Abstract: An image input device having a movable carriage is provided with an origin detection element that moves out of the path of the document when the document is inserted into the carriage. Because the origin detection element moves out of the path of the document, even long documents, such as, for example, long strips of film containing multiple frames, can be read by the image input device without increasing the size of the carriage or of the image input device. The origin detection element includes a tapered edge that functions as a contrast marker. When the edge is located in the path of the light between the illumination source and the image reading device, the edge can be used to cause the generation of a signal by the image reading device to enable the detection of the point of origin of the carriage in the secondary scanning direction and/or in the focusing direction.

Abstract: A color image scanner and color image scanning method that generates three different colors independently using multiple LEDs and controls the exposure time of a charge coupled device (CCD) and the light emitting time of the LEDs in order to maintain suitable balance and levels for the colors which are generated. A primary timer sets the operation time of the CCD and a secondary timer sets the ON time for each LED. In addition, an LED drive circuit driving the LEDs has two constant current circuits to more evenly read the images of the document to be scanned.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus for reading an image on film which uses a shading correction coefficient computation unit for obtaining a shading correction coefficient in order to correct irregularities in image signals of a photoelectric conversion unit, and a quantity of light ratio measurement unit for obtaining the ratio of the quantity of light of each emission color in order to equalize the quantity of light emitted by a light emission unit. The shading correction coefficient and the quantity of light ratio are obtained immediately before reading of a first original medium, and additional original mediums can then be read using the correction coefficients obtained for the first original. Alternately, the shading correction coefficient and the quantity of light ratio can be obtained immediately before reading each original medium.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an image sensing optical system including an image pickup element for converting an image to an electrical signal and a projection lens for projecting an image onto a photo-sensing plane of the image pickup element. The image sensing optical system is driven along an optical axis thereof while maintaining a relative positional relationship between the projection lens and the image pickup element to adjust the focal position. An apparatus may also comprise an image sensing optical system including an image pickup element for scanning an image to convert it to an electrical signal and a projection lens for projecting an image onto a photo-sensing plane of the image pickup element, a focus adjusting device for adjusting a focal position of the image sensing optical system and a detector for detecting an in-focus position of the image sensing optical system to the object.