Optical-mechanical positioning method

Abstract

The present invention is an optical machine positioning method, which is applied to an image processing device. The device has a scanning platform and an optical machine, and the scanning platform has a first area, a second area, a third area and a fourth area. The fourth area is located between the first area and the second area, and the first area is located between the third area and the fourth area. The method includes the following steps: the optical machine is kept stationary and performs a scan to obtain a scanned image; and by determining the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image, the optical machine is defined as being located in an area where the color is related.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is an optical machine positioning method, and more particularly, relates to an optical machine positioning method that uses color recognition to determine the area where the optical machine of an image processing device is located on its scanning platform when it is turned on, and can further move the optical machine back to the initial position at the beginning of the scanning operation. Background Art

[0002] Image processing is becoming more and more common in modern times. As is well known to general users, image scanners are an important computer peripheral device that can perform a variety of image processing and applications by scanning document images and converting them into digital files. It is an indispensable device for modern people when dealing with image work.

[0003] On the other hand, a multi-functional image processing device has functions such as printing, storage and further transmission in addition to general scanning functions. This type of multi-functional printer also has an AutoDocument Feeder (ADF), which is mainly set above the placement platform. The placement platform mainly provides a single sheet of paper or thinner documents for placement for scanning, while the AutoDocument Feeder (ADF) can place a stack of papers and can extract them one by one into the multi-functional printer for scanning, thus improving the efficiency of scanning work.

[0004] In terms of mechanical design, the scanning of the placement platform and the scanning of the automatic document feeding unit (ADF) share the same optical module (Optical Module, also called optical module) for scanning. The optical module can project light to the document to be scanned and receive the reflected light formed, thereby obtaining the scanned image. Secondly, when the optical module or the document is stationary, the scanning length of the optical module is usually only a part of the document to be scanned. Therefore, the optical module is designed to be moved in the business machine through the drive of a motor, or the document is rolled by the automatic document feeding unit (ADF), and the optical module performs image sensing at the same time, so that a complete image of the entire document can be obtained.

[0005] Therefore, in order to correctly scan the complete image of the document, the optical machine must be in the correct position before starting the scan. However, due to some reasons, such as power failure or unexpected shutdown during the previous scan, the scanning process may not be completed normally, causing the optical machine to be unable to return to the preset initial position, thus affecting the next scan.

[0006] In response to this problem, the current technology is designed to return the optical machine to its initial position when the image processing device is restarted or the power is restored, regardless of where it was moved before, and a sensor can be used to detect whether the optical machine has returned to the correct position. Generally speaking, the initial position is designed to be adjacent to the automatic document feeder (ADF), and the sensor is correspondingly arranged next to the initial position. When the image processing device is turned on and scanning is completed, the optical machine moves to the initial position until it is detected by the sensor, at which time the motor drive stops and stops at the initial position.

[0007] In other words, if the sensor is not set, it is impossible to know whether the optical machine is actually reset, and it may even collide with the casing and be damaged due to excessive movement of the optical machine. However, the function of this sensor is only to detect whether the optical machine is actually in the initial position before scanning begins, and it has no other use. Compared with other functional components such as scanning or printing of the device, the practicality of this sensor is not high. In addition, this sensor is expensive. If it needs to be replaced due to damage, it also increases the cost and the labor and time consumption of assembly.

[0008] Therefore, the main purpose of the present disclosure is to effectively confirm the location of the optical machine and successfully complete the scanning work without setting up a sensor. Summary of the invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical machine positioning method. When the optical machine positioning method is applied to an image processing device such as a business machine, the optical machine can be identified by color recognition in which area of ​​the scanning platform of the image processing device when the image processing device is turned on, and the optical machine can be further moved back to the initial position where the scanning starts. There is no need to set up relevant sensors in the image processing device, and the optical machine can be more effectively prevented from colliding with the housing.

[0010] The present invention is an optical positioning method, which is applied to an image processing device. The device has a scanning platform and an optical machine, and the scanning platform has a first area, a second area, a third area and a fourth area. The fourth area is located between the first area and the second area, and the first area is located between the third area and the fourth area. The third area is defined with an initial position, and the length of the fourth area is greater than the length of the third area. The method includes the following steps: keeping the optical machine stationary and performing a scan to obtain a scanned image; when the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to a first color range or a second color range, defining the optical machine as being located in the third area; when the color value at a first end of the scanned image conforms to a third color range and the color value at a second end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range, defining the optical machine as being located in the first area; when the color value at the first end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range and the color value at the second end of the scanned image conforms to a fourth color range, defining the optical machine as being located in the second area; and when the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to the fourth color range, defining the optical machine as being located in the fourth area.

[0011] In order to better understand the above and other aspects of the present invention, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the application of the image processing device 1 using the optical-mechanical positioning method of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of the region determination of the optical-mechanical positioning method of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Detailed schematic diagram of the first area 21 in FIG.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of the operation of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention with respect to the optical machine 10 in the first area 21 .

[0016] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the operation of the optical machine 10 in the second area 22 .

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the operation of the optical machine 10 in the third area 23 .

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flow chart of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the operation of the optical machine 10 in the fourth area 24 .

[0019] [List of Reference Numerals]

[0020] 1: Image processing device

[0021] 10: Optical machine

[0022] 100: Scanning platform

[0023] 11: First scanning glass

[0024] 12: Second scanning glass

[0025] 20: Casing

[0026] 21: First Area

[0027] 211: Main feature diagram

[0028] 212: Secondary feature map

[0029] 22: Second Area

[0030] 23: Third Area

[0031] 24: The fourth area

[0032] 31: First feature map

[0033] 32: Second feature map

[0034] 33: Third feature map

[0035] 34: Interval

[0036] A1: Initial position

[0037] B1, B2: blank part

[0038] S11~S19, S21~S27, S31~S36, S41~S46, S51~S56: Steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following embodiments are provided for detailed description, which are only used as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. In addition, the drawings in the embodiments omit unnecessary elements or elements that can be completed by conventional techniques to clearly show the technical features of the invention.

