Carrier Sheet Identification for Image Reading Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image reading apparatuses face challenges in reading booklet or bifold documents due to the difficulty in maintaining a suitable reading position and the limited lifespan of carrier sheets, which can lead to image quality issues due to deterioration, making it hard to manage and track the usage of individual carrier sheets effectively.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus that includes an identification information reading unit to identify individual carrier sheets, a processor to manage and perform processing based on this information, and a notification system to alert users when the carrier sheet has reached its threshold of use, along with a detector to assess the deterioration degree of the carrier sheet, allowing for appropriate processing and image correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If carrier sheets are used to transport booklet or bifold documents, then the documents can be transported without interference by the separating mechanism, but the carrier sheets deteriorate over time due to repeated use, leading to image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the carrier sheet's transparency before actual document reading. By detecting the transparency degree in advance and comparing it against threshold values, the system identifies deteriorated carrier sheets before they affect image quality, allowing for timely replacement or correction
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where the transparency detection results directly influence subsequent processing. When a carrier sheet's transparency falls below the threshold, the system automatically applies image correction processing or notifies the user, ensuring image quality is maintained despite carrier sheet deterioration
2Ease of operation
If the number of carrier sheet uses is not tracked, then the system remains simple to operate, but users cannot determine when the carrier sheet has reached its lifetime and continues to be used beyond the guaranteed number of uses
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically tracks and manages the usage count of each carrier sheet without requiring manual intervention. The processor counts the number of transports for each identified carrier sheet and autonomously determines when the guaranteed number of uses has been reached, notifying users accordingly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual tracking methods with an automated electronic identification and counting system. By using identification information on carrier sheets and processing this data through a processor, the system automatically maintains usage records, eliminating the need for manual counting while providing accurate usage information
3Adaptability or versatility
If identification information is read from carrier sheets to enable individual processing, then suitable processing can be performed for each carrier sheet, but the system complexity increases with additional reading units and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a multi-functional approach where the existing reading unit serves dual purposes: it reads both the identification information on carrier sheets and the actual document images. The processor handles multiple tasks including identification, usage counting, transparency detection, and image processing, eliminating the need for separate dedicated components for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the identification information reading function with the existing document reading capability. By integrating these functions into a unified system where the same hardware components perform multiple roles, the implementation complexity is reduced while still enabling individual carrier sheet processing
Data Source
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AI summary
An image reading apparatus is provided with an identification information reading unit (reading unit, NFC reader, and identification information acquisition unit) which acquires identification information by reading the identification information from a section to be read at which identifiable identification information is recorded for each individual carrier sheet and which is provided at a joining section of the carrier sheet in which two transparent sheets for pinching an original document are joined at a portion of a peripheral edge portion; and a processor which performs a process which is associated with the identification information read by the identification information reading unit.