Back to results
US 6,154,294 AGranted
Apparatus for scanning documents such as photographs using a contact image sensor
AssigneeSilitek Corporation
InventorsSamuel F. Craig, Benjamin P. Yung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for scanning a document, including scanning a photograph, the apparatus including a contact image sensor (CIS), the apparatus designed to reduce the friction between the contact image sensor and the document being scanned. The reduction is achieved by reducing the friction by use of a non-stick material or by reducing the static electricity forces or both. The preferred embodiment is a CIS whose housing is made of a non-stick material which also is static electricity dissipative.
Claims20
An improvement to an apparatus for scanning a document, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a contact image sensor (CIS) enclosed in a housing, the CIS comprising:
- (i) a light-sensitive sensor array, having an output,
- (ii) a scanner window substantially in contact with the document during scanning, said scanner window having an outer surface and a back surface, the back surface oriented towards the sensor array;
- (iii) an opening in said housing adapted to contain the scanner window,
- (iv) optics positioned between the scanner window and the sensor array, the optics adapted to focus a focal area of the outer surface onto the sensor array, the focusing being with a focal depth region, the focal area being that portion of the outer surface within the focal depth region, the balance of the outer surface being at least part of a non-focal area;
- and
- (iv) a light source adapted to illuminate at least part of the focal area;
- (b) electronics coupled to the sensor array output to convert the sensor array output to a useful signal, and
- (c) supply electronics coupled to the light source for controlling the light source,
- wherein the scanner window outer surface includes a portion of the focal area within the focal depth region,
- the improvement comprising:
- one or more alterations to the scanner window to reduce the friction between the scanner window and the document, said alterations comprising:
- (1) a recess of the scanner window, comprising a portion of the non-focal area, by a thickness greater than the focal depth of the optics,
- (2) a non-stick material, having a non-stick material outer surface facing the document, the non-stick material having approximately the thickness and area of said recess, the non-stick material selected to have a lower coefficient of friction with the document than does the scanner window material, and
- (3) means for attaching the non-stick material to the recess.
12 more elements
An improvement to an apparatus for scanning a document, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a contact image sensor (CIS) enclosed in a housing, the CIS comprising:
- (i) a light-sensitive sensor array, having an output,
- (ii) a scanner window substantially in contact with the document during scanning, said scanner window having an outer surface and a back surface, the back surface oriented towards the sensor array;
- (iii) an opening in said housing adapted to contain the scanner window,
- (iv) optics positioned between the scanner window and the sensor array, the optics adapted to focus a focal area of the outer surface onto the sensor array, the focusing being with a focal depth region, the focal area being that portion of the outer surface within the focal depth region, the balance of the outer surface being at least part of a non-focal area;
- and
- (iv) a light source adapted to illuminate at least part of the focal area;
- (b) electronics coupled to the sensor array output to convert the sensor array output to a useful signal, and
- (c) supply electronics coupled to the light source for controlling the light source,
- wherein the scanner window outer surface includes a portion of the focal area within the focal depth region,
- the improvement comprising:
- one or more alterations to the scanner window to reduce the friction between the scanner window and the document, said alterations comprising:
- (1) a non-stick material applied to at least part of the non-focal area, the non-stick material having approximately a thickness less than the focal depth of the optics, and
- (2) means of attaching the non-stick material to the scanner window, the non-stick material selected to have a lower coefficient of friction with the document than does the scanner window material.
11 more elements
A contact image sensor (CIS) device for use in an apparatus for scanning a document, the CIS enclosed in a housing, the CIS comprising:
- (a) a light-sensitive sensor array;
- (b) a scanner window substantially in contact with the document during scanning, said scanner window having an outer surface and a back surface, the back surface oriented towards the sensor array;
- (c) a scanner window overlay attached to the scanner window, the overlay substantially contacting the document during scanning, and having a relatively low coefficient of friction with the document during scanning;
- (d) an opening in said housing adapted to contain the scanner window;
- (e) optics positioned between the scanner window and the sensor array, the optics adapted to focus a focal area of the outer surface onto the sensor array, the focusing being with a focal depth region, the focal area being that portion of the outer surface within the focal depth region, the balance of the outer surface being at least part of a non-focal area;
- and
- (f) a light source adapted to illuminate at least part of the focal area;
- wherein the scanner window comprises a recess of the non-focal area, the scanner window overlay comprises a non-stick material, the overlay having a non-stick material outer surface facing the document, the non-stick material having approximately the thickness and area of said recess, said non-stick material attached to the recess, the non-stick material selected to have a lower coefficient of friction with the document than does the scanner window material.
5 more elements
A contact image sensor (CIS) device for use in an apparatus for scanning a document, the CIS enclosed in a housing, the CIS comprising:
- (a) a light-sensitive sensor array;
- (b) a scanner window substantially in contact with the document during scanning, said scanner window having an outer surface and a back surface, the back surface oriented towards the sensor array;
- (c) a scanner window overlay attached to the scanner window, the overlay substantially contacting the document during scanning, and having a relatively low coefficient of friction with the document during scanning;
- (d) an opening in said housing adapted to contain the scanner window;
- (e) optics positioned between the scanner window and the sensor array, the optics adapted to focus a focal area of the outer surface onto the sensor array, the focusing being with a focal depth region, the focal area being that portion of the outer surface within the focal depth region, the balance of the outer surface being at least part of a non-focal area;
- and
- (f) a light source adapted to illuminate at least part of the focal area;
- wherein the scanner window overlay comprises a non-stick material applied to at least part of the non-focal area, the non-stick material overlay having a thickness approximately less than the focal depth of the optics, the non-stick material selected to have a lower coefficient of friction with the document than does the scanner window material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.