U.S. patent application number 15/415142 was filed with the patent office on 2018-07-26 for image scanning system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Microtek International Inc.. Invention is credited to Jin-Chun YANG.
Application Number | 20180213106 15/415142 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62907299 |
Filed Date | 2018-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180213106 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YANG; Jin-Chun |
July 26, 2018 |
IMAGE SCANNING SYSTEM
Abstract
An image scanning system comprises an image capture unit, a
transmission unit, an adapter, a first driving unit and a second
driving unit. The image scanning system uses the first driving unit
connected with the adapter and the transmission unit to drive the
image capture unit to move along an optical axis to instantly vary
the distance between the image capture unit and the object. The
image scanning system can realize high-precision submicron-scale
transmission in simpler structure and lower cost.
Inventors: |
YANG; Jin-Chun; (Hsinchu,
TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Microtek International Inc. |
Hsinchu |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
62907299 |
Appl. No.: |
15/415142 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/031 20130101;
H04N 2201/0081 20130101; H04N 1/02409 20130101; H04N 1/1061
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 1/024 20060101
H04N001/024; H04N 1/031 20060101 H04N001/031; H04N 1/10 20060101
H04N001/10 |
Claims
1. An image scanning system comprising an image capture unit
comprising a charge-coupled device, a complementary metal oxide
semiconductor, or a contact image sensor configured to capture an
image of an object; a transmission unit including a micrometer
which includes a shifting shaft connected with the image capture
unit; and a rotation member connected with the shifting shaft,
wherein a rotation generated by the rotation member is configured
to control a displacement of the shifting shaft along an optical
axis of the image capture unit; an adapter connected with the
rotation member; a first stepper motor including a driving shaft
connected with the adapter and configured to rotate the rotation
member to drive the image capture unit to move along the optical
axis; and a second stepper motor connected with the image capture
unit and configured to drive the image capture unit and the object
to move with respect to each other along a scanning direction,
wherein the scanning direction is vertical to the optical axis.
2. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the
adapter is tightly coupled to the rotation member.
3. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the
adapter sleeves the rotation member or is sleeved by the rotation
member.
4. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the
adapter includes a shaft coupling unit, and wherein one end of the
shaft coupling unit is connected with the adapter, and another end
of the shaft coupling unit is connected with the driving shaft of
the first stepper motor.
5. (canceled)
6. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the
transmission unit has submicron-scale precision.
7. (canceled)
8. (canceled)
9. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the
image capture unit includes a linear type light sensing element or
a surface type light sensing element.
10. The image scanning system according to claim 1 further
comprising a platform for carrying the object.
11. The image scanning system according to claim 10, wherein the
platform includes a light-permeable material, and wherein the
object and the image capture unit are respectively disposed at two
opposite sides of the platform.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an image scanning system,
particularly to an image scanning system able to undertake
submicron-scale transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
[0002] During scanning an object, an image capture unit needs to
move along an optical axis (i.e. along the height direction) to
undertake autofocusing and capture a clear image of the object.
Therefore, the precision in which the image capture unit is moved
along the optical axis would influence the image sharpness and
imaging quality.
[0003] The traditional image scanning systems use a piezoelectric
motor or a linear motor to achieve submicron-scale (0.1-1 um-scale)
transmission in high precision. However, they are complicated in
structure and expensive in cost.
[0004] Therefore, the manufacturers are eager to develop a low-cost
and high-precision image scanning system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides an image scanning system,
which uses a first driving unit to connect an adapter and a
transmission unit and drive an image capture unit to move along an
optical axis at least in a precision of submicron scale, whereby to
achieve submicron-scale transmission in a simpler structure and a
lower cost.
[0006] In one embodiment, the image scanning system of the present
invention comprises an image capture unit, a transmission unit, an
adapter, a first driving unit and a second driving unit. The image
capture unit captures an image of an object. The transmission unit
includes a shifting shaft and a rotation member. The shifting shaft
is connected with the image capture unit; the rotation member is
connected with the shifting shaft. A rotation generated by the
rotation member controls a displacement of the shifting shaft along
an optical axis of the image capture unit. The first driving unit
includes a driving shaft connected with the adapter, rotating the
rotation member to drive the image capture unit to move along the
optical axis. The second driving unit is connected with the image
capture unit and drives the image capture unit and the object to
move with respect to each other along a scanning direction, wherein
the scanning direction is vertical to the optical axis.
[0007] Below, embodiments are described in detail in cooperation
with the attached drawings to make easily understood the
objectives, technical contents, characteristics and accomplishments
of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an image scanning
system according to one embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0009] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an image scanning
system according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] The present invention will be described in detail with
embodiments and attached drawings below. However, these embodiments
are only to exemplify the present invention but not to limit the
scope of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments
described in the specification, the present invention also applies
to other embodiments. Further, any modification, variation, or
substitution, which can be easily made by the persons skilled in
that art according to the embodiment of the present invention, is
to be also included within the scope of the present invention,
which is based on the claims stated below. Although many special
details are provided herein to make the readers more fully
understand the present invention, the present invention can still
be practiced under a condition that these special details are
partially or completely omitted. Besides, the elements or steps,
which are well known by the persons skilled in the art, are not
described herein lest the present invention be limited
unnecessarily. Similar or identical elements are denoted with
similar or identical symbols in the drawings. It should be noted:
the drawings are only to depict the present invention schematically
but not to show the real dimensions or quantities of the present
invention. Besides, matterless details are not necessarily depicted
in the drawings to achieve conciseness of the drawings.