[0040] The optical mechanical positioning method of the present invention is now described with a preferred embodiment. Figure 1 , is a schematic diagram of an image processing device 1 using the optical positioning method of the present invention. In this embodiment, the image processing device 1 is an image scanner, in particular, a business machine with scanning function and automatic document feeding function. Figure 1As shown, the image processing device 1 has a scanning platform 100 and an optical machine 10. The optical machine 10 is disposed below the scanning platform 100 to perform image scanning. Figure 1 The direction from the inside of the image processing device 1 to the upper scanning platform 100 is schematically shown, and the optical machine 10 only illustrates the portion that can be scanned by its scanning head, which is presented in a dotted line manner.

[0041] One feature of the present invention is that the center of the scanning platform 100 is divided into four areas, that is, the scanning platform 100 has a first area 21, a second area 22, a third area 23 and a fourth area 24. The third area 23 defines an initial position A1 (i.e. Figure 1 ), the fourth area 24 is located between the first area 21 and the second area 22, and the first area 21 is located between the third area 23 and the fourth area 24. In other words, the third area 23 is closest to the initial position A1, and the second area 22 is farthest from the initial position A1.

[0042] As mentioned above, the scanning platform 100 also has a housing 20, a partition 34, a first scanning glass 11 and a second scanning glass 12. The housing 20 surrounds the first scanning glass 11 and the second scanning glass 12, and the partition 34 is located between the first scanning glass 11 and the first area 21. Secondly, the first scanning glass 11 corresponds to the third area 23 and an automatic document feeding unit (ADF, not shown in the drawings) of the image processing device 1, that is, the first scanning glass 11 is provided for scanning applications for automatic document feeding. On the other hand, the first scanning glass 11 corresponds to a paper pressing figure (not shown in the drawings) of the image processing device 1. The paper pressing figure is an upper cover (not shown in the drawings) disposed on the image processing device 1. The upper cover can be opened and pressed down on the scanning platform 100 to cover the document and shield the ambient light. Therefore, the paper pressing figure is located above the first scanning glass 11, and the size of the paper pressing figure corresponds to the size of the first scanning glass 11. When the upper cover covers the scanning platform 100, the paper pressing pattern completely corresponds to the first scanning glass 11. Furthermore, the second scanning glass 12 corresponds to the fourth area 24 and the second area 22, that is, the second scanning glass 12 is provided for scanning applications of placing a single paper or a thinner document.

[0043] In detail, the second area 22, the third area 23 and the fourth area 24 are virtual range divisions, and the first area 21 specifically refers to a range formed by an object and can be set on the housing 20 adjacent to the second scanning glass 12. The third area 23 includes the spacer 34 in addition to the first scanning glass 11. In addition, the fourth area 24 includes a portion of the second scanning glass 12 and a portion of the housing 20 corresponding to the two ends of the second scanning glass 12.

[0044] On the other hand, Figure 1 As shown, the defined initial position A1 is located on one side of the third region 23, that is, the initial position A1 and the spacer 34 are respectively located on both sides of the third region 23. The distance between the initial position A1 and the first region 21 can be known according to the design, and depending on the different technical conditions of the actual production, the initial position A1 can be designed to be completely attached to one side of the third region 23, or to have a slight gap from the side of the third region 23.

[0045] Secondly, the length of the fourth area 24 is designed to be greater than the length of the third area 23, and the length of the fourth area 24 is also greater than the length of the second area 22, and the length of the second area 22 is greater than the length of the third area 23. Furthermore, since the third area 23, the first area 21, the fourth area 24 and the second area 22 are a rectangle as a whole, the third area 23, the first area 21, the fourth area 24 and the second area 22 have the same width. In other words, the fourth area 24 has the largest range, followed by the second area 22, the third area 23 is the third, and the first area 21 is the smallest. The length is based on Figure 1 The distance in the Y direction is shown, while the width is Figure 1 The distance in the X direction is shown.

[0046] To run the optical machine positioning method of the present invention, the scanning width of the optical machine 10 is designed to be equal to the width of the first area 21, the second area 22, the third area 23 and the fourth area 24, and the optical machine 10 is set as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it is approximately aligned in the center of each area 21-24. In other words, when the optical machine 10 moves and scans on the scanning platform 100, the two ends of the optical machine 10 will be attached to the two ends of each area 21-24, so that the parts corresponding to the two ends of each area 21-24 can be scanned. Secondly, the scanning width of the optical machine 10 is equal to the width of the first scanning glass 11, and also equal to the width of the spacer 34. And the scanning width of the optical machine 10 is greater than the width of the second scanning glass 12, that is, the width of the second scanning glass 12 is less than the width of the first scanning glass 11.

[0047] Another feature of the present invention is that the scanning platform 100 is designed to have a plurality of characteristic graphs, namely a first characteristic graph 31, a second characteristic graph 32 and a third characteristic graph 33, and these characteristic graphs are arranged on the housing 20. Figure 1 As shown, the first characteristic map 31 and the second characteristic map 32 are respectively located at two ends of the first area 21, and the third characteristic map 33 is located at one end of the second area 22. Figure 1 Taking the direction shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the first characteristic pattern 31 is located at the left end of the first area 21, the second characteristic pattern 32 is located at the right end of the first area 21, and the third characteristic pattern 33 is located at the left end of the second area 22. In addition, the second area 22 includes not only the third characteristic pattern 33 and a portion of the second scanning glass 12, but also a portion of the housing 20 corresponding to one end of the second scanning glass 12.

[0048] As mentioned above, the present invention designs the characteristic images 31 to 33 to have specific colors, that is, to present a single color of the entire image and to be colors with a large contrast between each other, so as to facilitate scanning and identification. In this embodiment, the first characteristic image 31 is designed to be black, and the second characteristic image 32 and the third characteristic image 33 are designed to be white. In other words, the characteristic images 31 and 32 at both ends of the first area 21 are different in color, and although the second characteristic image 32 and the third characteristic image 33 are both white, they are obliquely opposite. Secondly, the color designed for the housing 20 and the spacer 34 is also a single color, and the color of the housing 20 and the spacer 34 is different from the color of the characteristic images 31 to 33. In this embodiment, the housing 20 is designed to be light gray, and the spacer 34 is dark gray. On the other hand, the color designed for the paper pressing image is also a single color, and in order to avoid affecting the scanning result, the paper pressing image is designed to be white.

