Image reading device, image reading system, and control method and program for image reading device

Abstract

To provide a technique for allowing a user to easily check a status of an image scanning apparatus.SOLUTION: An image scanning apparatus is configured to transmit original document image data by storing, sequentially in a buffer, line data obtained by line-by-line scanning of an original document and transmitting the stored line data to a host computer sequentially line by line. The image scanning apparatus includes control means configured to perform control to transmit original document image data including notification image data to the host computer in a case where it is detected that an apparatus status of the image scanning apparatus is not normal during processing executed in response to a scan command received from the host computer, the notification image data being a notification of an error occurrence.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique relating to an image reading device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display of an image reading device, and a user can check for errors in the image reading device by reading the two-dimensional code with a mobile phone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-124648 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for improved operability in image reading processing.

[0005] The technique of the present disclosure has an object to provide a technique that allows a user to easily check the status of an image reading device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image reading device according to the present disclosure is an image reading device configured to transmit document image data by sequentially storing line data obtained by scanning a document line by line in a buffer and sequentially transmitting the stored line data line by line to a host computer, and has a control means for controlling the image reading device to transmit document image data including notification image data for notifying the host computer that an error has occurred when the image reading device detects that the device status is not normal while executing processing according to a scan command received from the host computer. death , The image reading device is configured to transmit the stored line data to the host computer every time the line data is stored in the buffer, and the control means stores the notification image data in the buffer at a time when it is detected that the device state of the image reading device is not normal, and transmits the notification image data stored in the buffer following the line data transmitted to the host computer up until the time when it is detected that the device state of the image reading device is not normal. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the technique of the present disclosure, it is possible to allow a user to easily check the state of an image reading device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image reading device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the image reading apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the image reading device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of a control program that controls the hardware modules. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system in which a host computer and an image reading device are connected. [Figure 6] 13 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a scan process. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an image of explanatory image data to be transmitted to a host computer. [Figure 8] 13 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a scan process. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image of notification image data to be transmitted to a host computer. [Figure 10] 13 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a scan process. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image of notification image data to be transmitted to a host computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] <About image reading devices> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image reading device according to this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is an external perspective view of the image reading device 100. FIG. 1(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the image reading device 100. FIG. 1(c) is a top cross-sectional view of the image reading device 100.

[0011] First, the external appearance of the image reading device 100 will be described. The image reading device 100 includes a document table 101 and a document table cover 102. A document 119 to be scanned can be set on the document table 101. The document table cover 102 is a pressure plate that can press and fix the document 119 to the document table 101, and can reduce the effects of external light. Furthermore, the document table cover 102 is connected to a reference side wall 133 via a hinge 116, and is provided so as to be freely opened and closed.

[0012] Next, the inside of the image reading device 100 will be described. A white sheet 103 is attached to the document table cover 102 so that the portion other than the document is formed as a white image, and a contact glass 115 is provided on the document table 101. When scanning a document 119 with the image reading device 100, the document table cover 102 is closed and the document 119 is sandwiched between the document table cover 102 and the contact glass 115. Then, a contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CIS) unit 117 scans the document 119 while moving. By scanning the document 119, a scanned image of the document 119 can be obtained. By pressing the document 119 against the contact glass 115 by the document table cover 102, the distance between the CIS unit 117 and the document 119 can be kept constant.

[0013] The CIS unit 117 includes an LED light guide unit 111 that generates light to illuminate an original 119, and an image sensor array 113 that generates an electrical signal through photoelectric conversion. The light generated from the LED light guide unit 111 hits the original 119 and is reflected, and is guided to the image sensor array 113 by the rod lens array 112. The image sensor array 113 is configured with sensors that perform photoelectric conversion on the incident light and can output it as a current, lined up one-dimensionally in the main scanning direction of the ±x directions. The image reading device 100 obtains output from each sensor that constitutes the image sensor array 113 in the order in which the sensors are arranged, and performs A / D conversion.

[0014] The CIS unit 117 also includes a lock receiving port 141 into which the lock member 140 is inserted. When the CIS unit 117 is placed at the home position 120, the user can insert the lock member 140 provided on the frame 118 of the image reading device 100 into the lock receiving port 141. As a result, the CIS unit 117 is fixed at the home position 120, and movement is restricted. The home position 120 is the reference position of the CIS unit 117, and is the position where the CIS unit 117 is stopped and made to wait during standby. The reference position mark 114 and the reference side wall 133 of the frame are used as references for the image reading device 100 to recognize the position in the y direction of the document 119 placed on the document table 101. The image reading device 100 shown in FIG. 1(c) shows a state in which the document 119 is being scanned, and therefore the CIS unit 117 is at a position other than the home position 120. Also, FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 1(c) show states in which the CIS unit 117 is in different positions.

