Image Sensor Chip Segmentation for Variable Document Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image-reading devices using contact image sensors with multiple IC chips can only read images at a single speed, regardless of the original document's width, leading to inefficient reading times due to the number of pixels in each chip, especially when not all chips are uniformly loaded.
Innovation Solution
An image-reading device with a switch and output selector that combines or divides image sensor chips based on the original document's width, allowing for adaptive output and faster reading of narrower documents by utilizing the maximum number of pixels in the chip with the most pixels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If all image sensor IC chips are used to read the original document, then the reading coverage is maximized, but the reading time increases for narrower documents
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor IC chips are divided into multiple blocks, each capable of independent operation. The controller can selectively activate only the blocks corresponding to the actual document width, segmenting the total sensor array into active and inactive portions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain full reading coverage capability while reducing active sensor usage for narrower documents, thereby decreasing reading time without sacrificing maximum coverage capability.
2Speed
If the number of pixels in each image sensor IC chip is increased to improve reading speed, then the reading speed improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically configures the active sensor blocks based on the detected document width. The controller adjusts which blocks are activated in real-time, creating a dynamic adaptation mechanism. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize reading speed for each specific document size without requiring a fixed high-pixel-count configuration for all scenarios, thereby avoiding the complexity and cost of always using maximum sensor capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the image sensor IC chips are fixed in configuration, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the adaptability to different document widths is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor IC chips are designed with universal blocks that can serve multiple document width requirements. Each block can function independently or in combination with adjacent blocks, allowing the same hardware configuration to adapt to various document sizes. This multi-functionality enables a single device configuration to handle diverse document widths without requiring multiple specialized sensor arrays, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
An image-reading device includes a plurality of image sensor chips, a switch, an output selector and a controller. The plurality of image sensor chips is juxtaposed along a line extending in a widthwise direction of an original document carrying images thereon. Each image sensor chip includes a plurality of image sensors, reads the images on the original document, and generates image signals. The switch is configured to combine at least two image sensor chips into one virtual image sensor chip. The output selector allows the image signals from the virtual image sensor chip and remaining image sensor chip to be outputted. The controller controls the switch depending on the width of the original document, and controls, depending on the width of the original document, the output selector to allow the image signals to be outputted.