Image input device

An image input device having an original exposing portion and an image sensor portion disposed and an image sensor portion disposed on a common insulating substrate. The original exposing portion is formed by one or more light-emitting elements. The image sensor portion is formed by one or more light-receiving elements individually corresponding to the light-emitting elements and receiving the lights of the light-emitting elements after the exposure of an original and putting out electrical signal levels in accordance with the quantities of received light. This invention further provides an image output and input device which includes in addition to said original exposing portion and said image sensor portion, a thermal head portion formed by one or more heat-generating resistance members which receives the electrical signals from the light-receiving element and generates heat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an image input device. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
To process an original image as image information, there is required an 
original exposing portion for making the original image into an optical 
image and an image sensor portion for reading the original image made into 
an optical image and converting it into an electrical signal capable of 
being processed. 
The light source of the original exposing portion may be a fluorescent 
lamp, a halogen lamp or a light-emitting diode (LED). The device for the 
image sensor may be a CCD type image sensor, an MOS type image sensor or a 
thin film photodiode. Heretofore, these devices have been manufactured 
individually and accordingly, to form an image input device or an image 
input and output device, it has been necessary to inspect the performances 
of these devices individually and select and combine devices meeting the 
applicable standards and requirements. Also, the respective devices have 
been provided independently of one another and this has led to the problem 
that the apparatus becomes bulky. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been made in view of the above-noted points and 
an object thereof is to provide an image input device and an image input 
and output device which overcome the disadvantages peculiar to the image 
input device and image input and output device according to the prior art. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image input device 
and an image input and output device which are compact and well balanced 
in performance by an original exposing portion and an image sensor portion 
being integrally provided on a common insulating substrate. 
The invention will become fully apparent from the following detailed 
description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Several embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described 
by reference to the drawings. 
Referring to FIG. 1 which is a perspective view of the image input device 
according to an embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 101 
designates a glazed ceramic substrate, reference numeral 102 denotes an 
original exposing portion, and reference numeral 103 designates the 
electrical wiring portion of the original exposing portion 102. Reference 
numeral 104 denotes an image sensor portion, and reference characters 105a 
and 105b designate the wiring portions of the image sensor portion 104. 
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing in more detail the construction 
of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The original exposing portion 102 is 
constituted by light-emitting diodes 108 formed of Gap or like material 
and a wiring portion 107 of a electrically conductive film formed of Au or 
like material for driving the light-emitting diode 108. The image sensor 
portion 104 comprises a photodiode and a blocking diode. The photodiode is 
comprised of a transparent electrically conductive film 112 such as 
SnO.sub.2 or In.sub.2 O.sub.3, a CdS film 111, a CdTe film 110 and a Te 
film 109, and the blocking diode is comprised of a Te film 109, a Cds film 
111 and an electrically conductive metal film 107. The rectifying property 
of the photodiode is exhibited by hetero sealing of Cds (n type 
layer)-CdTe (p type layer) and the photosensitivity of the photodiode is 
exhibited by light being applied from the light-receiving window of the 
transparent electrically conductive film 112 to the hetero sealing 
portion. The rectifying property of the blocking diode is exhibited by 
shot key sealing of CdS- Te. The group of light emitting diodes and the 
group of diodes are arranged in a row and parallel to each other on the 
ceramic substrate 101, and these are covered with a wear resisting film 
106 which may be a two-layer SiO.sub.2 -Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 film or SiC film. 
Referring to FIG. 3, which shows an example of the use of the first 
embodiment, reference numeral 118 designates an original and reference 
numeral 120 denotes an original supporting table. FIG. 4 is a circuit 
diagram for explaining the operation of the image sensor portion 104 in 
the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 113 
designates photodiodes and reference numeral 114 denotes blocking diodes. 
Reference numeral 115 designates a shift register, reference numerals 116 
and 117 denote MOS transistor switches, and reference numeral 120 
designates a resistor. 
The operation of the first embodiment will now be described by reference to 
FIGS. 3 and 4. 