[0015] <Hardware configuration of image reading device> 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the image reading device 100. The image reading device 100 includes a control unit 201, a scanner unit 210, and a UI (User Interface) unit 211. The control unit 201 includes a CPU 202, a RAM 203, a ROM 204, an image processing unit 205, a bus 206, a scanner unit I / F 207, a UI unit I / F 208, and a USB I / F 209.

[0016] The control unit 201 controls the operation of the entire image reading device 100 by mediating information of each unit via the bus 206. The CPU 202 stores the digital image data of the document 119 scanned by the scanner unit 210 in the RAM 203. The CPU 202 also loads the control program stored in the ROM 204 in the RAM 203 and reads it out when necessary to perform various controls. When the CPU 202 confirms that the digital image data has been transferred to the host computer 212, it deletes the digital image data stored in the RAM 203. When the transfer and deletion of all the digital image data is completed, the scan operation requested by the host computer 212 is also completed. The RAM 203 is the main memory of the CPU 202 and is used as a work area and a temporary storage area for loading various programs stored in the ROM 204. The digital image data read by the scanner unit 210 is also stored in the RAM 203. The ROM 204 stores predetermined image data, various programs, and various setting information. In this embodiment, a flash storage or the like is assumed as the ROM 204, but an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk may also be used. Note that explanatory image data (FIG. 7) and notification image data (FIGS. 9 and 11) described later are stored in the ROM 204, for example, before a user operation is accepted. Note that in the image reading device 100, one CPU 202 executes each process shown in the flowchart described later using one memory (RAM 203), but other modes may also be used. For example, each process shown in the flowchart described later may be executed by cooperating with multiple CPUs, multiple RAMs, ROMs, and storages. Also, some of the processes may be executed using hardware circuits.

[0017] The image processing unit 205 is used when performing image processing or correction on digital image data obtained by a scan operation. The image processing unit 205 is mainly used when performing processing using a hardware function that would take a long time to perform image processing or correction using a control program deployed in the RAM 203. The scanner unit I / F 207 is an interface that connects the scanner unit 210 and the control unit 201. The UI unit I / F 208 is an interface that connects the UI unit 211 and the control unit 201. The USB I / F 209 is an interface that connects the image reading device 100 and a host computer 212, which is an information processing device, and controls communication between the image reading device 100 and the host computer 212. For example, when a scan operation command is requested from the host computer 212 via a USB cable, the USB I / F 209 receives a request signal and stores it in the RAM 203. The scanner unit 210 scans the document 119 set in the image reading device 100 to generate digital image data, and transfers the data to the RAM 203 via the scanner unit I / F 207 of the control unit 201. In an expensive configuration, the UI unit 211 is provided with a liquid crystal display unit having a touch panel function, operation keys, and the like, and functions as a reception unit that receives user operations. In an inexpensive configuration, the UI unit 211 may only be provided with operation keys for performing push scanning. The following description will be given on the assumption that the image reading device 100 of this embodiment has an inexpensive configuration.

[0018] <Block diagram of image reading device> FIG. 3 is a portion of an overall block diagram of image reading device 100, showing the portion used when performing a scanning operation to form digital image data.

[0019] The scanner unit 210 includes a sensor control unit 301, a lighting control unit 302, and a drive motor control unit 303. The sensor control unit 301 controls the operation of the image sensor array 113 described above. The lighting control unit 302 controls the lighting of the LED light guide unit 111 described above. The scanner unit I / F 207 includes an A / D conversion circuit 311 and a scanner control circuit 312. The A / D conversion circuit 311 converts analog data acquired from the sensor control unit 301 into digital data. The scanner control circuit 312 controls the drive motor control unit 303 by a scanner control module 411 described later to drive the motor. The RAM 203 includes a scan image data storage area 322 and a control program loading area 323.

[0020] <Image reader software configuration> 4 is a software configuration diagram of a control program that is expanded in the RAM 203 of the image reading device 100 and controls each hardware module. The control program includes an application 400, a hardware control module 410, and an operating system 420 of the image reading device 100. The application 400 includes a function management application 401 and a job management application 402. The hardware control module 410 includes a group of software that controls an I / F with a physical device. For example, the hardware control module 410 includes a scanner control module 411, an I / F control module 412, and a UI control module 413. The hardware control module 410 may include other control modules as necessary. The operating system 420 provides a basic function for executing the control program in the control unit 201 described above.

[0021] The functions of each piece of software when scanning an original are described below. The application 400 operates each device via the hardware control module 410. For example, information input from the I / F control module 412 is analyzed, and if the information is a scan operation command, the function management application 401 for executing the scan is executed. The function management application 401 executes a scan job in the job management application 402. The job management application 402 executes a scan operation by the scanner unit 210 using the scanner control module 411 of the hardware control module 410, and stores the digital image data acquired as a result in the RAM 203. When storing in the RAM 203, if some kind of image processing or correction or both are required, the scanner control module 411 executes the necessary processing using the image processing unit 205. After being stored in the RAM 203, the digital image data is returned to the host computer 212 via the I / F control module 412.