[0049] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the characteristic patterns 31-33 are designed to have the same width and correspond to the scanning at both ends of the optical machine 10, and the width of the first characteristic pattern 31 plus the width of the second scanning glass 12 plus the width of the second characteristic pattern 32 is equal to the scanning width of the optical machine 10. This embodiment designs the scanning at both ends of the optical machine 10 to be a scanning of a specific number of pixels, and this specific number can be equal to or slightly less than the width of the characteristic patterns 31-33. In detail, the width of the characteristic patterns 31-33 can be designed to fill or cut into the width gap between the first scanning glass 11 and the second scanning glass 12.

[0050] Therefore, according to the above-mentioned design, the present invention can know the location of the optical machine 10 in relevant states (for example, before scanning starts, when the scanning process is not completed, or when restarting after power failure, etc.) without setting up relevant sensors, that is, the optical machine 10 will be in which of the above-mentioned four areas 21 to 24, and can make a preliminary classification of the location of the optical machine 10.

[0051] See also Figure 2 , is a flow chart of the area judgment of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention. First, the optical machine 10 is kept stationary and performs a scan to obtain a scanned image (step S11); secondly, it is determined whether the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to a first color range or a second color range (step S12); wherein, when the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to the first color range or the second color range, the optical machine 10 is defined as being located in the third area 23 (step S13); and when the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image do not conform to the first color range or the second color range, it is determined whether the color value at a first end of the scanned image conforms to a third color range, and whether the color value at a second end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range (step S14); wherein, when the color value at the first end of the scanned image conforms to the third color range, and the color value at the second end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range, the optical machine 10 is defined as being located in the first area 21 (step S15); and when the color value at the first end of the scanned image conforms to the third color range, and the color value at the second end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range. When the color value of one end does not conform to the third color range, and the color value of the second end of the scanned image does not conform to the second color range, it is determined whether the color value of the first end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range, and whether the color value of the second end of the scanned image conforms to a fourth color range (step S16); wherein, when the color value of the first end of the scanned image conforms to the second color range, and the color value of the second end of the scanned image conforms to the fourth color range, it is defined that the optical machine 10 is located in the second area 22 (step S17); and when the color value of the first end of the scanned image does not conform to the second color range, and the color value of the second end of the scanned image does not conform to the fourth color range, it is determined whether the color values ​​of both ends of the scanned image conform to the fourth color range (step S18); wherein, when the color values ​​of both ends of the scanned image conform to the fourth color range, it is defined that the optical machine 10 is located in the fourth area 24 (step S19).

[0052] In the above step S11, the optical machine 10 is designed to scan once in place at the beginning, no matter where it is in the state before scanning starts, the scanning process is not completed, or it is restarted after power failure. That is, the optical machine 10 scans first without moving. The purpose of this design is that the optical machine 10 may stop at any position when it stops last time. If the optical machine 10 is moved forward or backward after restarting, it is very likely to collide with the inside of the housing 20 and cause damage to the optical machine 10. Therefore, the design of scanning once in place first avoids such problems.

[0053] As mentioned above, one of the features of the present invention is that by judging and identifying the scanning results of the two ends of the scanned image (not shown in the attached figure), that is, the color value thereof, the optical machine 10 is defined as being located in an area with a color correlation. From the distribution positions of the characteristic diagrams 31 to 33, the spacer 34, the housing 20 and each area 21 to 24, it can be seen that the colors presented at the left and right ends of the fourth area 24 are the same, while the colors presented at the left and right ends of the first area 21 and the second area 22 are different, and the difference is a significant contrast difference in design. Therefore, if the optical machine 10 is in the fourth area 24, the color values ​​of the left and right ends of the scanned image obtained for the fourth area 24, which presents the light gray color of the housing 20 at both ends, will be substantially the same. On the other hand, since the entire paper pressing diagram is designed to be white, the result scanned by the optical machine 10 through the first scanning glass 11 will also be white. Therefore, if the optical engine 10 is in the third area 23 , the color values ​​of the left and right ends of the scanned image can be the same white (for the paper pressing image) or the same dark gray (for the spacer 34 ).

[0054] However, since the optical machine 10 may have errors in scanning the image, that is, there may be some color level differences, for example, a pure white or pure black pattern may present an image scanning result that is not pure white or pure black after being scanned. Therefore, this embodiment is designed to use the above-mentioned related color range as the tolerance for judgment, and each color range can be set for the color level of the related color within a specific value. In detail, if the color value of the scanned image is within the related color range, it means that the optical machine 10 has scanned the corresponding color map.

[0055] It can be seen that when it is determined that the two ends of the scanned image are the same color, it means that the optical machine 10 may be located in the third area 23 or the fourth area 24. When it is determined that the two ends of the scanned image are different colors, it means that the optical machine 10 may be located in the second area 22 or the first area 21. Therefore, the scanning result can be further judged by using the relevant color range.

[0056] In the above steps S12-S13, the first color range used in this embodiment is for the color value of dark gray, and the second color range is for the color value of white. Therefore, the first color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for the successful judgment of dark gray when performing image scanning, that is, the scanned result is slightly darker or lighter than dark gray, which can be regarded as dark gray and conform to the first color range. The second color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for the successful judgment of white when performing image scanning, that is, the scanned result is slightly darker or lighter than full white, which can be regarded as white and conform to the second color range.

