Warm-up controller for a scanner light-source

This application is related to copending application S/N 08955820, filed on 22 October 1997, Hewlett-Packard Docket Number 10970633, titled "Anticipatory Warm-Up Apparatus for a Scanner Light-Source".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present patent document relates generally to optical scanning devices used to translate the contents of printed documents into electronic format, and more particularly to the control of electrical power to such devices.

2. Description of Related Art

Several different types of light sources or lamps have been incorporated into optical scanners in order to illuminate the item being scanned. Among other things, the choice of lamp type and style is often based upon cost, size, lamp life, light intensity, output spectrum, power requirements, and turn-on time. Such lamps include cold cathode fluorescent, hot cathode fluorescent, xenon, and light emitting diode (LED) light sources.

In modern scanner systems, especially for those using the more popular cold cathode fluorescent lamps, the warm-up time for the scanner's light source is relatively long. For greater productivity, the scanner should be immediately available for use at any time. In a practical sense, the only technique by which this objective can be met is to leave the light source turned on all the time. However, if the light-source is on continuously, excessive power consumption and a large reduction in lamp operational life will result. As an example, cold cathode fluorescent lamps have an average lamp life of between 10,000 and 15,000 hours prior to burn-out. If a cold cathode lamp is on for only 1,000 hours per year, the operational life of the lamp is approximately 10 to 15 years, and even at 2,000 hours per year, it is 5 to 7.5 years. However, if on continuously, the operational life of the lamp will be reduced to only 14 to 20 months. Thus, there is a significant need to improve the scanner system so as to have, at least in most cases, the light-source warmed up when needed, while reducing degradation in lamp operational life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Representative embodiments of the teachings of the present patent document provide enhanced capabilities not previously available to aid in the immediate availability for scanning of optical scanning systems, while reducing degradation of lamp operational life and controlling energy consumption. These capabilities provide increased productivity for an operator of such systems.

Representative embodiments of the present patent document incorporate a software program and associated circuitry for controlling the times when the scanner's exposure lamp is turned on. In another embodiment, a timing circuit is used instead of the software program for controlling the times that the exposure lamp is on. The potential for a reduction in operator perceived lamp warm-up time thus exists, without requiring that the lamp be on continuously. In fact, the system can be set up such that the scanner is on and warmed-up when the operator arrives at work and is turned off after he leaves for the day. The terms lamp and exposure lamp, as used herein, include not only lamps such as the cold cathode fluorescent, hot cathode fluorescent, and xenon lamps, but also other sources of illumination, such as light emitting diodes (LED's).

Since waiting for the exposure lamp in a scanner system to warm up can be expensive in terms of operator inefficiency, since lamp operational life is reduced in relation to the time the lamp is turned on, since leaving a lamp on continuously consumes increased energy, and since image quality is enhanced by the lamp being fully warmed-up, representative embodiments of the present invention provide needed, enhanced capabilities not previously available. Other aspects and advantages of the representative embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. The details disclosed in the specification should not be read so as to limit the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings provide visual representations which will be used to more fully describe the representative embodiments of the present patent document and which can be used by those skilled in the art to better understand it and its inherent advantages. In the drawings, like reference numerals identify corresponding elements and:

FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of a scanner system with a software program and associated electronic circuitry for turning the scanner exposure lamp and scanner electronic circuitry on and off at selected times, the software program running on a computer.

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of a scanner system with a software program and associated electronic circuitry for turning the scanner exposure lamp and scanner electronic circuitry on and off at selected times, the software program running on a computer.

FIGURE 3 is a flow chart of a representative embodiment of a computer software program for turning the scanner exposure lamp and associated electronic circuitry on and off at selected times.

FIGURE 4 is a block diagram of a scanner system with a timer circuit and associated electronic circuitry for turning the scanner exposure lamp and scanner electronic circuitry on and off at selected times or intervals.

FIGURE 5 is a block diagram of a scanner system with a timer circuit and associated electronic circuitry for turning the scanner exposure lamp and scanner electronic circuitry on and off at selected times or intervals.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present patent document relates to a novel apparatus for providing an optical scanner which is immediately available for scanning during selected times while reducing lamp operational life degradation. The operator can program the scanner to be warmed-up and ready to scan at a selected time and to turn off at a later selected time. These times could be associated, for example, with the operator's anticipated work arrival and departure times. Previously an operator was forced to either incur excessively long warm-up times or, by leaving the lamp turned-on all the time, to incur significant reductions in lamp operational life with associated increased energy consumption when using optical scanning machines. In the following detailed description and in the figures of the drawings, like elements are identified with like reference numerals.