[0011] Refer to FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the image scanning
system of the present invention comprises an image capture unit 10,
a transmission unit 20, an adapter 30, a first driving unit 40 and
a second driving unit 50. The image capture unit 10 captures an
image of an object A. The object A, for example, has a height, and
the height direction is parallel to an optical axis Z of the
capture unit 10.
[0012] The transmission unit 20 includes a shifting shaft 22 and a
rotation member 24. The shifting shaft 22 is connected with the
image capture unit 10; the rotation member 24 is connected with the
shifting shaft 22. The rotation member 24 generates a rotation to
control a displacement of the shifting shaft 22 along the optical
axis Z of the image capture unit 10. The displacement is of a
submicron scale (0.1-1 um scale) or below. In one embodiment, the
transmission unit 20 includes a micrometer; for example, the
transmission unit 20 is a micrometer caliper. It is particularly
noted herein: the present invention adopts a high-precision
transmission unit 20 to drive the image capture unit 10 to move
along the optical axis Z; therefore, the present invention can use
merely a simple and low-cost structure to realize high-precision
transmission.
[0013] One end of the adapter 30 is connected with the rotation
member 24; another end of the adapter 30 is connected with the
first driving unit 40. In one embodiment, the adapter 30 is tightly
coupled to the rotation member 24. For example, the corresponding
surfaces of the adapter 30 and the rotation member 24 are closely
intercalated; it may be that the adapter 30 is inserted into the
rotation member 24 or that the rotation member 24 is inserted into
the adapter 30. In one embodiment, the adapter 30 sleeves the
rotation member 24 or is sleeved by the rotation member 24, and the
adapter 30 rotates the rotation member 24.
[0014] The first driving unit 40 includes a driving shaft 42
connected with the adapter 30, rotating the rotation member 24 to
drive the image capture unit 10 to move along the optical axis Z,
whereby to instantly vary the distance between the image capture
unit 10 and the object A during a scanning process. Thus is
optimized the image sharpness and imaging quality of the image
capture unit 10. In one embodiment, the first driving unit 40
includes a step motor. However, the present invention is not
limited by the embodiment. As mentioned above, the traditional
scanning system does not adopt a step motor but uses a
piezoelectric motor or a linear motor. Contrarily, in one
embodiment, the present invention realizes submicron-scale
transmission, using a step motor 40 to control a micrometer 20
through the adapter 30 and drive the image capture unit 10 to move
along the optical axis Z.
[0015] The second driving unit 50 is connected with the image
capture unit 10, driving the image capture unit 10 and the object A
to move with respect to each other along a scanning direction X,
which is vertical to the optical axis Z. In one embodiment, the
second driving unit 50 includes a step motor, whereby to reduce the
cost. However, the present invention is not limited by the
embodiment.
[0016] Refer to FIG. 2. In order to increase the control precision
of the transmission unit 20, the adapter 30 includes a shaft
coupling unit 60. One end of the shaft coupling unit 60 is
connected with the adapter 30; another end of the shaft coupling
unit 60 is connected with the driving shaft 42 of the first driving
unit 40. The shaft coupling unit 60 can eliminate the axial
deviation between the shifting shaft 22 of the transmission shaft
20 and the driving shaft 42 of the first driving shaft 40.
[0017] In one embodiment, the image scanning system of the present
invention further comprises a platform 70 for carrying the object
A. In one embodiment, the image scanning system of the present
invention further comprises a light source (not shown in the
drawings) providing light to illuminate the object A. The image
capture unit 10 captures the light reflected from the object A to
generate an image of the object A. In one embodiment, the platform
70 has a light-permeable material, and the object A and the image
capture unit 10 are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of
the platform 70, whereby is realized a transmission type image
scanning system. In one embodiment, the image capture unit 10
includes a linear type light sensing element or a surface type
light sensing element. For example, the image capture unit 10
includes a charge-coupled device, a complementary metal oxide
semiconductor, or a contact image sensor. However, the present
invention is not limited by the embodiments. The persons having
ordinary knowledge in the art should be able to modify or vary the
embodiments according to the specification without departing from
the scope of the present invention.
[0018] In conclusion, the image scanning system of the present
invention uses a first driving unit to control a transmission unit
in a high precision (at least submicron scale) to drive an image
capture unit to move along an optical axis, whereby to instantly
vary the distance between the image capture unit and the object
during a scanning process and enhance the image sharpness and
imaging quality of the image capture unit. Thereby, the image
scanning system of the present invention can realize high-precision
submicron-scale transmission in a simpler structure and lower
cost.
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