[0057] Therefore, when it is determined that the color values ​​of the left and right ends of the scanned image are both dark gray, it means that the dark gray spacer 34 is scanned; or, when it is determined that the color values ​​of the left and right ends of the scanned image are both white, it means that the white paper pressing pattern is scanned. Both of these situations can define that the optical machine 10 is located in the third area 23 at this time. When the judgment result of step S12 is no (that is, the two ends do not conform to the first color range, or do not conform to the second color range), the scanning result is judged by other conditions.

[0058] In the above steps S14 to S15, the third color range used in this embodiment is for the color value of black, and the second color range is for the color value of white. Similarly, the third color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for successfully judging black when performing image scanning, that is, the scanned result is slightly lighter than pure black, which can be regarded as black and conform to the third color range. The second color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for successfully judging white when performing image scanning, that is, the scanned result is slightly darker than pure white, which can be regarded as white and conform to the second color range. It should be noted that Figure 1 Taking the direction shown as an example, the first end of the scanned image here is described by corresponding to, for example, the left end where the first characteristic diagram 31 is located; and the second end of the scanned image here is described by corresponding to, for example, the right end where the second characteristic diagram 32 is located.

[0059] Therefore, when the color value of the first end (i.e., the left end) of the scanned image is determined to be black, and the color value of the second end (i.e., the right end) of the scanned image is determined to be white, it means that the left end scans the black first characteristic map 31, and the right end scans the white second characteristic map 32, and it can be defined that the optical machine 10 is located in the first area 21 at this time. When the judgment result of step S14 is no (i.e., the left end does not conform to the third color range and the right end does not conform to the second color range), the scanning result is judged by other conditions.

[0060] In the above steps S16 to S17, the second color range used in this embodiment is for the color value of white, and the fourth color range is for the color value of light gray. Similarly, the second color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for successfully judging white when performing image scanning, that is, the scanning result is slightly darker than full white, it can be regarded as white and conform to the second color range. The fourth color range is the tolerance of the optical machine 10 for successfully judging light gray when performing image scanning, that is, the scanning result is slightly darker or lighter than light gray, it can be regarded as light gray and conform to the fourth color range. It should be noted that Figure 1 Taking the direction shown as an example, the first end of the scanned image here is described by corresponding to, for example, the left end where the third characteristic diagram 33 is located; and the second end of the scanned image here is described by corresponding to, for example, the right end where the housing 20 is located.

[0061] Therefore, when the color value of the first end (i.e., the left end) of the scanned image is determined to be white, and the color value of the second end (i.e., the right end) of the scanned image is determined to be light gray, it means that the left end scans the white third characteristic pattern 33, and the right end scans the light gray housing 20, and it can be defined that the optical engine 10 is located in the second area 22. When the judgment result of step S16 is no (i.e., the left end does not conform to the second color range and the right end does not conform to the fourth color range), the scanning result is judged by other conditions.

[0062] In the above steps S18-S19, the fourth color range used in this embodiment is for the color value of light gray. Therefore, the fourth color range is the tolerance that the optical machine 10 can successfully judge for light gray when performing image scanning, that is, the scanned result that is slightly darker or lighter than light gray can be regarded as light gray and meets the fourth color range.

[0063] Therefore, when it is determined that the color values ​​of the left and right ends of the scanned image are both light gray, it means that the light gray housing 20 is scanned, and it can be defined that the optical machine 10 is located in the fourth area 24. When the judgment result of step S18 is negative (i.e., the two ends do not conform to the fourth color range), the process from step S12 can be designed to restart the judgment once for confirmation.

[0064] It should be noted that, since the optical machine 10 may be initially located in any area, the above steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 may be arranged in different orders in other embodiments, that is, these judgment conditions do not have a specific order. Reasonably speaking, under the indication of the characteristic images 31-33, the spacer 34, the paper pressing image, and the color of the housing 20, after completing the judgment of the above steps S12, S14, S16, and S18, the area where the optical machine 10 is located should be confirmed.

[0065] Furthermore, the initial optical machine 10 may be located in any area or may span two areas. Therefore, in other embodiments of the present invention, the judgment conditions in the above steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 may be further designed to judge and identify the color values ​​at both ends of the first scan line of the scanned image, that is, only the area where the first scan line of the scanned image is located is used as the area definition of the optical machine 10.

[0066] It can be seen that the present invention can know which area the optical machine 10 is located in according to the above design without setting up relevant sensors. Furthermore, another feature of the present invention is that after knowing the area where the optical machine 10 is located, the optical machine 10 can be accurately moved back to the initial position A1 without setting up relevant sensors. In other words, after the above steps S13, S15, S17, and S19 confirm that the optical machine 10 is located in each area, the optical machine 10 will be moved back to the initial position A1 according to the specified design. The movement process corresponding to each area will be described in detail as follows.

[0067] See also Figure 3 , is a detailed schematic diagram of the first area 21. Figure 3 As shown, the first region 21 has a main feature graph 211 and a plurality of secondary feature graphs 212. In this embodiment, the main feature graph 211 has a relatively large area, while the secondary feature graphs 212 have sequentially different areas, and the main feature graph 211 is approximately located in the middle. Secondly, the main feature graph 211 and the secondary feature graphs 212 are located on one side of the first region 21 adjacent to the fourth region 24, that is, the main feature graph 211 and the secondary feature graphs 212 are on the side of the first region 21 close to the fourth region 24.

[0068] Furthermore, the main feature graph 211 has a main feature width, the secondary feature graphs 212 each have a secondary feature width, and the thickness of each feature graph 211-212 is designed to be the same. Since the main feature graph 211 is relatively large, it can be known that the main feature width is greater than the secondary feature widths. On the other hand, the distance between the main feature graph 211 and the secondary feature graphs 212 and the initial position A1 is designed to be known. In addition, this embodiment designs the main feature graph 211 and the secondary feature graphs 212 to be the same color black, and the other parts of the first area 21 except for the feature graphs 31, 211-212 are designed to be white.

