CCD scanner powered by a serial bus

Abstract

A scanner has a scanning module for generating image data by way of scanning a document, a motor for driving the scanning module, and a control circuit electrically connected to the scanning module and the motor for controlling operations of the scanner. The scanning module has a light source for illuminating the document and a charge coupled device (CCD) for detecting reflected light from the document so as to generate the image data. The scanner is powered only by a serial bus.

1. A scanner comprising:
 a scanning module for generating image data by way of scanning a document, the scanning module comprising: 
 a light source for illuminating the document; and  
 a charge coupled device (CCD) for detecting light reflected from the document so as to generate the image data;  
 a motor for driving the scanning module; and  
 a control circuit electrically connected to the scanning module and the motor for controlling operations of the scanner;  
 wherein the scanner is only powered by a serial bus, the control circuit turns off the motor when the light source illuminates the document, and the control circuit turns off the light source when the motor drives the scanning module.  
 
 
     
     
       2. The scanner of  claim 1  further comprising a timer for generating a clock signal, wherein the control circuit switches power of the serial bus between the light source and the motor periodically according to the clock signal. 
     
     
       3. A  The scanner of  claim 1  wherein the light source is a cathode ray tube. 
     
     
       4. The scanner of  claim 1  wherein the light source is a light emitting diode tube (LED tube) which has at least a light emitting diode (LED) for radiating light. 
     
     
       5. The scanner of  claim 4  wherein the LED radiates white light for illuminating the document, and the charge coupled device detects the light reflected from the document to generate the image data when the white light illuminates the document. 
     
     
       6. The scanner of  claim 4  further comprising a spotlight device for focusing light radiated from the LED tube on the document. 
     
     
       7. The scanner of  claim 1  wherein when the LED tube illuminates the document, the charge coupled device detects three beams reflected from the document simultaneously. 
     
     
       8. The scanner of  claim 7  wherein the three beams are a red beam, a green beam, and a blue beam, and the charge coupled device has a first photo sensor, a second photo sensor, and a third photo sensor for detecting the red beam, the green beam, and the blue beam, respectively, to generate corresponding image data. 
     
     
       9. The scanner of  claim 1  wherein when the LED tube illuminates the document, the charge coupled device detects three beams reflected from the document sequentially. 
     
     
       10. The scanner of  claim 9  wherein the three beams are a red beam, a green beam, and a blue beam, the charge coupled device has a first photo sensor, a second photo sensor, and a third photo sensor, and the control circuit controls the first photo sensor, the second photo sensor, and the third photo sensor by turns, so that the first photo sensor detects the red beam, the second photo sensor detects the green beam, and the third photo sensor detects the blue beam, so as to generate corresponding image data. 
     
     
       11. The scanner of  claim 1  wherein the scanner is electrically connected to a computer via the serial bus. 
     
     
       12. The scanner of  claim 1  wherein the serial bus uses a universal serial bus (USB) architecture or an IEEE 1394 architecture. 
     
     
       13. A scanner comprising:
   a scanning module having a light source and a sensor disposed thereon;        a motor adapted to drive the scanning module; and        a control circuit electrically coupled to the scanning module and the motor, wherein the light source, the sensor, the motor and the control circuit are powered by a serial bus, and the control circuit is adapted to toggle power between the motor and the light source during a scanning operation.     
     
     
       14. The scanner of  claim 13 , further comprising a timer for generating a clock signal, wherein the control circuit is adapted to toggle power between the motor and the light source according to the clock signal. 
     
     
       15. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the light source comprises a cathode ray tube. 
     
     
       16. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes ( LED ). 
     
     
       17. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor comprises a charge coupled device ( CCD ). 
     
     
       18. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the serial bus complies with one of a universal serial bus ( USB )  architecture or IEEE  1394  architecture.   
     
     
       19. A scanner comprising:
   a scanning module having a light source and a sensor disposed thereon;        a motor adapted to drive the scanning module; and        a control circuit electrically coupled to the scanning module and the motor, and the control circuit is adapted to toggle power between the motor and the light source during a scanning operation.     
     
     
       20. The scanner of  claim 19 , further comprising a timer for generating a clock signal, wherein the control circuit is adapted to toggle power between the motor and the light source according to the clock signal. 
     
     
       21. The scanner of  claim 19 , wherein the light source comprises a cathode ray tube. 
     
     
       22. The scanner of  claim 19 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes ( LED ). 
     
     
       23. The scanner of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor comprises a charge coupled device ( CCD ). 
     
     
       24. A method, comprising:
   synchronously altering the power provided to a motor and a light source of a scanning module, wherein the altering comprises reducing power to one of the motor and the light source while increasing power to the other one of the motor and the light source substantially in accordance with a clock signal.     
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the altering comprises toggling the power between the motor and the light source. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the altering comprises reducing power to the motor while the power to the light source is cycled on. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the altering is substantially performed by a control circuit electrically coupled to the scanning module and the motor. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the light source comprises a cathode ray tube. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes ( LED ). 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the power is provided to a motor and a light source by use of a serial bus. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the serial bus complies with one of a universal serial bus ( USB )  architecture or IEEE  1394  architecture.