[0022] The output from each sensor in the image sensor array 113 described above is stored in the RAM 203. Whether or not the output of each sensor in one column of the image sensor array 113 is used as scanned data varies depending on the resolution specified by the job management application 402. When the scan operation range is specified, the scanner control module 411 first specifies the scan operation range in the main scanning direction in the image sensor array 113. This determines which range of sensor outputs in the image sensor array 113 are to be used.

[0023] Furthermore, the scanner control module 411 specifies the scanning operation range in the driving direction of the CIS unit 117. This determines how far the CIS unit 117 moves in the driving direction while scanning. When the scanner unit 210 receives a scan operation command from the scanner control module 411 via the scanner unit I / F 207, it turns on the LED light guide unit 111. Then, the CIS unit 117 scans the document 119 set on the contact glass 115 while moving. In the CIS unit 117 of this embodiment, the sensor portion is composed of an image sensor array 113 in one row.

[0024] The scanner control module 411 changes the incident light to R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) to obtain an output corresponding to each color, and synthesizes the obtained outputs to obtain color digital image data. In this case, the illumination color is switched between R, G, and B while scanning the original 119, and the reflected light from the original 119 is guided to the image sensor array 113 via the rod lens array 112. When the reflected light from the original 119 enters the image sensor array 113, an output corresponding to each color is obtained, and the scanner control module 411 stores the obtained output in the RAM 203.

[0025] The scanner control module 411 generates digital image data from the output obtained using the image processing unit 205. When scanning of the document 119 set on the contact glass 115 is completed and generation of the digital image data of the document 119 is finished, the scanner control module 411 moves the CIS unit 117 to a standby position in preparation for scanning the next document.

[0026] The above is a description of the functions of each piece of software when scanning a document.

[0027] <System configuration> FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a system (image reading system) in which a host computer 212, an image reading device 100, and a display device 511 are connected.

[0028] First, the configuration of each device will be described. The host computer 212 includes an operating system 501. The operating system 501 includes an application 502 and a scanner driver 503. The image reading device 100 is connected to the scanner driver 503 of the operating system 501 via a USB I / F 209. The display device 511 is connected to the application 502 of the operating system 501.

[0029] Next, the functions of the software provided in the host computer 212 will be described. The application 502 is software that runs on the operating system 501. The application 502 sends commands such as a scan operation command to the scanner driver 503 using a predetermined API (Application Program Interface) specification 504. The application 502 then receives digital image data and status information of the image reading device 100 as a response to the command. Furthermore, the application 502 performs processes such as displaying the scanned digital image data or status information on the display device 511 and storing the scanned digital image data as a file in the host computer 212. The scanner driver 503 is software that runs on the operating system 501, and upon receiving a command from the application 502, communicates with the image reading device 100 via the USB I / F 209 using a predetermined communication protocol 505. This allows the transmission of commands such as a scan operation command to the image reading device 100, and the reception of digital image data and status information from the image reading device 100.

[0030] However, the standard driver software for operating systems that has been widely used in recent years does not support function selection and state expression related to the individual hardware configuration of the image reading device 100. Therefore, when such standard driver software for operating systems is used as the scanner driver 503, the scanner driver 503 may not be able to obtain information appropriately. That is, there are cases in which the scanner driver 503 cannot receive information corresponding to the individual hardware configuration of the image reading device 100 according to the API specification 504 and the communication protocol 505 defined in the standard driver software for the operating system.

[0031] In this regard, function selection and state expression related to the general hardware configuration of the image reading device 100 can be handled by the standard driver software installed in the operating system from the beginning. However, function selection and state expression related to the configuration specific to the image reading device 100 cannot be handled without using dedicated driver software. Here, the locking member 140 provided in the image reading device 100 of this embodiment is not a hardware configuration that is generally provided in image reading devices. In other words, the locking member 140 of this embodiment is a member that is not compatible with the driver software standard for the operating system. For this reason, the function selection and state expression related to the locking member 140 cannot be handled by the driver software standard for the operating system. If the user starts a scan operation using the image reading device 100 without noticing that the locking member 140 is inserted into the lock receiving port 141, the CIS unit 117 does not move and an error occurs. At this time, if the user does not look at the state of the image reading device 100 at all, the user may not notice that an error has occurred. Furthermore, if the user is not familiar with the specific configuration of the image reading device 100, there is a risk that the user will not be able to identify the cause of the error.

[0032] Therefore, when an error occurs, the image reading device 100 in this embodiment transmits explanatory image data, which is an image that explains the occurred error using figures or characters, to the host computer 212 instead of the document image data. That is, the image reading device 100 transmits the explanatory image data to the host computer 212 using a mechanism similar to the mechanism for transmitting the document image data. The host computer 212 displays a preview of the scanned image based on the image data transmitted from the image reading device 100, so that the explanatory image based on the explanatory image data is displayed on the display device 511. In this way, the process itself of displaying an image based on the transmitted image data is a normal process on the host computer 212 side. Therefore, the explanatory image based on the explanatory image data transmitted from the image reading device 100 can be displayed on the display device 511 without incorporating a mechanism equivalent to dedicated driver software on the host computer 212 side.

