US 8,274,713 B2Granted

Cover device for an image scanner

OwnerIuval Hatzav, Ilan Ben-Shahar +2inventors

InventorsIuval Hatzav, Ilan Ben-Shahar, Giyora Sharaby, Daniel Hatzav

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An image acquisition apparatus for acquiring an image of a document including a housing having an internal space, a substantially transparent window, a CCD sensor array, a light source for illuminating the document and an opaque cover device for blocking light from escaping the internal space of the housing through the transparent window. The cover device includes an opaque wall that combined with the document, operationally blocks the escaping of light from the internal space of the housing. The cover device further includes a primary insertion slit, a document removing mechanism and a removal slit for removing a small form document through the removal slit. Optionally, the cover device further includes a second insertion slit for inserting the small form document. The width of the second insertion slit is smaller than the width of the first insertion slit.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In an image acquisition apparatus for acquiring an image of a document, said image acquisition apparatus including a housing having an internal space, a substantially transparent window having an external surface, a width and height dimensions, a CCD sensor array, a light source for illuminating said document, and an opaque cover device for blocking light from escaping said internal space of said housing through said transparent window, said cover device comprising:

(a) an opaque wall, having an upper section and a lower section, a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges, and a width and height dimensions, wherein said width of said wall is equal or larger than said width of said transparent window, and said height of said wall is equal or larger than said height of said transparent window;
and
(b) document removing mechanism for removing said document from behind said cover,
wherein said document is disposed on said external surface of said transparent window during an image acquisition operation;
wherein said wall of said cover forms a gap substantially parallel to said external surface of said transparent window;
wherein a first insertion slit, having a width, is formed at one or more of said cover edges, selected from the group consisting of said top edge, and one or both side edges, for inserting said document;
wherein said cover and said document combine to block escaping of light from said internal space of said housing during an image acquisition operation;
wherein a removal slit is formed at said one or both side edges for removing said document, said document being a small form document;
and
wherein said document removing mechanism facilitates removal of said small form document through said removal slit.

7 more elements

In an image acquisition apparatus for acquiring an image of a document, said image acquisition apparatus including a housing having an internal space, a primary, substantially transparent window having an external surface, a width and height dimensions, a CCD array camera and a light source for illuminating said document, an opaque cover device for blocking light from escaping said internal space of said housing, said cover device comprising:

(a) an opaque wall, having a top edge, a bottom edge and side edge, and a width and height dimensions, wherein said width of said wall is equal or larger than said width of said primary transparent window, and said height of said wall is equal or larger than said height of said primary transparent window;
and
(b) a secondary, substantially transparent surface having a top edge, a bottom edge and side edge, and a width and height dimensions, disposed on of said cover wall;
and
(c) a supporting mechanism disposed at said bottom edge of said secondary transparent window, for supporting said document,
wherein either a large form document is disposed on said external surface of said primary transparent window during an image acquisition operation or a small form document is disposed on said external surface of said secondary transparent window and supported by said supporting mechanism, during an image acquisition operation;
wherein said wall of said cover forms a gap substantially parallel to said external surface of said primary transparent window;
wherein an insertion slit is formed at one or more of said cover edges, selected from the group consisting of said top edge and one or both side edges, for inserting said document;
and
wherein said cover and said document combine to block escaping of light from said internal space of said housing during an image acquisition operation.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/765,320Filed 22 Apr 2010
Published: US 2011/0261423 A127 Oct 2011
Granted: 25 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04N 1/195
Using multi-element arrays: the array comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array
H04N 1/00997
Arrangements for regulating environment, e.g. removing static electricity: light control, e.g. shielding from ambient light or preventing light…
H04N 1/0405
Scanning different formats; Scanning with different densities of dots per unit length, e.g. different numbers of dots per inch ; Conversion of…:…
H04N 1/0455
Details of the method used: using a single set of scanning elements, e.g. the whole of and a part of an array respectively for different formats