Image Reading Unit Speed Adaptation for ADF and Flatbed
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image reading apparatuses require separate development and manufacturing of high-speed and medium-low-speed units, leading to increased loads and costs, as they are designed to operate at the same reading speed for both set and conveyed documents.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus with a selective reading unit that can execute different reading processing speeds for documents set on a table and those conveyed by an auto document feeder (ADF), allowing for adaptable reading speeds and shared manufacturing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate high-speed and medium-low-speed reading units are manufactured, then reading speed adaptability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image reading unit is designed with multi-functionality to perform both high-speed reading (for conveyed documents via ADF) and medium-low-speed reading (for set documents on document table). The same hardware platform executes different reading processing modes based on the type of document input, eliminating the need for separate dedicated reading units for different speed requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The reading processing speed is made dynamic and adjustable based on the input document type. The system automatically adapts its reading speed characteristics - operating at high speed when processing conveyed documents and at medium-low speed when processing set documents - allowing a single unit to serve multiple speed requirements through flexible operational modes rather than fixed hardware configurations.
2Productivity
If separate high-speed and medium-low-speed reading units are developed, then reading performance is improved, but development workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single image reading unit is developed with universal capabilities to handle both high-speed reading processing for conveyed documents and medium-low-speed reading processing for set documents. The unified development approach allows one codebase and hardware platform to support multiple reading scenarios, significantly reducing the development workload compared to maintaining separate development teams and codebases for different speed variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The reading processing system implements dynamic speed adaptation based on document type. The same software platform can switch between high-speed processing modes (for ADF-conveyed documents) and medium-low-speed processing modes (for manually set documents), allowing a single development effort to deliver optimized performance across different operational contexts without requiring separate software development projects.
3Device complexity
If the same reading speed is used for both set and conveyed documents, then device simplicity is maintained, but reading efficiency for high-speed conveying decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic reading speed adjustment based on the document input method. When documents are conveyed by ADF, the system operates in high-speed reading mode to match the fast conveyance rate. When documents are manually set on the document table, the system operates in medium-low-speed mode. This dynamic adaptation maintains system simplicity while optimizing reading efficiency for each specific operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The reading processing parameters (particularly reading speed) are changed based on the input document type and conveyance method. The system automatically adjusts its operational parameters - increasing reading speed for conveyed documents and reducing it for set documents - allowing a single unified system to achieve optimal performance across different scenarios without requiring complex hardware modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an image reading apparatus includes a reading unit and an output unit. The reading unit is configured to selectively execute first reading processing for reading an image of a sheet conveyed at first conveying speed at first reading speed corresponding to the first conveying speed and second reading processing for reading the image of the sheet set on an image reading table at second reading speed different from the first reading speed. The output unit is configured to output read image data read by the first reading processing and the second reading processing.