[0033] <Scanning process flow> The scan process of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan process performed by the control unit 201 of the image reading device 100. The process according to this flowchart is executed by the CPU 202 after program code stored in the ROM 204 or the like of the image reading device 100 is expanded into the RAM 203. Note that various variables described in this flowchart are variables provided in the RAM 203.

[0034] In S601, the CPU 202 detects that a user has turned on the power of the image reading device 100. In S602, the CPU 202 starts a power-on process, which is a process for starting up the image reading device 100 so that the image reading device 100 is in a state (power-on state) in which it can accept user operations.

[0035] In S603, the CPU 202 determines whether the power has been turned on normally. For example, the CPU 202 uses a known error detection means to detect a connection error of the USB cable or the like to determine whether the power has been turned on normally. If the power has been turned on normally, the process proceeds to S604. On the other hand, if the power has not been turned on normally, the process proceeds to S605.

[0036] In S604, the CPU 202 assigns NORMAL, which means that the image reading device 100 has been normally powered on, to the variable deviceCondition, which indicates the state of the image reading device 100. When the process of this step ends, the process proceeds to S609.

[0037] In S606, the CPU 202 determines whether the error that has occurred is an error that occurs when the lock member 140 is inserted during the power-on process and the CIS unit 117 is fixed (hereinafter referred to as a "lock error"). If a lock error has occurred, the process proceeds to S607. On the other hand, if a lock error has not occurred, the process proceeds to S608.

[0038] In S607, the CPU 202 stores the start address of the explanatory image data 701, which indicates that a lock error has occurred during the power-on process, in the variable adrImgBuf used to refer to image data. Here, the explanatory image data 701 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7(a). FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of explanatory image data transmitted from the image reading device 100 to the host computer 212 when a lock error has occurred. This example shows that the CIS unit 117 is unlocked when the user slides the lock switch from left to right. When the start address of the explanatory image data 701 is stored in the variable adrImgBuf, the CPU 202 stores the data of the start address in the image line buffer in the process of S614, which will be described later. As a result, the image line buffer can be read out and the explanatory image data 701 can be displayed on the display device 511 as scanned image data. Details will be described in S614. When the process of S607 ends, the process proceeds to S609.

[0039] In S608, the CPU 202 stores the top address of the explanatory image data 702 indicating that an error due to an abnormality in the electric circuit has occurred during the power-on process in the variable adrImgBuf, which is a storage area for the scanned image data. Hereinafter, an error due to an abnormality in the electric circuit is called an "electric circuit error". For example, an electric circuit error occurs when the USB cable connecting the image reading device 100 and the host computer 212 is disconnected. Hereinafter, the explanatory image data 702 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7(b). FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing an example of explanatory image data transmitted from the image reading device 100 to the host computer 212 when an electric circuit error has occurred. This example shows that the electric circuit error may be resolved if the user reconnects the USB cable. When the process of S608 ends, the process proceeds to S609.

[0040] When the power-on process is completed in S609, the CPU 202 determines in S610 whether or not a command to execute a scan has been received. This determination is repeated until a command to execute a scan is received, and when the command is received, the process proceeds to S611.

[0041] In S611, the CPU 202 assigns an initial value of 1 to lineCount, which is counted up each time output data of a line in the main scanning direction is output from the image sensor array 113. Then, the CPU 202 obtains length information in the sub-scanning direction designated by the user, and sets it to the variable docLength.

[0042] In S612, the CPU 202 determines whether or not the deviceCondition is NORMAL. If the deviceCondition is NORMAL, the process proceeds to S613. On the other hand, if the deviceCondition is not NORMAL, the process proceeds to S614.

[0043] In S613, the CPU 202 stores output data for one line in the main scanning direction of the sub-scanning lineCount line of the original 119 in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. Specifically, the CIS unit 117 scans in the sub-scanning direction, and stores the scan image data of one line of the original 119 in the main scanning direction corresponding to the line count in the sub-scanning direction in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. In other words, this step is a normal scan process when the image reading device 100 scans the original 119. When the process of S613 ends, the process proceeds to S615. Note that this process causes the scan image data of one line to be sequentially stored in the buffer.

[0044] In S614, the CPU 202 stores one line of output data in the main scanning direction corresponding to the line count in the sub-scanning direction for the explanatory image data stored at the top address of the variable adrImgBuf in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. If a lock error occurs as a result of the processing in this step, one line of line data of the explanatory image data 701 is stored in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. On the other hand, if an electrical circuit error occurs, one line of line data of the explanatory image data 702 is stored in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. In other words, even if deviceCondition is not NORMAL, one line of data is stored in the image line buffer as in the processing in S613. When the processing in S614 ends, the processing proceeds to S615.

