Image Reading Apparatus Light Amount Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image reading apparatuses require a considerable amount of time to determine an appropriate light amount for each line period due to the repetitive process of changing light emitting amounts, measuring reflected light, and calculating luminance, which is inefficient for multiple image reading settings.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus that includes a light emitting element, a light receiving element, a line period setter, a luminance calculator, and a storage unit, which gradually adjusts the reference light amount to ensure luminance is within a predetermined range, allowing for quicker determination of the appropriate light amount by setting the identified reference light amount as the default for subsequent line periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the light amount is adjusted by repeatedly changing the light emitting amount, measuring reflected light, and calculating luminance for each line period, then the luminance can be within the predetermined range, but a considerable time is taken to determine the appropriate light amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent stores predetermined reference light amounts in advance that correspond to different line periods. When a line period is set, the system directly retrieves the corresponding reference light amount from storage without performing repeated measurements and calculations, thus determining the appropriate light amount quickly while ensuring luminance is within the predetermined range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a correspondence table (copy) between line periods and reference light amounts that is stored in advance. Instead of recalculating the optimal light amount for each line period through repeated measurements, the system uses this pre-established copy to directly determine the appropriate light amount, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining measurement precision.
2Reliability
If the light amount is adjusted for each line period to ensure appropriate image reading, then the image reading quality is maintained, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes the relationship between different line periods and their corresponding reference light amounts through stored data. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex repeated adjustments during operation, simplifying the process while ensuring that each line period has the appropriate light amount for high-quality image reading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from dynamic adjustment to static parameter storage. By storing reference light amounts as fixed parameters corresponding to different line periods, the system simplifies the complexity of real-time adjustments while maintaining the reliability of image reading quality through predetermined optimized values.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple image reading settings are required with different line periods, then the adaptability of the system is improved, but the time required to determine light amounts for all settings increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal reference light amount storage system that serves all image reading settings and line periods. By establishing a comprehensive correspondence table that covers multiple line periods and settings, the system provides adaptability for various configurations while reducing the total time required, as each setting can quickly retrieve its appropriate reference light amount without repeated measurements.
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
This approach significantly reduces the time required to determine the appropriate light amount for each line period by omitting unnecessary calculations, enabling faster adjustment and improving the efficiency of the image reading process.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting element that emits a light
Implementation Method 2
a light receiving element that receives the light reflected by a reference board upon being emitted from the light emitting element
Implementation Method 3
a light receiving element that receives the light reflected by a reference board
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes a light emitting element, a luminance calculating unit, a light amount setting unit, and a storing unit. The light amount setting unit, in each line period, causes the light emitting element to emit a light with gradually changing a reference light amount from a reference light amount set as a default value from among a plurality of reference light amounts stored in the storing unit, identifies a reference light amount so that the luminance calculated by the luminance calculating unit is within a predetermined range, sets the identified reference light amount as a default value for the next line period, and causes the storing unit to store that reference light amount.