dither method, and outputting the binary signal sliced by the plural threshold levels defined by the dither method; a character/photo separating unit for receiving the multi-level signal; and for detecting a pattern of the multi-level signal, separating either a character portion or photo portion based on the pattern, and outputting a selection signal; a selection unit for selecting either the fixed slice processing unit or the half-tone processing unit based on the selection signal from the character/photo separating unit.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yoshio Tabata