Document scanner

Claim 2

In a document scanning apparatus having a scanning station adapted to hold a document in substantially flat condition and a detector station for detecting an image of at least a small portion of the document, the improved scanner for moving an image of a document at said scanning station across said detection station along an optical path of constant length with comprises: a 90* reflector positioned across said scanning station in a manner to reflect an image of a line substantially completely across said document along a first plane generally parallel to said scanning station, a 180* reflector for reflecting said line image from said 90* reflector back toward said detection station in a second plane generally parallel to said first plane, and transport means for moving said 90* and 180* reflectors generally parallel to said scanning station simultaneously at different speeds whereby the distance from said scanning station past said 90*reflector past said 180* reflector to said detection station remains substantially constant as said 90* reflector traverses said scanning station.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 characterized further in that said transport means comprises means for moving said 180* mirror in the same direction as and at one-half the speed of said 90* mirror.

Claim 4

In a document scanning apparatus having a scanning station adapted to provide an optical object in substantially flat condition, a frame mounted in fixed position with respect to said scanning station, and a detector station for detecting an image of at least a small portion of the object, the improved scanner for moving an image of an object at said scanning station across said detection station along an optical path of constant length which comprises: a 90* reflector for reflecting an image of a portion of said object along a first plane generally parallel to said scanning station, a 180* reflector for Reflecting said image from said first reflector back toward said detection station in a second plane generally parallel to said first plane, and transport means for moving said 90* and 180* reflectors generally parallel to said scanning station simul-taneously at different speeds whereby the distance from said scanning station past said 90* reflector past said 180* reflector to said detection station remains substantially constant as said 90* reflector traverses said scanning station, said transport means comprises: first and second fixed pulleys on said frame, first and second movable pulleys on said 180* reflector, a cord extending from said frame over said first movable pulley hence over said first fixed pulley hence over said second fixed pulley and hence over said second movalbe pulley to said frame, means attaching said 90* reflector to said cord, and drive means for rotating one of said pulleys.

Claim 5

In a document scanning apparatus having a scanning station adapted to provide an optical object in substantially flat condition, a frame mounted in fixed position with respect to said scanning station, and a detector station for detecting an image of at least a small portion of the object, the improved scanner for moving an image of an object at said scanning station across said detection station along an optical path of constant length which comprises: a 90* reflector for reflecting an image of a portion of said object along a first plane generally parallel to said scanning station, a 180* reflector for Reflecting said image from said first reflector back toward said detection station in a second plane generally parallel to said first plane, and transport means for moving said 90* and 180* reflectors generally parallel to said scanning station simul-taneously at different speeds whereby the distance from said scanning station past said 90* reflector past said 180* reflector to said detection station remains substantially constant as said 90* reflector traverses said scanning station, said transport means comprises: first and second fixed pulleys on said frame, first and second movable pulleys on said 180* reflector, a cord extending from said frame over said first movable pulley hence over said first fixed pulley hence over said second fixed pulley and hence over said second movalbe pulley to said frame, means attaching said 90* reflector to said cord, and drive means for rotating one of said pulleys.

Claim 6

In a document scanning apparatus having a scanning station adapted to provide an optical object in substatnially flat condition and a detector station for detecting an image of at least a small portion of the object, the improved scanner for moving an image of an object at said scanning station across said detection station along an optical path of constant length which comprises: a 90* reflector for reflecting an image of a portion of said object along a first plane generally parallel to said scanning station, a 180* reflector for reflecting said image from said first reflector back toward said detection station in a second plane generally parallel to said first plane, transport means for moving said 90* and 180* reflectors generally parallel to said scanning station simultane-ously at different speeds whereby the distance from said scanning station past said 90* reflector past said 180* reflector to said detection station remains substantially constant as said 90* reflector traverses said scanning station, and an oscillating reflector mounted between said 180* reflector and said detection station for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said planes, whereby said detection station scans along the lines of a sequence of lines of a document at said scanning station.

Claim 7

In a document scanning apparatus having a scanning station adapted to provide an optical object in substatnially flat condition and a detector station for detecting an image of at least a small portion of the object, the improved scanner for moving an image of an object at said scanning station across said detection station along an optical path of constant length which comprises: a 90* reflector for reflecting an image of a portion of said object along a first plane generally parallel to said scanning station, a 180* reflector for reflecting said image from said first reflector back toward said detection station in a second plane generally parallel to said first plane, transport means for moving said 90* and 180* reflectors generally parallel to said scanning station simultane-ously at different speeds whereby the distance from said scanning station past said 90* reflector past said 180* reflector to said detection station remains substantially constant as said 90* reflector traverses said scanning station, and an oscillating reflector mounted between said 180* reflector and said detection station for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said planes, whereby said detection station scans along the lines of a sequence of lines of a document at said scanning station.

Claim 8

A document scanner, comprising: a frame, a scanning station attached to said frame and for holding a two-dimensional document in a substantially flat condition, a flat first reflector held by said frame to one dimension of a document held by the scanning station and movable with respect to said frame along a second dimension of a document, said first reflector being held at an angle with respect to the document scanning station to reflect one at a time each document line along a first given plane in space as the first reflector is moved along said seccond document direction, a second reflector held by said frame to extend across said scanning station in the path of said first plane in a manner to be movable with respect to said frame along the second document direction, thereby to reflect document line images of said first given plane into a second given plane in space, an oscillating mirror mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said second plane, said mirror being positioned in the second plane for scanning document line images therein across a first point fixed in space with respect to said frame, a first photodetector positioned at said first point in space, and means for moving said first and second reflectors simultaneously along said frame at different speeds in a manner to maintain a distance from the scanning station to the photo-detector substantially constant as said first reflector traverses said scanning station in the second document direction.

Claim 9

A document scanner, comprising: a frame, a scanning station attached to said frame and for holding a two-dimensional document in a substantially flat condition, a flat first reflector held by said frame to one dimension of a document held by the scanning station and movable with respect to said frame along a second dimension of a document, said first reflector being held at an angle with respect to the document scanning station to reflect one at a time each document line along a first given plane in space as the first reflector is moved along said seccond document direction, a second reflector held by said frame to extend across said scanning station in the path of said first plane in a manner to be movable with respect to said frame along the second document direction, thereby to reflect document line images of said first given plane into a second given plane in space, an oscillating mirror mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said second plane, said mirror being positioned in the second plane for scanning document line images therein across a first point fixed in space with respect to said frame, a first photodetector positioned at said first point in space, and means for moving said first and second reflectors simultaneously along said frame at different speeds in a manner to maintain a distance from the scanning station to the photo-detector substantially constant as said first reflector traverses said scanning station in the second document direction.

Claim 10

The document scanner of claim 5 which additionally comprises: aN index bar mounted across the scanning station to move with said first reflector, said index bar being positioned with respect to the first reflector so that an image thereof is scanned by the second reflector and oscillating mirror across a second point fixed in space with respect to said frame, and a second photodetector positioned at said first point in space, whereby index marks on said index bar are detected by the second photodetector to provide information of a document line image position being detected by said first photodetector.

Claim 11

The document scanner of claim 6, wherein said index bar includes a plurality of index markings having different periods on various sides thereof, the index marking to be imaged onto the second photodetector being selectable by manual rotation of the index bar, whereby the period of index markings appropriate to a given document format to be scanned can be selected.