[0045] In S615, the CPU 202 transmits the data in the image line buffer to the host computer 212 via the USB I / F 209. That is, the data (line data) stored in the image line buffer by the processing of S613 or S614 is transmitted to the host computer 212. In this manner, the image reading device 100 of this embodiment is configured to sequentially transmit line data to the host computer 212 line by line in response to a scan command.

[0046] In S616, the CPU 202 increments the lineCount (+1). In S617, the CPU 202 compares the lineCount with the docLength to determine whether or not all of the line data of the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has been transmitted to the host computer 212. This determination process makes it possible to know whether or not the document has been scanned for the length specified by the user. When performing the process of S614, the CPU 202 substitutes the size (length) of the description image data for docLength. This is because the vertical length of the description image data and the vertical length specified by the user for the document 119 may not match.

[0047] When all the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has been transmitted to the host computer 212, the process proceeds to S618. On the other hand, when all the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has not been transmitted to the host computer 212, the process returns to S612, and the processes from S612 to S617 are repeated until the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction has been transmitted. By repeating the processes from S612 to S617, the line data for docLength is sequentially transmitted to the host computer.

[0048] In S618, the CPU 202 determines whether or not there is a next scan job. If there is a next scan job, the process returns to S610 and repeats the processes from S610 to S618. On the other hand, if there is no next scan job, the CPU 202 ends the scan process.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, when an abnormality in the image reading device 100 is detected, the explanatory image data is sent to the host computer instead of the document image data. That is, the image reading device 100 uses the mechanism for sending document image data to the host computer by normal scanning processing as it is, and sends the explanatory image data as if it were image data obtained by scanning. That is, the scanner driver 503 of the host computer 212 acquires the explanatory image as an image obtained by scanning from the image reading device 100 in response to the scan job. As a result, the explanatory image is displayed on the display device 511 of the host computer 212 as an image obtained by scanning. As a result, it becomes possible to inform the user that an error has occurred in the image reading device using standard driver software in an operating system that cannot handle information about the hardware configuration specific to the image reading device.

[0050] Therefore, a function for informing the user of the status of the image reading device can be realized without expanding the function of the application 502, and design costs can be reduced. Also, even in an image reading device that does not have a display means, the status of the device can be notified to the user, making it possible to provide an inexpensive image reading device. Also, even in an image reading device that has a display means, the status of the image reading device can be displayed on a higher specification display device 511 connected to the host computer 212, improving user convenience. Also, for the user, it is possible to check the status of the image reading device without having to pay attention to the transition of the display of a dedicated status management screen and applications, thereby realizing high convenience.

[0051] That is, according to the present embodiment, the user can easily check the status of the image reading device, and the status of the image reading device can be communicated to the user in a form that the user can understand, without increasing costs.

[0052] [Embodiment 2] In the first embodiment, a form for checking the state of the image reading device 100 during the power-on process has been described, but in the second embodiment, a description will be given that is not limited to checking the state during the power-on process. Specifically, an embodiment for notifying (notifying) a user of an error that has occurred when an error occurs during scanning will be described below. Note that the configuration of the image reading system is the same as the example described in the first embodiment, and therefore description will be omitted.

[0053] The scan process of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan process performed by the control unit 201 of the image reading device 100. The process according to this flowchart is executed by the CPU 202 after program code stored in the ROM 204 of the image reading device 100 is expanded into the RAM 203. Below, a description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0054] <Scanning process flow in the second embodiment> In S801, the CPU 202 detects that the image reading device 100 has been powered on by a user. In S802, the CPU 202 starts a power-on process. In S803, the CPU 202 determines whether or not a command to execute a scan has been received. If the command has been received, the process proceeds to S804. On the other hand, if the command has not been received, the CPU 202 repeats the process of this step until the command is received.

[0055] In S804, the CPU 202 initializes a sub-scanning counter lineCount, which counts up each time one line in the main scanning direction is output, and a sub-scanning counter errlineCount of the notification image data 901 that is sent when an error occurs, to 1. Furthermore, the CPU 202 obtains sub-scanning length information specified by the user, and sets it to a variable docLength.

[0056] In S805, the CPU 202 copies, to errImgBuf, notification image data, which is image data to be sent to the host computer 212 when an error occurs after the start of scanning. As will be described later, errImgBuf is a variable that is used when the device status is not normal.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an image of notification image data and an image of document image data transmitted to the host computer 212 when an error occurs during scanning. The notification image data of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Notification image data 901 in FIG. 9(a) is an example of notification image data for notifying a user that an error has occurred during scanning. For example, the notification image data 901 may be an example of image data showing text for notifying a user that an error has occurred, such as "An error has occurred during scanning (error code: E001)", and the error code. The vertical length of the notification image data 901 may be the length of one line, or may be the length of multiple lines.

