The present disclosure relates generally to improving a light emitting diode (LED) array in an image reading device and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array.
Image reading devices or scanners use LED lights to illuminate an image to be read by a charge coupled device (CCD) or contact image sensor (CIS). However, the light intensity profile of the LED array may have a dramatic fall off towards the end of the LED array. For example, LEDs in the middle of the array may have overlapping light with neighboring LEDs on either side. However, LEDs on the end of the LED array may not have the same neighboring LEDs resulting in the dramatic fall off of light intensity compared to the light intensity of the middle of the LED array. In addition, the lens typically has a fall off in light collection efficiency from the center to the edges.
According to aspects illustrated herein, there are provided an input imaging system and method for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array. One disclosed feature of the embodiments is an input imaging system comprising an LED array, wherein the LED array is divided into a plurality of different banks of LEDs, wherein a light output of each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs is independently adjustable, an electrical device for adjusting the light output of the each one of the banks of LEDs coupled to each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs to achieve the uniform LED light illumination profile, a diffuser coupled to the LED array to scatter the light output towards a document, a lens for collecting the light output that is reflected off of the document and a sensor coupled to the lens to receive the light output that is collected by the lens.
Another disclosed feature of the embodiments is a method for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array comprising dividing the LED array into a plurality of different LED banks, wherein a light output of each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs is independently adjustable, measuring, by a processor, the light output for each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs and adjusting, by the processor, the light output for one or more of the plurality of different banks of LEDs of the LED array to achieve a uniform LED light illumination profile at the sensor.
Another disclosed feature of the embodiments is a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising dividing the LED array into a plurality of different LED banks, wherein a light output of each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs is independently adjustable, measuring the light output for each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs and adjusting the light output for one or more of the plurality of different banks of LEDs of the LED array to achieve a uniform LED light illumination profile at the sensor.
The teaching of the present disclosure can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the
The present disclosure broadly discloses a method and non-transitory computer-readable medium for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array. As discussed above, image reading devices or scanners use LEDs to illuminate an image to be read by a charge coupled device (CCD) or contact image sensor (CIS). However, the light intensity profile of the LED array may have a dramatic fall off towards the end of the LED array. For example, LEDs in the middle of the array may have overlapping light with neighboring LEDs on either side. However, LEDs on the end of the LED array may not have the same neighboring LEDs resulting in the dramatic fall off of light intensity compared to the light intensity of the middle of the LED array. In addition, the fall off of the light collection efficiency of the lens in CCD systems adds additional non uniformity to the light output from the LED illumination. This fall off also affects the signal to noise achievable at the edges.
Some solutions have been to add additional LEDs to the ends of the LED array. However, this adds size and costs to the imaging system. Instead, embodiments of the present disclosure adjust the current delivered to the LEDs at the ends of an LED array to remove the light intensity fall off at the ends of the LED array, while maintaining the overall size profile of the imaging system with fewer components than individual bank control.
Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide finer control of reducing the variation within the LED profile by controlling banks of LEDs. In one embodiment, the symmetry of the LED array may be utilized to organize common banks of LEDs on opposite ends of the LED array to provide finer resolution and control of the light intensity profile of the LED array.
It should be noted that the system 100 is not an image output device (e.g., a printer or a print head that generates the image). For example, the LEDs 104 may require at least 20 milliwatts of power or approximately 1 candela to generate light output. In contrast, the LEDs in an output device may require multiple Watts of power for the LEDs.
In one embodiment, the LEDs 104 generate a light output that is emitted onto a diffuser 106. In one embodiment, the light output may be scattered by the diffuser 106 towards a document 112 that is being scanned. The light may be reflected off of the document 112. A lens 108 may collect the light reflected off of the document 112 and focused to a sensor 110. The sensor 110 may receive the light collected by the lens 108. In one embodiment, the sensor may be a charged coupled device (CCD) or a contact image sensor (CIS). In one embodiment, the lens may be a single lens and a CCD or a Selfoc® lens and a CIS comprising an array of lenslets for each one of the LEDs 104.
