Abstract:
An image scanner includes a main body, an optical module, a switch, a trigger member and a cover. The main body has a window for supporting a document. The optical module is used for scanning the document. The switch is used for actuating the optical module to scan the document. The cover is movably connected to the main body. The trigger member is provided on the main body or the cover for turning on the switch so as to actuate the optical module when the cover is closed to cover the window.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to a conveniently operated image scanner. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When using an image scanner to scan documents, the user operates software by clicking a “scan” icon on the monitor or operates hardware by pushing a “scan” button on the image scanner. Basically, for scanning each document, the user needs to take an action. That is inconvenient, especially when the user intends to scan a large quantity of documents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a conveniently operated image scanner that solves the above-mentioned problem. 
     The image scanner of the present invention includes a main body, an optical module, a switch, a trigger member and a cover. The main body has a window for supporting a document. The optical module is used for scanning the document. The switch is used for actuating the optical module to scan the document. The cover is movably connected to the main body. The trigger member is provided on the main body or the cover for turning on the switch so as to actuate the optical module when the cover is closed to cover the window. 
     It is understood that the operation of the image scanner of the present invention is very easy. The user puts the document on the window and closes the cover. Without other action by the user, the image scanner automatically scans the document. There is no need to repeatedly push a button or click an icon for each scanning. The operation of the image scanner of the present invention is simple and efficient. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a sectional diagram of an image scanner with the cover thereof opened in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional diagram of an image scanner with the cover thereof closed in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of the main body of the image scanner in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of the cover of the image scanner in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a sectional diagram of an image scanner with the cover thereof opened in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a sectional diagram of the image scanner with the cover thereof closed in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional diagram of an image scanner with the cover thereof opened in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a sectional diagram of an image scanner with the cover thereof opened in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective diagram of a switch of the image scanner in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5C  depicts the state that the switch of the fourth embodiment is turned on; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective diagram of an image scanner in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective diagram of an image scanner in accordance with the sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8B  is a front view of an output selection device of the image scanner of the sixth embodiment; 
         FIG. 9A  is a perspective diagram of the modified image scanner of the sixth embodiment; and 
         FIG. 9B  is a front view of the output selection device of the modified image scanner of the sixth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments one, two, three and four: 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A , an image scanner of a first embodiment of the present invention includes a main body  1  and a cover  2 . On the top surface of the main body  1  are provided a window  14  and a hole  13 , while inside the main body  1  are provided an optical module  11 , a rod  4 , a flexible PCB  28 , a controller  27 , a buzzer  26  and a switch  12 . Furthermore, on the cover  2  is provided a bar  24  corresponding to the hole  13 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , the bar  24  goes through the hole  13  to push the switch  12  when the cover  2  is closed to cover the window  14 . In this embodiment, the switch  12  is a button switch. The push by the bar  24  turns on the switch  12  and actuates the optical module  11  via the controller  27  and the flexible PCB  28  to scan a document  6  (if the document is disposed on the window  14 ). 
     However, if there is no document on the window  14 , the optical module  11  should not perform the scanning. Thus, after being actuated, the optical module  11  may operate in two different ways: (1) Before performing the scanning, the optical module  11  detects if there is a document on the window  14 . If yes, then the optical module  11  moves along the rod  4  to scan the document in accordance with a resolution and paper size pre-set by the user. (2) Before performing the scanning, the optical module  11  detects if there is a document on the window  14 . If yes, then the optical module  11  moves along the rod  4  to “pre-scan” the document with a low resolution so as to find out the scanned document size. 
     The “detection before scanning” is further interpreted as follows: Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a dark or black background  18  is provided on the cover  2  corresponding to the window  14 . Reference number  20  indicates the start position of the optical module  11 , which is also the position which the optical module  11  stands by. Generally, a scanned document is of light color or white. The user puts the document  6  on the window  14  edge to edge. To detect whether a document is disposed on the window  14 , the optical module  11  scans the area within a distance “d” away from the edge  16  of the window  14 . If a document is disposed on the window  14 , then the gray scale value obtained from the detecting is great because scanned documents generally are of light color. If no document is disposed on the window  14 , then the gray scale value obtained from the detecting is small because the background  18  of the cover  2  is dark. Therefore, if the gray scale value obtained from the detecting is greater than a predetermined value, i.e., substantially different from the gray level of the dark background, then there must be a document on the window  14  and the optical module  11  scans the whole window  14 . On the other hand, if the obtained gray scale value is smaller than a predetermined value, i.e., substantially close to the gray level of the dark background, then the optical module  11  goes back to stand by. To sum up, if the switch  12  is turned on by closing the cover  2 , then the optical module  11  scans the area within a distance “d” away from the edge  16  of the window  14  to ascertain whether there is a document on the window  14  or not. If there is, then the optical module  11  scans the window in accordance with the resolution and paper size pre-set by the user or rapidly pre-scans the whole window  14  with a low resolution. 
