Scanner Edge Detection Using Camera and Ultrasonic Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current production scanners with automatic document feeders struggle to handle documents with holes, cutouts, perforations, and extreme angles, often resulting in jams or truncated images due to the reliance on multiple sensors, which increase costs without effectively addressing these issues.
Innovation Solution
A scanner system utilizing a single sensor and a camera to detect the leading and trailing edges of documents across the entire paper path, allowing for accurate image capture of documents with abnormalities by integrating the camera's page detection capabilities with an ultrasonic paper sensor, enabling efficient feeding and scanning of irregularly shaped documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to detect document edges, then document detection accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The camera serves multiple functions: it acts as both the imaging device for capturing document images and as a sensor for detecting document edges (leading and trailing edges). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated sensors, reducing device complexity while maintaining detection accuracy. The camera can identify document boundaries by analyzing the captured image data, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
2Device complexity
If a single sensor is used for document detection, then device complexity reduces, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/optical sensor system with a camera-based detection system. Instead of using dedicated sensors to detect document edges, the system uses the camera to capture images and processes these images to identify document boundaries. This substitution maintains detection precision while reducing the number of physical sensors required, thereby resolving the contradiction between device complexity and measurement precision.
3Reliability
If traditional sensors are used, then document feeding works for standard documents, but reliability deteriorates for documents with holes, cutouts, or perforations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional sensor detection (single point or line sensors detecting presence) to two-dimensional image analysis (camera capturing the entire document surface). This dimensional change allows the system to detect document edges and features across the entire document area, not just at specific sensor locations. Consequently, the system can reliably handle documents with holes, cutouts, or perforations by identifying the actual document boundaries in the image, thereby improving both reliability and adaptability.
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 solution allows for the reliable scanning of documents with holes, cutouts, and skewed angles without truncation, reducing the need for multiple sensors and enhancing the scanner's ability to handle diverse document shapes and orientations, ensuring complete image capture and minimizing jams.
Implementation Method 1
integrating the camera's page detection capabilities with an ultrasonic paper sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A scanner (30) comprises a transport mechanism (6) for moving a document (12) and a sensor (2) for detecting a leading edge (31) and trailing edge (32) of the document. A camera (16, 17) scans the document (12), detecting the leading edge (31) and a trailing edge (32) of the document. A controller (10) receives a signal from the camera (16, 17) when the camera detects the document in a field of the camera and receives a signal from the sensor (2) when the sensor detects the document (12) in a field of the sensor. The controller starts image capture when a leading edge (31) of the document is detected by either the sensor (2) or the camera (16, 17), and stops image capture when a trailing edge (32) of the document is detected by either the sensor or the camera (16, 17). The drive mechanism (5) is turned off when a leading edge (31) of the document is detected by either the sensor or the camera, and starts when a trailing edge (32) of the document is detected by both the sensor (2) or the camera (16, 17).