As discussed above, the LEDs 104 at the end of the LED array 102 (e.g., LED 1041 and LED 104n) do not have two adjacent LEDs 104 and, thus, have less overlapping light output from neighboring LEDs 104. As a result, the LEDs 104 at the end of the LED array 102 may have a different light intensity than the other LEDs 104 within the LED array 102. The different light intensities may lead to a non-uniform light intensity profile where the light intensity received by the sensor 110 from the ends of the LED array 102 falls off drastically. This can lead to a lower signal to noise ratio at the edges of the scanned image or exceed the calibration correction range.
However, if the light intensity profile of the LED array 102 is uniform across the length of the LED array 102, then the light intensity read by the sensor 110 may have a low signal to noise ratio (SNR). The low SNR may lead to a lower quality of the scanned image. In one embodiment, uniformity may be defined as having the light intensity value of each LED 104 be within a certain threshold (e.g., above or below) a desired light intensity level or an average light intensity level. For example, uniformity may be defined as being within 1.0 candela of an average light intensity of the entire LED array 102.
In one embodiment, a uniform light intensity profile of the LED array 102 may be achieved via an adjustment mechanism (broadly an electrical circuit or device). In one embodiment, the adjustment mechanism may be a fixed mechanism that is fixed by a modification to a circuit of the LED array 102. In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism may be a dynamic mechanism that is controlled by an optional controller 116 (broadly an electrical circuit or device). As a result, either via the fixed mechanism or the dynamic mechanism, a light output of one or more LEDs 104 of the LED array 102 may be adjusted to achieve a uniform light intensity profile.
For example, the light output of the one or more LEDs 1041 and 104n at the ends of the LED array 102 may be increased to reduce the fall off at the ends of the light intensity profile. In addition, other LEDs 104 within the LED array 102 may also be adjusted to reduce the light output to achieve a uniform light intensity profile, related to other effects like the lens fall off, as discussed below.
Referring back to
In one embodiment, each one of the banks of LEDs 302-312 may have a light output adjusted via the fixed mechanism or the dynamic mechanism. For example, each bank of LEDs 302-312 may be wired via the circuit 200 illustrated in
In another embodiment, the dynamic mechanism may operate by having the controller 116 receives the light intensity values that are read by the sensor 110. The controller 116 may then determine the adjustment required (e.g., either raising or lowering the current to an LED bank 302-312 to either increase the light output or decrease the light output). The controller 116 may then control the current delivered to banks of LEDs 302-312 in accordance with the adjustment that is determined.
For example, referring back to
In one embodiment, the arrangement of the banks of LEDs 402-410 may take advantage of the symmetry of the LED array 102 or optical system by electrically coupling the banks of LEDs 402-410 with LEDs 104 on both sides of the center line 114. As illustrated in
The design of
In addition, the amount of resolution for adjusting the light output of LEDs 104 may also be improved by taking advantage of the symmetric properties of the LED array 102 or optical system. For example, the LED array 102 may be configured to only allow for 5 independently controlled banks of LEDs 104. If the LED array 102 has 30 LEDs, then one option would be to have 5 banks that include 6 adjacent LEDs 104 in each one of the 5 banks (e.g., the arrangement illustrated in
Similar to the design illustrated in
As a result, the embodiments of the present disclosure allow the LEDs 104 to be controlled to reduce variation across a light intensity profile of the LED array 102. In other words, the signal to noise ratio may be similar across the entire profile. This improves the signal to noise ratio across the entire image and reduces the illumination variation, bringing it into a narrower range for calibration.
It should be also noted that the present disclosure may not necessarily be adjusting the LED light intensity to achieve a certain level of uniform light intensity. Rather, the embodiments of the present disclosure adjust the LED light intensity, at any intensity level, such that the light collected by the sensor 110 is uniform across the LED array 102 to minimize the amount of image compensation that needs to be applied after the sensor 110.
