Angled Document Scanner with Dual Passageways
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scanners, such as flatbed and sheet-fed scanners, are inefficient and costly for scanning bound or angled documents like passports, as they require multiple operations and occupy significant space, and existing solutions like angled document readers are limited in thickness and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A multi-purpose scanner with angled passageways and optical capturing means that allows for simplex or duplex scanning of angled documents without flattening, featuring a scanning module that can transport documents in an L-shaped manner, reducing the need for multiple scanners and saving space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flatbed scanner is used to scan bound documents, then the document can be scanned without special preparation, but both sides cannot be scanned simultaneously requiring multiple operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension by creating an angled passageway that accepts bound documents at an angle rather than requiring them to be flattened on a horizontal surface. This dimensional change allows the document to maintain its bound state while being scanned, enabling simultaneous scanning of multiple pages through the angled path.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanner is divided into two separate scanning modules positioned at different locations within the angled passageway. One module scans the front side of the document while the other scans the back side simultaneously, allowing both sides of bound documents to be captured in parallel operations.
2Productivity
If a sheet-fed scanner is purchased to scan credentials quickly, then scanning speed improves, but cost increases and additional space is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a scanner that can handle multiple document types and orientations through a single device. The angled passageway configuration allows the same scanner to process both bound documents like passports and flat sheet documents, eliminating the need for separate specialized scanners for different document types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple scanning capabilities into a single integrated device. By positioning two scanning modules within one scanner body and using a unified angled passageway system, it merges the functionality of what would traditionally require separate flatbed and sheet-fed scanners into one multi-functional unit.
3Ease of operation
If an angled document reader is used for passports, then scanning convenience improves, but it is limited to documents of limited thickness and thickness difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable guide plates that can be repositioned to accommodate documents of varying thicknesses. The guide plates are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing the scanner to adapt dynamically to different document formats and thickness requirements while maintaining the angled passageway configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables convenient, rapid, and user-friendly scanning of bound and angled documents, reducing costs and space requirements while maintaining clear scan results, and allowing for portable and compact design.
Implementation Method 1
optical capturing means for capturing information provided on the angled document
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A multi-purpose scanner comprises a first body, a second body and a scanning module. The second body is disposed on the first body. A first passageway and a second passageway, which are for accommodating a first portion and a second portion of an angled document, and are disposed on a first plane and a second plane, respectively, are formed between the first body and the second body. An included angle ranging from 0 to 180 degrees are formed between the first plane and the second plane. The scanning module, disposed in the first body and/or the second body, performs an image scan operation on the first portion of the angled document in the first passageway to obtain an image signal.