Installation for increasing a scanning range of a scanner along an axial direction of a light source

Abstract

An installation for increasing the scanning range along the axial direction of the light source. The installation includes a light source and a transparent glass panel. The light source provides a light beam necessary for scanning a document. The transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near the mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end.

1. An installation on a scanner for increasing a scanning range along an axial direction of a light source, comprising:
 a light source having a light axis, wherein the light source provides a light beam necessary for scanning a document; and  
 a transparent glass panel for holding the document and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, wherein the transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis, wherein the coating is formed using a single layer of coating material but having a variable thickness across the transparent glass panel.  
 
     
     
       2. The installation of  claim 1 , wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on reflecting from the document. 
     
     
       3. The installation of  claim 1 , wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on passing through the document. 
     
     
       4. The installation of  claim 3 , wherein an additional second transparent glass panel is inserted between the document and the light source. 
     
     
       5. The installation of  claim 4 , wherein the second transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near the mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis. 
     
     
       6. The installation of  claim 5 , wherein the coating is formed using a plurality of coating materials, each having a different light transparency. 
     
     
       7. The installation of  claim 5 , wherein the coating is formed using a single layer of coating material but having a variable thickness across the transparent glass panel. 
     
     
       8. An installation on a scanner capable of increasing a scanning range along an axial direction of a light source, comprising:
 a light source having a light axis, wherein the light source provides a light beam necessary for scanning a document;  
 a transparent glass panel for holding the document and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on passing through the document; and  
 a second transparent sass panel is inserted between the document and the light source, wherein the second transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near the mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis, wherein the coating is formed using a single layer of coating material but having a variable thickness across the second transparent glass panel, and light from the light source is able to penetrate the panel and the document to form a scan image of the document.  
 
     
     
       9. The installation of  claim 8 , wherein the coating is formed using a plurality of coating materials each, having a different light transparency. 
     
     
       10. An installation on a scanner for increasing a scanning range along an axial direction of a light source, comprising:
 a light source having a light axis, wherein the light source provides a light beam necessary for scanning a document;  
 a transparent glass panel for holding the document and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on passing through the document, wherein the transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis; and  
 an additional second transparent glass panel is inserted between the document and the light source, wherein the second transparent glass panel has a coating thereon for lowering light transparency near the mid-portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis.  
 
     
     
       11. The installation of  claim 10 , wherein the coating is formed using a plurality of coating materials, each having a different light transparency. 
     
     
       12. The installation of  claim 10 , wherein the coating is formed using a single layer of coating material but having a variable thickness across the transparent glass panel. 
     
     
       13. A method for increasing a scanning range along an axial direction of a light source, comprising:
   providing a light beam via a light source having a light axis necessary for scanning a document; and        holding the document on a transparent glass panel and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, lowering light transparency near mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on the transparent glass panel, and the coating formed with a single layer of coating material but having a variable thickness across the transparent glass panel.     
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising forming the scan image by light from the light source reflecting from the document. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising forming the scan image by light from the light source passing through the document. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising inserting a second transparent glass panel between the document and the light source. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising lowering light transparency near mid- portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on the second transparent glass panel.   
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coating formed with two or more coating materials, each having a different light transparency. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coating formed with a layer of coating material having a variable thickness across the transparent glass panel. 
     
     
       20. An installation on a scanner to increase a scanning range along a light axis of a light source, comprising:
   a transparent panel capable of holding a document and permitting passage of light so that a scan image of the document can be obtained, wherein the transparent panel has a coating thereon capable of lowering light transparency near a mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis, wherein the coating comprises a single layer of coating material having a variable thickness across the transparent panel.     
     
     
       21. The installation of  claim 20 , further comprising a second transparent panel located between the document and the light source. 
     
     
       22. The installation of  claim 21 , further comprising a coating on the second transparent panel capable of lowering light transparency near mid- portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis.   
     
     
       23. The installation of  claim 22 , wherein the coating on the second transparent panel comprises two or more coating materials comprising different light transparencies. 
     
     
       24. The installation of  claim 22 , wherein the coating on the second transparent panel comprises a variable thickness across the second transparent glass panel. 
     
     
       25. A method to increase a scanning range along a light axis of a light source, comprising:
   holding a document on a transparent panel and permitting passage of light so that a scan image of the document can be obtained, lowering light transparency near a mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on the transparent panel comprising a single layer of coating material having a variable thickness across the transparent panel.     
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising lowering light transparency near mid- portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on a second transparent panel.   
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising lowering light transparency near mid- portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on a second transparent panel comprising two or more coating materials comprising different light transparencies.   
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising lowering light transparency near mid- portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on a second transparent panel comprising a variable thickness across the second transparent glass panel.   
     
     
       29. An installation on a scanner to increase a scanning range along a light axis of a light source, comprising:
   a transparent panel capable of holding a document and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on passing through the document, wherein the transparent panel has a coating thereon capable of lowering light transparency near mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis; and        an additional second transparent panel is located between the document and a light source, wherein the second transparent panel has a coating thereon capable of lowering light transparency near the mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis.     
     
     
       30. The installation of  claim 29 , wherein the coating of the transparent panel comprises a variable thickness across the transparent panel. 
     
     
       31. The installation of  claim 29 , wherein the coating of the second transparent panel comprises a variable thickness across the second transparent panel. 
     
     
       32. The installation of  claim 29 , wherein the coating of the second transparent panel comprises a decreased light transparency with respect to the coating of the transparent panel. 
     
     
       33. The installation of  claim 29 , wherein coating of the second transparent panel comprises a thickness different from a thickness of the coating of the transparent panel. 
     
     
       34. The installation of  claim 29 , wherein the coating of the second transparent panel comprises a first coating material and the coating of the transparent panel comprises a second coating material, wherein the first coating material and the second coating material have different light transparency properties. 
     
     
       35. A method to increase a scanning range along a light axis of a light source, comprising:
   holding a document on a transparent panel and permitting passage of light from the light source so that a scan image of the document can be ultimately obtained, wherein the scan image is formed by light provided by the light source on passing through the document, lowering light transparency near mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on the transparent panel; and        lowering light transparency near the mid - portion of the light axis relative to either end of the light axis via a coating on an additional second transparent panel located between the document and a light source.     
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said lowering light transparency via the coating of the transparent panel comprises lowering light transparency via the coating comprising a variable thickness across the transparent panel. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprises lowering light transparency via the coating comprising a variable thickness across the second transparent panel. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprises lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprising a decreased light transparency with respect to the coating of the transparent panel. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprises lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprising a thickness different from a thickness of the coating of the transparent panel. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 35 , wherein said lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprises lowering light transparency via the coating of the second transparent panel comprising a material with light transparency properties different from light transparency properties of the coating of the transparent panel.