At step 502 the method 500 begins. At step 504, the method 500 divides the LED array into a plurality of different LED banks, wherein a light output of each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs is independent adjustable. In one embodiment, the LED banks may include groups of LEDs that are on opposite sides of the LED array to take advantage of the symmetric properties of the LED array or optical system. In other words, the LED array or the illumination profile of the LED array may be substantially symmetrical around a center or point of the LED array and each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs may include a group of LEDs on opposite sides of the center of the LED array.
At step 506, the method 500 measures the light output for each one of the plurality of different banks of LEDs. For example, a light intensity profile across the LED array may be obtained based upon the measured light output of each LED in the LED array.
At step 508, the method 500 determines if an adjustment is needed. For example, the measured light output may be averaged and the light output of each LED may be compared to the average to see if the light output of the LED is within a threshold level of the average. If the light output of the LED is within the threshold, then no adjustment may be needed and the method 500 may proceed to step 512.
However, if the difference of light output of the LED compared to the average light output of the LED array is above the threshold or greater than the threshold, then an adjustment may be needed. The step 508 may be repeated for each LED within the LED array.
If an adjustment is needed, the method 500 may proceed to step 510. At step 510, the method 500 may adjust the light output for one or more of the plurality of different banks of LEDs of the LED array to achieve a uniform LED light illumination profile at the sensor. For example, the ends of the LED array 102 may have a dramatic drop off in light intensity. As a result, a bank of the LED array that includes LEDs on both a left end and a right end of the LED array may be adjusted to increase the light intensity of the LEDs on the left end and the right end of the LED array. Notably, only a single bank is adjusted to change simultaneously the LEDs in a particular bank. In other words, each individual LED is not adjusted. In addition, the bank does not only include LEDs that are immediately adjacent to one another.
In one embodiment, the method 500 may adjust the light output for all LED banks that require an adjustment. The adjustment may be either an increase or a decrease.
The method 500 may then proceed to step 512. At step 512 the method 500 ends. In one embodiment, steps 502-512 may be run again for verification (or iteratively). Additionally, it may be possible to iterate between steps 506 and 510.
It should be noted that although not explicitly specified, one or more steps, functions, or operations of the method 500 described above may include a storing, displaying and/or outputting step as required for a particular application. In other words, any data, records, fields, and/or intermediate results discussed in the methods can be stored, displayed, and/or outputted to another device as required for a particular application. Furthermore, steps, functions, or operations in
As depicted in
It should be noted that the present disclosure can be implemented in software and/or in a combination of software and hardware, e.g., using application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a programmable logic array (PLA), including a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a state machine deployed on a hardware device, a computer or any other hardware equivalents, e.g., computer readable instructions pertaining to the method(s) discussed above can be used to configure a hardware processor to perform the steps, functions and/or operations of the above disclosed methods. In one embodiment, instructions and data for the present module or process 605 for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array (e.g., a software program comprising computer-executable instructions) can be loaded into memory 604 and executed by hardware processor element 602 to implement the steps, functions or operations as discussed above in connection with the exemplary method 500. Furthermore, when a hardware processor executes instructions to perform “operations,” this could include the hardware processor performing the operations directly and/or facilitating, directing, or cooperating with another hardware device or component (e.g., a co-processor and the like) to perform the operations.
The processor executing the computer readable or software instructions relating to the above described method(s) can be perceived as a programmed processor or a specialized processor. As such, the present module 605 for adjusting LED light uniformity in an LED array (including associated data structures) of the present disclosure can be stored on a tangible or physical (broadly non-transitory) computer-readable storage device or medium, e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, ROM memory, RAM memory, magnetic or optical drive, device or diskette and the like. More specifically, the computer-readable storage device may comprise any physical devices that provide the ability to store information such as data and/or instructions to be accessed by a processor or a computing device such as a computer or an application server.
It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.