[0058] Returning to the description of Fig. 8, in S806, the CPU 202 determines whether the device condition of the image reading device 100 is normal (NORMAL). If the device condition is normal, the process proceeds to S807. On the other hand, if the device condition is not normal, the process proceeds to S808. For example, if an error occurs during scanning, such as an error due to a scanner sensor abnormality or an error due to a motor abnormality, the device condition is determined to be abnormal, and the process proceeds to S808.

[0059] In S807, the CPU 202 stores output data for one line in the main scanning direction of the lineCount line in the sub-scanning of the original 119 in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. That is, line data in the main scanning direction corresponding to the line count in the sub-scanning direction for the original 119 is stored in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. When the processing of this step ends, the process proceeds to S810.

[0060] In S808, the CPU 202 stores data of the errlineCount line of errImgBuf in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. Specifically, the CPU 202 stores output data of one line in the main scanning direction corresponding to the errlineCount lines of the notification image data 901 stored in errImgBuf in the image line buffer in the RAM 203. When the processing of this step ends, the process proceeds to S809.

[0061] In S809, the CPU 202 increments errlineCount (+1). When the processing of this step ends, the process proceeds to S810. In S810, the CPU 202 reads the data in the image line buffer and transmits it to the host computer 212 via the USB I / F 209. In S811, the CPU 202 increments lineCount (+1).

[0062] In S812, the CPU 202 compares lineCount with docLength to determine whether or not all of the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has been transmitted to the host computer 212. If all of the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has been sequentially transmitted to the host computer 212, the process proceeds to S813. On the other hand, if all of the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction specified by the user has not been transmitted to the host computer 212, the process returns to S806, and the processes from S806 to S812 are repeated until all of the line data for the length in the sub-scanning direction has been sequentially transmitted.

[0063] A specific example will be used for explanation. The document image data 902 in FIG. 9(b) is an example of the document image data that could be scanned from the start of scanning until the occurrence of an error. That is, it shows the document image data 902 transmitted to the host computer as a result of repeating the processes of S806, S807, and S810. If an error occurs at this point, the process proceeds from S806 to S808, and the process is repeated until the transmission of the notification image data 901 is completed. FIG. 9(b) shows the document image data (scanned image data) obtained up to the time when an error occurs while scanning the hiragana character "a". The document image 903 in FIG. 9(c) shows an example in which the notification image data 901 is transmitted as document image data following the document image data 902 in FIG. 9(b) as a result of S806 to S808, and is displayed on the display device 511. As shown in FIG. 9(c), the line data at the bottom of the document image data 902 and the line data at the top of the notification image data 901 are displayed consecutively on the display device 511 without leaving any spatial blank space. 9(c), the document image 903 is displayed as if it were a single document image on the display device 511. That is, the document image data including the notification image data is transmitted to the host computer 212, and the document image including the notification image is displayed on the display device 511 based on this data. After all the notification image data is transmitted in S808, the count value in S811 reaches the condition, and the repeating process ends, and the process proceeds to S813.

[0064] In S813, the CPU 202 determines whether or not there is a next scan job. If there is a next scan job, the process returns to S803, and the processes from S803 to S813 are repeated. On the other hand, if there is no next scan job, the scan process ends.

[0065] The host computer 212 executes control for displaying the line data obtained by scanning on the display device 511. There are, for example, the following two patterns as control patterns for the host computer 212 to display the document image data on the display device 511.

[0066] The first pattern is a configuration in which the host computer 212 displays the line data transmitted from the image reading device 100 on the display device 511 line by line as image data. In this case, the line data obtained by scanning the original 119 is displayed on the display device 511 line by line. The second pattern is a configuration in which the host computer 212 stores the line data transmitted from the image reading device 100 and later displays the image data on the display device 511 all at once. In either case, in this embodiment, since a notification image is displayed on the display device 511, even if an error occurs during scanning, the user can be notified of the error.

[0067] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can easily check the status of the image reading device, and the status of the image reading device can be communicated to the user in a form that the user can understand, without increasing costs.

[0068] [Embodiment 3] The scan process of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan process performed by the control unit 201 of the image reading device 100. The process according to this flowchart is executed by the CPU 202 after the program code stored in the ROM 204 of the image reading device 100 is expanded into the RAM 203. Below, the description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on the points that are different from the first embodiment.

[0069] In the second embodiment, a technique was described in which notification image data is displayed following document image data. In the third embodiment, a technique will be described in which notification image data is displayed on the first line, and document image data being scanned is displayed on the second and subsequent lines.

[0070] <Scanning process flow in the third embodiment> In S1001, the CPU 202 detects that the user has turned on the power of the image reading device 100. In S1002, the CPU 202 starts a power-on process.

[0071] In S1003, the CPU 202 determines whether or not a command to execute a scan has been received. If the command has been received, the process proceeds to S1004. On the other hand, if the command has not been received, the CPU 202 repeats the process of this step until the command is received.