[0069] See also Figure 4 , is a flowchart of the operation of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the optical machine 10 in the first area 21. First, a search is performed in each scan line of the scanned image (step S21); secondly, it is determined whether the color values ​​of a portion of pixels in a corresponding scan line conform to the third color range, and whether the color values ​​of another portion of pixels at both ends of the portion of pixels conform to the second color range (step S22); wherein, when the color values ​​of the portion of pixels in the corresponding scan line conform to the third color range, and the color values ​​of another portion of pixels at both ends of the portion of pixels conform to the second color range, a block width representing the portion of pixels is generated (step S23); then, it is determined whether the block width corresponds to the main feature width, or whether the block width corresponds to each One of the secondary feature widths (step S24); wherein, when the block width corresponds to the main feature width, the position of the main feature map 211 in the scanned image is defined, or when the block width corresponds to one of the secondary feature widths, the position of the corresponding secondary feature map 212 in the scanned image is defined (step S25); then, according to the defined position of the main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 in the scanned image, a movement information is obtained (step S26); finally, according to the movement information, the optical machine 10 is moved toward the initial position A1 and stops at the initial position A1 (step S27).

[0070] In the above step S21, since the scanned image (not shown in the attached figure) is an image composed of multiple horizontal scan lines, the design at this stage recognizes each scan line one by one to know what the pixels of the image are. In this embodiment, the design recognizes and searches from the upper scan lines first, that is, starts with the scan lines close to the initial position A1 and then proceeds downward one by one (i.e. Figure 1Since the length of the first region 21 is the shortest and its width corresponds to the scanning width of the optical machine 10, it can be seen that if the optical machine 10 is initially in the first region 21, the scanned image obtained by the in-situ scanning can include the entire first region 21, or at least can include the main feature map 211 and the secondary feature maps 212.

[0071] In the above step S22, because each scan line is searched line by line, the white part of the first area 21 may be searched first. Since the first end (i.e., the left end) of the scanned image corresponds to the black first feature map 31 at this time, but only the right end of the first feature map 31 is white, which does not conform to the style of the main feature map 211 or the secondary feature maps 212, the first feature map 31 will not be judged as the main feature map 211 or the secondary feature maps 212.

[0072] In other words, during the search process, if it is found that some pixels are black (especially the pixels in the middle of the scanned image) and another part of the pixels at both ends are white (i.e. Figure 3 The first scanning line where the pixels begin to present the white, black, and white configuration corresponds to the upper edge of the main feature graph 211 or the secondary feature graphs 212. The judgment method for the third color range and the second color range is similar to Figure 2 On the other hand, if the judgment condition of step S22 is not met, the search can be continued for confirmation.

[0073] In the above step S23, in order to further confirm that the search object is the main feature map 211 or the secondary feature maps 212, the pixels that meet the judgment condition of step S22 are processed, that is, the range of the portion of pixels that appear black is calculated to calculate the block width of the distribution. In detail, after the positions of the two end points of the portion of pixels (i.e., the black block) searched at this time are determined, the distance between the two end points is the block width.

[0074] In the above step S24, since the main feature width of the main feature image 211 is known, and the secondary feature widths of each secondary feature image 212 are known, the block width of the partial pixel (i.e., black block) is compared with the main feature width and each secondary feature width to know which the partial pixel (i.e., black block) is. Therefore, when the block width corresponds to the main feature width, the partial pixel (i.e., black block) represents the main feature image 211; and when the block width corresponds to one of the secondary feature widths, the partial pixel (i.e., black block) represents the corresponding secondary feature image 212. The correspondence between the two widths may be that the widths of the two are the same, or a slight width difference may be allowed due to errors in image scanning.

[0075] In the above step S25, the pixels that meet the judgment condition of step S24 are processed, that is, the main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 represented by the part of pixels (i.e., the black block) is defined in the scanned image. Specifically, the position of the main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 in the scanned image can be defined according to the horizontal scanning line in the scanned image where the main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 is found. In this way, it can be known by calculation where the optical machine 10 is located on the scanning platform 100 at this time.

[0076] It should be noted that the above-mentioned search method is implemented by searching downward. However, in other embodiments, it can be designed to search in an upward manner, that is, to start searching from the bottom scan line of the scanned image and then search upward one by one. Since the thickness of the main feature map 211 and the corresponding secondary feature map 212 (i.e., the number of horizontal scan lines occupied) is also known, it can also be used to perform a clear position definition through calculation.

[0077] In the above steps S26-S27, after the position of the main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 in the scanned image is defined, the straight-line distance between the optical machine 10 and the actual main feature map 211 or the corresponding secondary feature map 212 can be known. Secondly, since the distances between the main feature map 211, the corresponding secondary feature map 212 and the initial position A1 are also known fixed values, the distance between the position of the optical machine 10 and the initial position A1 can also be known at the same time. Therefore, the movement information represents the distance from the position of the optical machine 10 to the initial position A1, and the optical machine 10 can be driven according to the movement information to accurately return to the initial position A1.

[0078] See also Figure 5, is a flowchart of the operation of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the optical machine 10 in the second area 22. First, the optical machine 10 is moved toward the initial position A1 by a retreat length, and then another scan is performed by a preset scan length to obtain another scan image (step S31); secondly, a search is performed in each scan line of the other scan image (step S32); then, it is determined whether the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line meets the second color range, and whether the color value of a first end of a previous scan line of the scan line meets the fourth color range (step S33); wherein, when the color value of the first end of the corresponding scan line meets the second color range, When the value conforms to the second color range and the color value of the first end of the previous scan line of the scan line conforms to the fourth color range, the scan line is defined to correspond to the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24 (step S34); then, based on the scan line defined to correspond to the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24, a movement information is obtained (step S35); finally, based on the movement information, the optical machine 10 is moved toward the initial position A1 and stops at the initial position A1 (step S36).

[0079] In this embodiment, Figure 5 The design purpose is to find the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24. Further, the extension of the upper edge of the third characteristic pattern 33 represents the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24, and the third characteristic pattern 33 is white, which is different from the light gray of the upper housing 20 (i.e., the left end of the fourth area 24). Therefore, by identifying the different colors at the boundary, the method of finding the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24 can be to find the boundary between the third characteristic pattern 33 and the upper housing 20.