Referring to Figure 1, a representative embodiment of the apparatus described in the present patent document is shown wherein a scanner system <b>100</b> comprises a computer <b>110</b>, running a software program <b>115</b> and connected electrically to an electrical-power-control circuit <b>120</b>. At a selected time, the software program directs the electrical-power-control-circuit <b>120</b> to connect electrical power from an electrical-power source <b>130</b> to an exposure lamp <b>145</b> and, in another embodiment, also to a scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b>. Both the exposure lamp <b>140</b> and the scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b> are components of a scanner <b>140</b>. In another embodiment and at a second selected time, the software program commands the electrical-power-control-circuit <b>120</b> to remove electrical power from the electrical-power source <b>130</b> from the exposure lamp <b>145</b> and, in yet another embodiment, also to remove electrical power from the scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b>. The selected scanner turn-on time could be, for example, determined by the time the operator anticipates arriving at his office. And the selected scanner turn-off time could be determined by the time the operator anticipates leaving his office.

Referring to Figure 2, another representative embodiment of the apparatus described in the present patent document is shown wherein a scanner system <b>100</b> comprises a computer <b>110</b>, running a software program <b>115</b> and connected electrically to an electrical-power-control circuit <b>120.</b> At a selected time, the software program directs the electrical-power-control-circuit <b>120</b> to connect electrical power from an electrical-power source <b>130</b> to a scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b> which in turn connects electrical power to an exposure lamp <b>145</b>. Both the exposure lamp <b>140</b> and the scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b> are components of a scanner <b>140.</b> In another embodiment and at a second selected time, the software program commands the electrical-power-control-circuit <b>120</b> to remove electrical power from the electrical-power source <b>130</b> from the scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b>. The scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b> in turn removes electrical power from the exposure lamp <b>145</b>.

Figure 3 is a flow chart of a representative embodiment of a software program <b>115</b> for turning the exposure lamp <b>140,</b> and in another embodiment the scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b>. In this flow chart, block <b>300</b> periodically checks the computer's clock to determine whether or not a selected time interval has passed since the software program <b>115</b> last determined whether or not it should send a command to either turn-on or turn-off the scanner. If the selected time interval has passed, block <b>300</b> passes control to block <b>305</b>.

Block <b>305</b> obtains the computer clock's time and then passes control to block <b>310</b>.

Block <b>310</b> compares the computer clock's time with the selected time at which the scanner should be turned-on. If the computer clock's time is greater than or equal to the selected time at which the scanner is to be turned-on, control is passed to block <b>315</b>, otherwise control is passed to block <b>320.</b>

Block <b>315</b> compares the computer clock's time with the selected time at which the scanner should be turned-off. If the computer clock's time is greater than or equal to the selected time at which the scanner is to be turned-off, control is passed to block <b>320,</b> otherwise control is passed to block <b>330</b>.

Block <b>320</b> determines whether or not the scanner is presently turned-off. If the scanner is presently turned-off, control is transferred to block <b>300</b>, otherwise control is transferred to block <b>325.</b>

Block <b>325</b> sends a command to turn-off power to the scanner. Block <b>325</b> then transfers control to block <b>300.</b>

Block <b>330</b> determines whether or not the scanner is presently turned-on. If the scanner is presently turned-on, control is transferred to block <b>300</b>, otherwise control is transferred to block <b>335</b>.

Block <b>335</b> sends a command to turn-on power to the scanner. Block <b>335</b> then transfers control to block <b>300.</b>

Referring to Figure 4, in another representative embodiment, a timing circuit <b>422</b> sends signals to an electrical-power-control circuit <b>120</b> at selected times or intervals. These signals force the electrical-power-control circuit <b>120</b> to connect electrical power from the electrical-power source <b>130</b> to the exposure lamp <b>145</b>, and in another embodiment also to a scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147.</b>

Referring to Figure 5, in yet another representative embodiment, a timing circuit <b>422</b> sends signals to an electrical-power-control circuit <b>120</b> at selected times or intervals. These signals force the electrical-power-control circuit <b>120</b> to connect electrical power from an electrical-power source <b>130</b> to a scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b>. The scanner-power-and-electronic circuit <b>147</b> in turn connects electrical power to an exposure lamp <b>145.</b>

In practical cases, the electrical-power source <b>130</b> is the electric power provided by the wall electrical outlet of the building in which the scanner-system <b>100</b> is located.

Embodiments of the present patent document can be used to advantage in scanner systems 100 which use any type of exposure lamp <b>145</b> having a non-instantaneous, turn on time. A cold cathode fluorescent lamp is often used in commercial scanning machines and is an example of the type of exposure lamp <b>145</b> which would benefit from the advantages of incorporating the techniques such as described in present patent document.

A primary advantage of the embodiments, as described in the present patent document, over previous techniques is the reduction in or the elimination of time that the operator must wait for the exposure lamp to warm-up, while reducing lamp operational life degradation. Also, energy consumption is significantly less than if the scanner lamp is left on continuously. Additionally, if the exposure lamp is fully warmed-up prior to scanning, the quality of the image produced is enhanced. An added advantage is the fact that the above features can be obtained automatically, without operator action. Thus, embodiments of the present patent document solve important problems with loss in operator productivity due to lamp warm-up time, lamp operational life, energy consumption, and image quality in the use of optical scanners.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The invention is limited only by the claims.