The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 14, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 26, 1997
Masayuki Katagiri, Ikoma, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image input device includes a light source, a light guide for guiding the light, a first and a second low refractive index layer formed on surfaces of the light guide, the first and second low refractive index layers having a lower refractive index than that of the light guide, a light input device to make the light from the light source incident onto the light guide so that the incident light is totally reflected at the boundary of the light guide with the first or second low refractive index layer, a photoelectric converter, the photoelectric converter being disposed on the second low refractive index layer and an optical element having a plurality of lenses optically contacted with the surface of the light guide via the first low refractive index layer, the optical element taking out part of the light traveling in the light guide to illuminate a document and collecting reflected light from the document onto the photoelectric converter by means of the lenses.