[0080] In the above step S31, the optical machine 10 is designed to retreat (i.e., toward the initial position A1) and must retreat to the fourth area 24, so that the above boundary can be found. Since the fourth area 24 has the largest length, the maximum value of the retreat length is designed to be the length of the second area 22. That is, even if the optical machine 10 is at the bottom of the second area 22 at the beginning, the optical machine 10 itself has thickness. If the optical machine 10 is retreated directly with the length of the second area 22 as the retreat length, it can still be determined that the optical machine 10 moves to the fourth area 24.

[0081] Then, the optical machine 10 is driven to move forward with the preset scanning length (ie Figure 1In this embodiment, the maximum value of the preset scanning length is designed to be the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21. Secondly, the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21 is designed to be still less than the length of the second area 22. Therefore, if the optical machine 10 retreats to the fourth area 24 (ideally close to the bottom of the fourth area 24) and directly moves forward and scans with the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21 as the preset scanning length, the obtained another scanned image can still include the connection portion between the third feature map 33 and the housing 20 above, and will not collide with the housing 20 at the bottom.

[0082] In addition, this embodiment can also process the other scanned image in a pixel averaging manner. Specifically, when the optical machine 10 is moved, in order to reduce the time of image processing and calculation, a plurality of scan lines can be designed to be combined into a unit and the pixels of the image can be averaged, that is, the number of scan lines to be identified can be reduced. For example, if the other scanned image originally has 200 scan lines, it can be designed that each 10 lines are a unit and the pixel content of the 10 lines is averaged into one, so the number of scan lines to be identified in the end is only 20. This can effectively reduce the time of image processing and calculation.

[0083] In the above step S32, similarly, this stage is designed to identify each scan line one by one to know the pixels of its image composition, and it can also be identified and searched from the upper scan line first, and then proceed one by one downwards.

[0084] In the above step S33, similarly, Figure 1 Taking the direction shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the first end of the corresponding scanning line is described as corresponding to the left end of the third characteristic graph 33. Secondly, the second color range is the tolerance of the optical engine 10 for successfully determining the white color when performing image scanning, and the fourth color range of this embodiment is the tolerance of the optical engine 10 for successfully determining the light gray color of the housing 20 when performing image scanning.

[0085] Therefore, in the above step S34, when it is determined that the color value of the first end (i.e., the left end) of the corresponding scan line (e.g., the nth scan line) is white, and the color value of the first end (i.e., the left end) of the previous scan line (e.g., the n-1th scan line) is light gray, it can be defined that the scan line corresponds to the boundary of the second area 22 adjacent to the fourth area 24. Or it can be said that the corresponding scan line is the first scan line corresponding to the beginning of the second area 22. On the other hand, if the judgment condition of step S33 is not met, it can be designed to continue searching for confirmation.

[0086] Furthermore, the selection of the retreat length and the preset scanning length is also a range, that is, it is not necessary to move at the relative maximum value. Alternatively, in other embodiments, it can be designed that if the judgment condition of step S33 is not met, it returns to step S31 and repeats the process, but it does not need to retreat again, but only needs to move forward once with the preset scanning length.

[0087] In the above steps S35 to S36, similarly, the position of the boundary in the other scanned image can be defined according to the horizontal scan line in the other scanned image at which the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24 is found. In this way, the straight-line distance between the position of the optical machine 10 at this time and the boundary can be obtained through calculation. Secondly, since the distance between the boundary and the initial position A1 is also a known fixed value, the distance between the position of the optical machine 10 at this time and the initial position A1 can also be known at the same time. Similarly, the movement information represents the distance from the position of the optical machine 10 to the initial position A1, and the optical machine 10 can be driven according to the movement information to accurately return to the initial position A1.

[0088] The concept of the present invention is not limited to the method described in step S36. Since the initial position A1 is located on the side of the third area 23 closest to the housing 20, and the second area 22 is far from the initial position A1, the optical machine 10 may collide with the housing 20 during long-distance accelerated movement.

[0089] Therefore, in other embodiments, the optical machine 10 may be first moved to and stopped in the first area 21, and the movement information represents the distance from the location of the optical machine 10 to the first area 21. Figure 2 and Figure 4 The optical engine 10 can be moved back to the initial position A1 by the process. This method can prevent the optical engine 10 from hitting the housing 20 through the staged movement design.

[0090] See also Figure 6, is a flowchart of the operation of the optical machine positioning method of the present invention for the optical machine 10 in the third area 23. First, the optical machine 10 performs another scan with a preset scan length to obtain another scan image (step S41); secondly, a search is performed in each scan line of the other scan image (step S42); then, it is determined whether the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line meets the third color range, whether the color value of a second end of the scan line meets the second color range, and whether the color values ​​of a first end and a second end of a previous scan line of the scan line meet the first color range (step S43); wherein, when the color value of the first end of the corresponding scan line meets the third color range, the color value of the second end of the scan line meets the second color range. When the color value of the second end of the scan line conforms to the second color range, and the color values ​​of the first end and the second end of the previous scan line of the scan line conform to the first color range, the scan line is defined to correspond to the boundary of the first area 21 adjacent to the third area 23 (step S44); then, according to the scan line defined to correspond to the boundary of the first area 21 adjacent to the third area 23, a movement information is obtained (step S45); finally, according to the movement information, the optical machine 10 is moved toward the initial position A1 and stops at the initial position A1 (step S46).

[0091] In this embodiment, Figure 6 The design purpose is to find the boundary between the first area 21 and the third area 23, especially the boundary between the first area 21 and the spacer 34 above, so as to find the first area 21 and use the main feature map 211 or each secondary feature map 212 therein to move to the initial position A1. Further, the line connecting the upper edges of the first feature map 31 and the second feature map 32 represents the boundary between the first area 21 and the spacer 34, and the first feature map 31 is black, the second feature map 32 is white, and the spacer 34 above the first area 21 is dark gray. Therefore, by identifying the different colors at the boundary, the way to find the boundary between the first area 21 and the third area 23 can be to find the boundary between the first feature map 31 and the spacer 34.

