Document scanning system
AssigneeThe Mead Corporation
InventorsJames W. Davis, Dale R. DuVall, Barry C. Kockler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A document scanning system having a platen for scanning bulky documents and two separate exposing stations for front and reverse side scanning of automatically fed sheet-type original documents. The platen and the two exposing stations are arranged in a common plane for scanning by scanning elements carried on a linearly driven carriage. Image sensing is performed by CCD arrays mounted on the scanner carriage. Scanning at the two exposing stations is conducted with the scanner carriage stationary, while platen scanning proceeds with the scanner carriage moving linearly at a uniform speed.
Claims10
Document scanning apparatus comprising:
- document illumination means including a lamp and a reflector,
- an array of photosensors for sensing light generated by said illumination means and reflected from a document to be scanned,
- a platen for supporting and exposing bulky original documents held stationary thereupon,
- a first exposing station for exposing the front sides of moving sheet-type original documents transported therepast, said first exposing station being located in a common plane with said platen but displaced therefrom,
- a second exposing station for exposing the reverse sides of moving sheet-type original documents transported therepast, said second exposing station being displaced from both of said platen and said first exposing station but being located within the common plane thereof,
- carriage means for moving said document illumination means and said array of photosensors in a direction parallel to said common plane, said movement moving said document illumination means and said array of photosensors at a uniform scanning speed past said platen and to fixed positions adjacent said first and second exposing stations,
- first transport means for transporting original sheet-type documents at a uniform speed past said first exposing station, and
- second transport means for receiving original sheet-type documents from said first transport means, presenting the reverse sides of said documents to said second exposing station, and transporting said documents at uniform speed past said second exposing station.
Method of scanning a series of sheet-type original documents comprising the steps of:
- (1) placing said sheets on a receiving tray,
- (2) removing said sheets from said receiving tray one-by-one and transporting said sheets forwardly at uniform speed through a first exposing station,
- (3) exposing each said sheet to an electro-optical scanner during passage through said first exposing station,
- (4) inverting said sheets and directing them at uniform speed through a second scanning station in a direction reverse to the direction of passage through said first exposing station, said second exposing station being coplanar with the plane of passage of said sheets through said first scanning station,
- (5) exposing each said sheet to said electro-optical scanner during passage through said second exposing station,
- (6) moving said electro-optical scanner back and forth between said first scanning station and said second scanning station for scanning both sides of all of said sheets, and
- (7) transporting said sheets forwardly to a receiving tray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.