[0072] In S1004, the CPU 202 initializes a sub-scanning counter, lineCount, which counts up each time one line in the main scanning direction is output, to 1, and initializes an errFlag, which is a flag that is set when an error occurs, to 0. Then, the CPU 202 obtains sub-scanning length information specified by the user, and sets it to a variable docLength.

[0073] In S1005, CPU 202 copies the notification image data to errImgBuf. The notification image data is the same as the example described in the second embodiment. In S1006, CPU 202 determines whether the device condition of image reading device 100 is normal (NORMAL). If the device condition is normal, the process proceeds to S1007. On the other hand, if the device condition is not normal, the process proceeds to S1008. For example, if an error occurs during scanning, such as an error due to a scanner sensor abnormality or an error due to a motor abnormality, the device condition is determined to be abnormal, and the process proceeds to S1008.

[0074] In S1007, the CPU 202 stores in a line buffer the line data obtained by scanning the document 119 line by line. Specifically, the CPU 202 stores in a page buffer in the RAM 203 the output data for one line in the main scanning direction of the lineCount-th sub-scanning line of the document 119.

[0075] In S1008, the CPU 202 sets 1 to errFlag as information indicating that an error has occurred in the image reading device 100. In S1009, the CPU 202 increments (+1) the lineCount. In S1010, the CPU 202 compares the lineCount with the docLength to determine whether scanning of an image of the length of the sub-scanning specified by the user has been completed. If scanning has been completed, the process proceeds to S1011. On the other hand, if scanning has not been completed, the process returns to S1006 and continues processing for the next line in the main scanning direction. That is, in this embodiment, unlike the second embodiment in which line data is stored in the image line buffer and transmitted sequentially, processing is performed to store data for each line in the page buffer. Note that, if an error has occurred, the process proceeds to S1011 after the increment is repeated in S1009. That is, if an error has occurred, the data read up to that point is stored in the page buffer.

[0076] In S1011, CPU 202 determines whether information indicating that an error has occurred in image reading device 100 has been generated. For example, CPU 202 determines whether errFlag is set to 1 by referring to the flag generated in S1008. If information indicating that an error has occurred in image reading device 100 has been generated (for example, errFlag is set to 1), the process proceeds to S1012. On the other hand, if information indicating that an error has occurred in image reading device 100 has not been generated (for example, errFlag is not set to 1), the process proceeds to S1013.

[0077] In S1012, the CPU 202 transmits the notification image data 1101 line by line to the host computer 212. Specifically, the CPU 202 transmits the notification image data 1101 stored in errImgBuf to the host computer 212 via the USB I / F 209, starting from the first line. When the process of S1012 ends, the process proceeds to S1013.

[0078] In S1013, the CPU 202 reads out the line data stored in the page buffer and transmits it to the host computer in sequence. Specifically, the CPU 202 transmits the notification image data 1101 stored in the page buffer to the host computer 212 via the USB I / F 209 in sequence starting from the first line. Note that when the process proceeds from S1012 to S1013, the CPU 202 transmits the notification image data 1101 to the host computer 212 in sequence starting from the first line, and then transmits the data stored in the page buffer to the host computer 212 in sequence starting from the first line.

[0079] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example. Notification image data 1101 and properly read original image data 1102 are the same as notification image data 901 and original image data 902 in Fig. 9. In this embodiment, when an error occurs, as shown in Fig. 11(c), first, notification image data 1101 is transmitted to the host computer 212. Then, original image data 1102 stored in the page buffer is transmitted. As a result, an image as shown in Fig. 11(c) is displayed on the display device 511.

[0080] In S1014, CPU 202 determines whether or not there is a next scan job. If there is a next scan job, the process returns to S1003, and the processes from S1003 to S1014 are repeated. On the other hand, if there is no next scan job, the scan process ends.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, if an error occurs during scanning, the notification image data is first sent to the host computer, followed by the document image data. In other words, the notification image data is displayed on the display device as the first (leading) image of the scanned images. This allows the user to immediately understand that an error has occurred.

[0082] In addition, when the host computer is executing control to display the document image data on the display device one line at a time, the notification image data is displayed on the top line, making it easier for the user to notice the occurrence of an error.

[0083] [Other embodiments] Although a standard image reading device in which an original 119 is placed on an original table 101 has been given as an example of the image reading device 100, the example of the image reading device is not limited to this. Other examples of the image reading device 100 include an image reading device equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF) and a non-contact type image reading device. When an image reading device equipped with an ADF is used, the image data is transferred to the host computer 212 by scanning each line.

[0084] Although examples of errors have been given above as errors due to abnormalities in the scanner sensor and motor, the examples of errors are not limited to these. Another example of an error is a document jam error in an image reading device equipped with an ADF.

[0085] Although the explanatory image data 701 and the explanatory image data 702 are given as examples of explanatory image data, the examples of explanatory image data are not limited to these examples. For example, individual explanatory image data corresponding to the causes of individual errors that may occur in the image reading device 100 may be stored in the ROM 204.