When the original supporting table 120 with the original 118 thereon is 
moved to a predetermined position by a driving device, not shown, the 
operation of the shift register 115 is started by a control circuit, not 
shown, and signal pulses are put out from the output terminals .circle.1 
- .circle.32 . At this time, the switch 116 is selected by the output 
signal .circle.A of the control circuit and conducts and therefore, 
pulse signals are accumulated in the group of diodes connected to the 
switch 116. When the accumulation is terminated, light is applied from the 
light-emitting diodes 108 of the original exposing portion 102 toward the 
original 118. The photodiodes 113 corresponding to the individual 
light-emitting diodes 108 receive the reflected light from the original, 
and discharge the stored charge through the switch 116 in accordance with 
the quantity of received light. Thereafter, signal pulses are again put 
out from the output terminal .circle.1 - .circle.32 of the shift 
register 115 and applied to the group of diodes, and a charge 
corresponding to the amount of discharge is again accumulated, but at this 
time, a re-coupling current flows in through the resistor 120 and the 
switch 116. This is taken out as a video signal .circle.11 from one end 
of the resistor 120. The group of diodes connected to the switch 117 also 
operates likewise, but the switch 117 is suitably controlled by the output 
signal of the control circuit so that the group of diodes connected to the 
switch 117 accumulates signal pulses therein during the time that the 
group of diodes connected to the switch 116 discharges by the 
light-emitting diodes 108. When the scanning of the group of diodes 
arranged in a row is terminated in this manner, the original supporting 
table 120 and accordingly, the original 118 are moved to the predetermined 
position, whereupon the next scanning is started. 
In the foregoing description, scanning has been effected by moving the 
original supporting table, but it is of course possible to adopt a 
construction in which the image input device according to the embodiment 
of the present invention is moved 
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image input and output device according 
to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a 
cross-sectional view showing the construction thereof in more detail. 
In these FIGURES, members similar to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are given 
similar reference numerals. The difference of the second embodiment from 
the first embodiment is that a printing portion 200 is provided on the 
back of the image input portion. The printing portion 200 is constituted, 
for example, by a thermal head portion which comprises heat-generating 
resistance members 122 and a wiring portion 121 for driving the same. 
FIG. 7 shows an example of the use of the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, 
reference numeral 123 designates a transfer medium, and reference numerals 
124 and 125 denote rotatable rollers. The other reference numerals are 
similar in significance to those appearing in FIG. 3. 
The operation of the second embodiment will now be described by reference 
of FIGS. 4 and 7. 
The original 118 and transfer medium 123 are fed between the rotatable 
rollers and the image input and output device of the present invention by 
the driving device, not shown, of the rotatable rollers 124, 125 and the 
operation of the shift register 115 is started by a control circuit, not 
shown, and signal pulses are put out from the output terminal .circle.1- 
.circle.32 thereof. At this time, the switch 116 is selected by the 
output signal Sl of the control circuit and conducts and therefore, pulse 
signals are accumulated in the group of diodes connected to the switch 
116. When the accumulation is terminated, light is applied from the 
light-emitting diodes 108 of the original exposing portion 102 toward the 
original 118. The photodiodes 113 corresponding to the individual 
light-emitting diodes 108 receive the reflected light from the original 
and discharge the stored charge through the switch 116 in accordance with 
the quantity of received light. Thereafter, signal pulses are again put 
out from the output terminals .circle.1 - .circle.32 of the shift 
register 115 and applied to the group of diodes and a charge corresponding 
to the amount of discharge is again accumulated, but at this time, a 
re-coupling current flows in through the resistor 120 and the switch 116. 
This is taken out as a video signal S3 from one end of the resistor 120. 
This video signal S3 is converted into a driving current for the thermal 
head portion 200 by the control circuit and supplied to each corresponding 
heat-generating resistance member 122. The heat-generating resistance 
members 122 generate heat in conformity with the magnitude of the driving 
current and a transferred image is recorded on the transfer medium 123. 
The group of diodes connected to the switch 117 also operates likewise, 
and the switch 117 is suitably controlled by the output signal of the 
control circuit so that the group of diodes connected to the switch 117 
accumulates signal pulses therein during time that the group of diodes 
connected to the switch 116 discharges by the light-emitting diodes 108. 
When the scanning of the group of diodes arranged in a row is terminated 
in this manner, the rotatable rollers 124 and 125 are rotated by a 
predetermined angle and the original 118 and transfer medium are moved 
forward and thus, scanning is again effected. 
According to the present invention, as described above, an original 
exposing portion, an image sensor portion and further a printed portion 
are disposed on the same substrate, whereby compactness of the device can 
be achieved. Also, the original exposing portion, the electrodes of the 
image sensor and the printed portion, the wiring portion and the wear 
resisting film are formed through the same manufacturing process, and this 
leads to the possibility of reducing the irregularity of the 
characteristic and decreasing the number of process steps. Further, the 
fact that the original exposing portion, the image sensor portion and the 
printed portion are finished through the same manufacturing process leads 
to reduced irregularity of the characteristic of the image input and 
output device. In addition, the performance of each portion can be 
adjusted during the manufacturing process, and this leads to the 
possibility of saving the labor of inspecting the performance of the 
individual portions, selecting them combining them and making a device as 
has heretofore been done.