[0092] In the above step S41, the optical machine 10 is driven to move forward with the preset scanning length (ie Figure 1Similarly, the maximum value of the preset scanning length designed by this embodiment is the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21. Therefore, even if the optical machine 10 is initially at the top initial position A1, and directly moves and scans with the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21 as the preset scanning length, it can still be determined that the obtained another scanned image will include the connection part between the first feature map 31 and the spacer 34 above, and of course, it also includes the connection part between the first area 21, the second feature map 32 and the spacer 34 above. In addition, this embodiment can also process the another scanned image in a pixel averaging manner.

[0093] As for the above steps S42 to S46, Figure 5 The difference is that, Figure 6 The process is to use the first color range, the second color range and the third color range for judgment. When it is judged that the color value of the first end (i.e., the left end) of the corresponding scanning line is black, the color value of the second end (i.e., the right end) is white, and the color values ​​of the first end (i.e., the left end) and the second end (i.e., the right end) of the previous scanning line of the scanning line are dark gray, it can be defined that the scanning line corresponds to the boundary of the first area 21 adjacent to the third area 23. In addition, after the position of this boundary is defined in the other scanned image, the straight-line distance between the optical machine 10 and this boundary can be known. Furthermore, the distance between this boundary and the initial position A1 is also a known fixed value, so the movement information for moving the optical machine 10 to the initial position A1 can be calculated, and then it can be accurately returned to the initial position A1.

[0094] Of course, in other embodiments, the optical machine 10 may be first moved to and stopped in the first area 21. Then, the operation may be performed again. Figure 2 and Figure 4 The optical machine 10 can be moved back to the initial position A1.

[0095] See also Figure 7, is a flow chart of the operation of the optical machine 10 in the fourth area 24 according to the optical machine positioning method of the present invention. First, the optical machine 10 performs another scan with a preset scan length to obtain another scan image (step S51); secondly, a search is performed in each scan line of the other scan image (step S52); then, it is determined whether the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line conforms to the second color range, and whether the color value of a first end of a scan line preceding the scan line conforms to the fourth color range (step S53); wherein, when the color value of the first end of the corresponding scan line conforms to the second color range, and the color value of the first end of the scan line preceding the scan line conforms to the fourth color range, the scan line is defined as corresponding to the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24 (step S54); then, according to the scan line defined as corresponding to the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24, a movement information is obtained (step S55); finally, according to the movement information, the optical machine 10 is moved toward the initial position A1 and stops at the initial position A1 (step S56).

[0096] In this embodiment, Figure 7 The design purpose is also to find the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24. Figure 5 The method is also to find the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24 by identifying the different colors at the junction, namely the white third characteristic image 33 and the light gray housing 20 (i.e. the left end of the fourth area 24), and finding the junction between the third characteristic image 33 and the upper housing 20.

[0097] Figure 7 and Figure 5 The only difference is that Figure 7 At the beginning of the process, the optical machine 10 is already in the fourth area 24, so there is no need to move backward in step S51, and the optical machine 10 can be directly driven forward with the preset scanning length (ie Figure 1 Similarly, in this embodiment, the maximum value of the preset scanning length is the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21. Since the length of the fourth area 24 is the longest, and Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21 is designed to be approximately one-third of the length of the fourth area 24. Therefore, if the optical machine 10 is at the top of the fourth area 24 (i.e., adjacent to the first area 21), the optical machine 10 cannot obtain the other scanned image including the connection between the third characteristic pattern 33 and the housing 20 above with only one movement and scan.

[0098] As mentioned above, if the judgment condition of step S53 is not met, this embodiment is designed to move forward with the preset scanning length and perform another scan again, and obtain another new scan image to perform a new search and judgment, that is, repeat the process from step S51. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the optical machine 10 moves and scans with the fixed preset scanning length (that is, the length of the third area 23 plus the length of the first area 21), the optical machine 10 will only move three times in the fourth area 24 at most, and it can be determined that the third feature map 33 is scanned, that is, it can move to the vicinity of the boundary between the second area 22 and the fourth area 24.

[0099] The subsequent process can be Figure 5 The same as the above-mentioned related description, including calculating the movement information from the boundary, and moving the optical machine 10 to the initial position A1 or to the first area 21 first. Further, in order to avoid the boundary appearing as an edge in the other scanned image and being unable to be clearly identified, in other embodiments, it can be designed that when the optical machine 10 moves from the fourth area 24 and enters the second area 22, it is changed to Figure 5 The optical machine 10 is operated by the process of retreating to the fourth area 24 and then moving forward to perform another scan. Thus, under this design, the optical machine 10 initially located in the fourth area 24 can be moved back to the initial position A1 with a maximum accumulated number of being driven only 6 times.

[0100] In summary, when the optical machine positioning method proposed by the present invention is applied to an image processing device such as a business machine, the optical machine of the image processing device can be identified in which area of ​​its scanning platform the optical machine is located without moving the optical machine of the image processing device through color recognition, and there is no need to set up relevant sensors in the image processing device, so the production cost can be effectively reduced. In addition, by defining the position of the boundary of the relevant feature map in the scanned image, the moving distance required to move the optical machine back to the initial position can be accurately calculated, which not only does not require the installation of relevant sensors, but also can effectively avoid the problem of the optical machine colliding with the casing and causing damage.

[0101] Therefore, the present invention can effectively solve the related problems raised in the prior art and successfully achieve the main purpose of the present disclosure.