[0086] Although the notification image data 901 and the notification image data 1101 are given as examples of the notification image data, examples of the notification image data are not limited to these. For example, individual notification image data corresponding to the causes of individual errors that may occur in the image reading device 100 may be stored in the ROM 204.

[0087] Although the above description is of an example of the standard driver software that is pre-installed in the operating system as the scanner driver 503, the scanner driver 503 is not limited to this example. The scanner driver 503 may be a dedicated driver software for a configuration specific to the image reading device.

[0088] Although the document image 903 and the document image data 1103 have been given as examples of image data for notifying the user that an error has occurred, examples of image data for notifying the user that an error has occurred are not limited to these. For example, the notification image data may be displayed on the display device 511 so that the document image data being scanned is sandwiched between two pieces of notification image data. Conversely, the notification image data may be displayed on the display device 511 so that one piece of notification image data is sandwiched between two pieces of document image data being scanned. Furthermore, the document image data and the notification image data may be displayed with a gap of multiple lines between them.

[0089] The technology of the present disclosure can also be realized by a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for realizing one or more functions.

Claims

1. 1. An image reading device configured to transmit document image data by scanning a document line by line, sequentially storing line data obtained by scanning a document line by line in a buffer, and sequentially transmitting the stored line data line by line to a host computer, a control means for controlling the image reading device to transmit document image data including notification image data for notifying the occurrence of an error to the host computer when the image reading device detects that the device is not in a normal state during execution of processing in response to a scan command received from the host computer; the image reading device is configured to transmit the stored line data to the host computer every time the line data is stored in the buffer; The control means storing the notification image data in the buffer when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; transmitting the notification image data stored in the buffer following the line data transmitted to the host computer up until the time when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; 1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

2. An image reading device configured to transmit document image data by scanning a document line by line, sequentially storing line data obtained by scanning a document line by line in a buffer, and sequentially transmitting the stored line data line by line to a host computer, a control means for controlling the image reading device to transmit document image data including notification image data for notifying the occurrence of an error to the host computer when the image reading device detects that the device is not in a normal state during execution of processing in response to a scan command received from the host computer; the image reading device is configured to transmit the plurality of line data stored in the buffer to the host computer line by line, when a process corresponding to the scan command is completed; the control means sequentially transmits the line data constituting the notification image data to the host computer, and then starts transmitting the line data stored in the buffer.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

3. the image reading device is configured to transmit the stored line data to the host computer every time the line data is stored in the buffer; The control means storing the notification image data in the buffer when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; transmitting the notification image data stored in the buffer following the line data transmitted to the host computer up until the time when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

4. the control means, when detecting that an error has occurred in a scanner sensor of the image reading device, executes control to transmit document image data including the notification image data to the host computer.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises: a first scanning unit;

5. the control means, when detecting that an error has occurred in a motor of the image reading device, executes control to transmit the document image data including the notification image data to the host computer.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises: a first scanning unit;

6. the control means, when detecting that an error has occurred due to a lock member of the image reading device being inserted into a lock receiving port, executes control to transmit document image data including the notification image data to the host computer.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises: a first scanning unit;

7. the control means, when detecting an occurrence of an error due to an abnormality in an electric circuit, executes control to transmit the document image data including the notification image data to the host computer.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises: a first scanning unit;

8. An image reading system comprising the image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a host computer, The image reading system according to claim 1, wherein the host computer causes a display unit to display an image based on the document image data received in response to the scan command transmitted to the image reading device.

9. 1. A method for controlling an image reading device configured to transmit document image data by scanning a document line by line, sequentially storing line data obtained by scanning a document line by line in a buffer, and sequentially transmitting the stored line data line by line to a host computer, comprising: a control step of controlling the image reading device to transmit document image data including notification image data for notifying the occurrence of an error to the host computer when the image reading device detects that the device status is not normal during execution of processing in response to a scan command received from the host computer, the image reading device is configured to transmit the stored line data to the host computer every time the line data is stored in the buffer; In the control step, storing the notification image data in the buffer when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; transmitting the notification image data stored in the buffer following the line data transmitted to the host computer up until the time when it is detected that the image reading device is not in a normal state; 13. A method for controlling an image reading device, comprising:

10. A method for controlling an image reading device configured to transmit original image data by scanning an original line by line, sequentially storing line data obtained by scanning an original line by line in a buffer, and sequentially transmitting the stored line data line by line to a host computer, comprising: a control step of controlling the image reading device to transmit document image data including notification image data for notifying the occurrence of an error to the host computer when the image reading device detects that the device status is not normal during execution of processing in response to a scan command received from the host computer, the image reading device is configured to transmit the plurality of line data stored in the buffer to the host computer line by line, when a process corresponding to the scan command is completed; in the control step, after the line data constituting the notification image data is sequentially transmitted to the host computer, transmission of the line data stored in the buffer is started.

13. A method for controlling an image reading device, comprising:

11. A program for causing a computer to function as the image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images