     After finishing the scanning, the optical module  11  automatically moves back to the start position  20 . However, if the user opens the cover  2  before the scanning is finished, then the switch  12  is turned off and the buzzer  26  is actuated to warn the user. 
     It is understood from the above description that the operation of the image scanner is very easy. The user puts the document on the window and closes the cover. Without other action by the user, the image scanner automatically scans the document. There is no need to repeatedly push the button for each scanning. The operation of the image scanner of the present invention is simple and efficient. 
     The above-mentioned switch  12  can be modified.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  depict a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the switch  12  is mounted on the main body  1  of the image scanner and is near the pivots of the cover  2 . The switch  12  is turned on when the cover  2  is closed to cover the window. The bottom surface of the cover  2  functions as a trigger member like the bar  24  mentioned in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the hole  13  and the bar  24  are not needed.  FIG. 4  depicts a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the switch  12  is mounted on the cover  2 . In this embodiment, the top surface of the main body  1  functions as a trigger member to turn on the switch  12 .  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C depict a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein a photo switch  15  is provided in the main body  1  of the image scanner. In this embodiment, the photo switch  15  is a photo sensor having a body  151 , a light emitter (not shown) and a receiver (not shown). On the body  151  is provided a recess  152 . A light is emitted from the emitter through the recess  152  to the receiver. When the cover  2  is closed, the bar  24  on the cover  2  enters the recess  152  to obstruct the light. Then, the receiver cannot receive the light and generates a change of a digital signal. The changed digital signal is sent to the controller  27  so that the optical module  11  performs the “detection before scanning”. 
     Embodiment five: 
     In the first, second, third and fourth embodiments mentioned above, the optical module  11  detects if there is a document on the window  14  when the switches  12 ,  15  are turned on. However, if the user intends to continuously scan a plurality of documents, then the detection before scanning is not needed for each scanning. In this embodiment, therefore, a function of a compulsory scanning is provided. Referring to  FIG. 6 , another switch  22  is mounted on the cover  2 . When the user intends to scan many pages of document, he turns on the switch  22 . Then, the optical module  11  does not detect if there is a document on the window  14  before each scanning. Instead, the optical module  11  directly scans a limited area in accordance with a resolution and paper size pre-set by the user, or the optical module  11  rapidly pre-scans the whole window area with a low resolution so as to find out the document size. 
     Embodiment six: 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 ,  8 A and  8 B, in this embodiment, the image scanner  50  of the present invention is connected to a personal computer  52  and a printer  51 . An output selection device  31  is provided on the main body  1  of the image scanner  50 . By the output selection device, the image of the scanned document is selectively sent to one of output interfaces, through which the image is printed out by a printer  51 , the image is saved in a hard disk  54  of the personal computer  52  or saved in a floppy disk drive  34  of the image scanner  50 , an image editor  53  is executed to edit the image, a fax program  55  is executed to send out the image by a fax machine  56 , or a communication program  57  is executed to send out the image by a modem  58 . This arrangement saves time and operation after the scanning. The detailed technique for selectively sending the image to the output interfaces is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,108 (FIG.  17  and the description thereof), in which a scanned image is sent to different output interfaces via operating a window interface. 
     Alternatively, the output selection device is provided on the cover  2  as shown in.  FIGS. 9A and 9B , in which reference number  32  indicates the output selection device. Also, the output selection device  32  operates in the way of a linear movement rather than a rotation. 
     Alternatively, the image scanner of the present invention can be practiced in various other ways: (1) The switch  22  disclosed in the fifth embodiment of the present invention is omitted. Once the cover is closed, the optical module always performs the scanning in a predetermined resolution and scanning area. (2) The hardware switch  22  mentioned in the fifth embodiment is replaced with a software toggle selection, by which the user chooses the compulsory scanning on a monitor. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.