[0102] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by way of embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art of the present invention may make various changes and modifications without departing from the concept and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. An optical machine positioning method is applied to an image processing device, the device having a scanning platform and an optical machine, the scanning platform having a first area, a second area, a third area and a fourth area, the fourth area is located between the first area and the second area, the first area is located between the third area and the fourth area, the third area is defined with an initial position, the length of the fourth area is greater than the length of the third area, and the method comprises the following steps: The optical machine is kept stationary and performs a scan to obtain a scanned image; When the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to a first color range or a second color range, the optical machine is defined to be located in the third area; When the color value of a first end of the scanned image matches a third color range, and the color value of a second end of the scanned image matches the second color range, the optical machine is defined to be located in the first area; When the color value of the first end of the scanned image matches the second color range, and the color value of the second end of the scanned image matches a fourth color range, defining the optical engine to be located in the second area; and When the color values ​​at both ends of the scanned image conform to the fourth color range, the optical machine is defined to be located in the fourth area. 2 . The optical machine positioning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the initial position is located on one side of the third area, and a scanning width of the optical machine is equal to a width of the first area, the second area, the third area and the fourth area.

3. The optical machine positioning method as described in claim 1, wherein the scanning platform has a first scanning glass and a second scanning glass, the first scanning glass corresponds to the third area and a document automatic feeding unit of the image processing device, and the second scanning glass corresponds to the fourth area and the second area; wherein the scanning width of the optical machine is equal to the width of the first scanning glass, and the scanning width of the optical machine is greater than the width of the second scanning glass.

4. The optical-mechanical positioning method as described in claim 3, wherein the scanning platform has a housing, a spacer, a first characteristic map, a second characteristic map and a third characteristic map, and the image processing device further has a paper pressing map, the housing surrounds the first scanning glass and the second scanning glass, and the spacer is located between the first scanning glass and the first area, the first characteristic map, the second characteristic map and the third characteristic map are arranged on the housing, and the first characteristic map and the second characteristic map are respectively located at two ends of the first area, the third characteristic map is located at one end of the second area, and the paper pressing map is located above the first scanning glass.

5. The optical-mechanical positioning method as described in claim 4, wherein the paper pressing map, the second characteristic map and the third characteristic map conform to the second color range, the first characteristic map conforms to the third color range, the color of the spacer conforms to the first color range, and the color of the housing conforms to the fourth color range. 6 . The optical-mechanical positioning method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second characteristic graph and the third characteristic graph are obliquely opposite to each other. 7 . The optical-mechanical positioning method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the paper pressing pattern is disposed on a top cover of the image processing device, and a size of the paper pressing pattern corresponds to a size of the first scanning glass.

8. The optical mechanical positioning method as described in claim 1, wherein the first region has a main feature map and multiple secondary feature maps, the main feature map and the secondary feature maps are located on a side of the first region adjacent to the fourth region, and the main feature map has a main feature width, and the secondary feature maps each have a secondary feature width.

9. The optical machine positioning method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the following steps after defining that the optical machine is located in the first area: Searching in each scan line of the scanned image; When the color values ​​of a portion of pixels in a corresponding scan line conform to the third color range, and the color values ​​of another portion of pixels at both ends of the portion of pixels conform to the second color range, a block width representing the portion of pixels is generated; and When the block width corresponds to the main feature width, the position of the main feature map in the scanned image is defined, or when the block width corresponds to one of the secondary feature widths, the position of the corresponding secondary feature map in the scanned image is defined.

10. The optical-mechanical positioning method according to claim 9, further comprising the following steps: Obtaining movement information according to the defined position of the main feature map or the corresponding secondary feature map in the scanned image; and The optical machine is moved toward the initial position according to the movement information and stops at the initial position.

11. The optical machine positioning method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the following steps after defining that the optical machine is located in the second area: The optical machine is moved toward the initial position by a retreat length, and then another scan is performed by a preset scan length to obtain another scan image; Searching in each scan line of the another scanned image; and When the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line conforms to the second color range, and the color value of a first end of a previous scan line conforms to the fourth color range, the scan line is defined as corresponding to the boundary between the second area and the fourth area. 12 . The optical mechanical positioning method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a maximum value of the retreat length is a length of the second region, and a maximum value of the preset scanning length is a length of the third region plus a length of the first region.

13. The optical-mechanical positioning method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the another scanned image is processed by pixel averaging.

14. The optical-mechanical positioning method according to claim 11, further comprising the following steps: Obtaining movement information according to the defined scan line corresponding to the boundary between the second area and the fourth area; and The optical machine is moved toward the initial position according to the movement information and stops in the first area or at the initial position.

15. The optical machine positioning method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the following steps after defining that the optical machine is located in the third area: Allowing the optical machine to perform another scan with a preset scan length to obtain another scan image; Searching in each scan line of the another scanned image; and When the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line conforms to the third color range, the color value of a second end of the scan line conforms to the second color range, and the color values ​​of a first end and a second end of a previous scan line of the scan line conform to the first color range, the scan line is defined as corresponding to the boundary between the first area and the third area. 16 . The optical mechanical positioning method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a maximum value of the preset scanning length is a sum of a length of the third area and a length of the first area.

17. The optical-mechanical positioning method of claim 15, wherein the another scanned image is processed by pixel averaging.

18. The optical-mechanical positioning method according to claim 15, further comprising the following steps: Obtaining movement information according to the defined scan line corresponding to the boundary between the first area and the third area; and The optical machine is moved toward the initial position according to the movement information and stops in the first area or at the initial position.

19. The optical machine positioning method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the following steps after defining that the optical machine is located in the fourth area: Allowing the optical machine to perform another scan with a preset scan length to obtain another scan image; Searching in each scan line of the another scanned image; and When the color value of a first end of a corresponding scan line conforms to the second color range, and the color value of a first end of a previous scan line conforms to the fourth color range, the scan line is defined as corresponding to the boundary between the second area and the fourth area. 20 . The optical-mechanical positioning method of claim 19 , wherein a maximum value of the preset scanning length is a sum of a length of the third region and a length of the first region.

21. The optical-mechanical positioning method of claim 19, wherein the another scanned image is processed by pixel averaging.

22. The optical-mechanical positioning method of claim 19, further comprising the following steps: Obtaining movement information according to the defined scan line corresponding to the boundary between the second area and the fourth area; and The optical machine is moved toward the initial position according to the movement information and stops in the first area or at the initial position.

Images