Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for reducing the memory requirement for offset and gain calibration to relieve the size/performance bottleneck in scanner systems. The resulting methodology produces visually equivalent scanned results with a substantial increase in performance, which results in a shorter amount of time required to output a first copy in, for example, an all-in-one device. Since the calibration step is often the bottleneck in scanner performance, this method noticeably speeds up scan and copy time. Implementing the decompression in hardware requires a minimal amount of hardware overhead and complexity. Thus, this method has a minimal impact on the size and cost of the scanner controller (e.g., an ASIC—application specific integrated circuit). Since compression only takes place at most once per scan, this added step has no significant impact on the overall scan time.

Abstract: A method of transforming a n-bit data packet to a m-bit data packet with a lookup table. The lookup table includes at least one entry data packet and at least one respective delta value associated with each entry data packet. The method includes the acts of receiving an input data packet having n-bits, indexing the lookup table with at least a portion of the input data packet to obtain one of the at least one entry data packet, and decompressing the obtained entry data packet with the at least one respective delta value associated with the obtained entry data packet, thereby resulting in an output data packet having m-bits. The decompressing act includes using a portion of the input data packet to determine the number of delta values called for decompressing the obtained entry data packet. The method can be used in, for example, an image processor.

Abstract: A scanner includes a scan bar, a first scan-bar homing reference, a second scan-bar homing reference and an image placement area. The scan bar is movable along a subscan axis. The second scan-bar homing reference is spaced apart along the subscan axis from the first scan-bar homing reference. The image placement area is located between the first and second scan-bar homing references. A broad method uses the scanner. One step includes performing a prescan or an image scan of an image by moving the scan bar along the subscan axis from the first scan-bar homing reference in relation to the image. Another step includes performing a prescan or an image scan of the image or of an additional image by moving the scan bar along the subscan axis from the second scan-bar homing reference in relation to the image or the additional image.