Image reading apparatus for reading a document at a speed corresponding to the document reading density

Claim 2

An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image of a document at a predetermined reading density; transfer means, for moving at least one of the reading means and the document at a speed corresponding to the reading density, said transfer means having a pulse motor; and motor driving means for outputting an exciting current having a plurality of current waveforms each corresponding to one step of rotation of said pulse motor, each of said current waveforms being a stepped waveform including a plurality of steps, and said motor driving means including means for changing the number of the steps of each of the current waveforms of the exciting current in accordance with the reading density.

Claim 3

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor driving means comprises means for generating a reference excitation signal having a plurality of waveforms each corresponding to one step of rotation and each being a stepped waveform having a plurality of steps, waveform-changing means for changing the number of the steps of the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal in accordance with the reading density, and outputting an excitation signal, and means for converting the excitation signal to the exciting current.

Claim 4

The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said waveform-changing means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal to a stepped waveform having an amplitude corresponding to the reading density.

Claim 5

The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said waveform-changing means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal to a stepped waveform having a magnitude corresponding to the reading density.

Claim 6

The image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said waveform-changing means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal selectively to a triangular wave, a sine wave or a trapezoidal wave.

Claim 7

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor driving means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the exciting current to a stepped waveform having an amplitude corresponding to the reading density.

Claim 8

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor driving means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the exciting current to a stepped waveform having a magnitude corresponding to the reading density.

Claim 9

The image reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said motor driving means comprises means for setting the stepped waveform of the exciting current selectively to a stepped triangular wave, a stepped sine wave or a stepped trapezoidal wave.

Claim 10

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing a plurality of waveform data units corresponding to the reading density, and means for setting the stepped waveform of the exciting current on the basis of the waveform data units read out from the memory means.

Claim 11

An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image of a document at a predetermined reading density; transfer means, for moving at least one of the reading means and the document at a speed corresponding to the reading density, said transfer means having a pulse motor; reference excitation signal generating means for generating a reference excitation signal having a plurality of waveforms each corresponding to one step of rotation and each being a stepped waveform having a plurality of steps, said reference excitation signal generating means including means for changing the number of the steps of the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal in accordance with the reading density; excitation signal generating means for converting the reference excitation signal into an excitation signal having a stepped waveform corresponding to the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal; and means for driving the pulse motor in accordance with the excitation signal from the excitation signal generating means.

Claim 12

An image reading apparatus comprising: reading means for reading an image of a document at a predetermined reading density; transfer means, for moving at least one of the reading means and the document at a speed corresponding to the reading density, said transfer means having a pulse motor; reference excitation signal generating means for generating a reference excitation signal having a plurality of waveforms each corresponding to one step of rotation and each being a stepped waveform having a plurality of steps, said reference excitation signal generating means including means for changing the number of the steps of the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal in accordance with the reading density; excitation signal generating means for converting the reference excitation signal into an excitation signal having a stepped waveform corresponding to the stepped waveform of the reference excitation signal; and means for driving the pulse motor in accordance with the excitation signal from the excitation signal generating means.

Claim 13

The image reading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said excitation signal generating means comprises memory means for storing a plurality of waveform data units corresponding to different numbers of steps, each of which corresponds to the recording density, and means for changing the number of the steps of the waveform of the reference excitation signal in accordance with the waveform data units.

Claim 14

The image reading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said pulse motor has a plurality of phase windings, and said reference excitation signal generating means synchronously generates a plurality of reference excitation signals corresponding to said phase windings, respectively.

Claim 15

The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said reference excitation signal generating means comprises memory means for storing a plurality of waveform data units in correspondence with the phase windings, the waveform data units each forming a stepwise waveform having a plurality of steps, the number of which corresponds to the recording density, and means for simultaneously reading out the waveform data units corresponding to the phase windings from the memory means, and changing, in accordance with the read-out waveform data units, the number of the steps the stepwise waveform of the corresponding reference excitation signal.

Claim 16

The image reading apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said excitation signal generating means includes filter means for smoothing the excitation signal.