Abstract: To accurately discriminate a dot region within an image, the image processing apparatus includes first through fourth isolated dot discriminating portions each judging, for each of a plurality of pixels included in the image, whether the pixel corresponds to a center pixel of an isolated dot, an isolated dot size determining portion detecting an isolated dot size, a dot region discriminating portion judging whether a target pixel is included in a dot region based on a position of the pixel judged as being the center pixel of the isolated dot, and a dot region determining portion determining the dot region based on a position of the target pixel judged as being included in the dot region and the detected isolated dot size.

Abstract: A background pattern image combining apparatus for combining a background pattern image with an input image is provided. The background pattern image includes a plurality of first isolated points having a size that can be read by an image reader and a plurality of second isolated points having a size that cannot be read by the image reader. The background pattern image combining apparatus includes a detector that detects, in the input image, a specific area which is an area having a specific state, and a combining portion that combines the background pattern image with the input image by placing not the plurality of first isolated points but the plurality of second isolated points in the specific area, and, by placing the plurality of first isolated points and the plurality of second isolated points in an area other than the specific area.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a specific pattern detecting unit which detects a background pattern representing additional information from inputted original document image data; an information detecting unit which extracts the additional information represented by the background pattern which is detected by the specific pattern detecting unit; an erase processing unit which erases a prescribed region of the original document image and outputs erase-processed document image data; a re-embedding background pattern generating unit which generates a re-embedding background pattern representing the additional information extracted by the information detecting unit; a background pattern composition processing unit which embeds the re-embedding background pattern into the erase-processed document image data and outputs re-embedded document image data; and a processor which controls the units mentioned above.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing the three data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the three data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing a plurality of data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the plurality of data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data and also has at least a predetermined value in saturation.

Abstract: In order to enhance the quality of image after removing a noise from image data obtained by scanning an original document, an MFP is provided with a scanning portion to obtain the image data by scanning the original document, a noise detection processing portion to detect a noise from the obtained image data, a dot region detecting portion to detect a region of dots from the obtained image data, and a copy correction processing portion to substitute a noise region with a substitution region that is located in the vicinity of the noise region and that is of the same size as the noise region if a region in the vicinity of the noise region including the noise detected by the noise detection processing portion is included in the region of dots detected by the dot region detecting portion.

Abstract: To accurately discriminate a dot region within an image, the image processing apparatus includes first through fourth isolated dot discriminating portions each judging, for each of a plurality of pixels included in the image, whether the pixel corresponds to a center pixel of an isolated dot, an isolated dot size determining portion detecting an isolated dot size, a dot region discriminating portion judging whether a target pixel is included in a dot region based on a position of the pixel judged as being the center pixel of the isolated dot, and a dot region determining portion determining the dot region based on a position of the target pixel judged as being included in the dot region and the detected isolated dot size.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes, with the purpose of accurately correcting noise in an image due to dust on a platen, three line sensors spaced from each other in a sub scanning direction to scan an original in the sub scanning direction, a platen between the original and the three line sensors, a moving mechanism for moving the platen, a noise detection processor detecting a noise pixels from each of multiple data output from the three line sensors, a selector selecting one of a plurality of search ranges defined with reference to the noise pixel, and a corrector extracting a reference pixel for correcting the noise pixel from the selected search range to correct the noise pixel based on the value of the extracted reference pixel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel microtubule-disrupting agent, and also provides a use of the microtubule-disrupting agent. A microtubule-disrupting agent containing an ?,?-unsaturated carbonyl compound as an active ingredient is provided. Further, a cancer cell proliferation inhibitor containing the microtubule-disrupting agent is also provided. As the ?,?-unsaturated carbonyl compound, 6-shogaol is preferably used.

Abstract: To accurately discriminate a dot region within an image, the image processing apparatus includes first through fourth isolated dot discriminating portions each judging, for each of a plurality of pixels included in the image, whether the pixel corresponds to a center pixel of an isolated dot, an isolated dot size determining portion detecting an isolated dot size, a dot region discriminating portion judging whether a target pixel is included in a dot region based on a position of the pixel judged as being the center pixel of the isolated dot, and a dot region determining portion determining the dot region based on a position of the target pixel judged as being included in the dot region and the detected isolated dot size.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the invention specifies, in a scanned image of an original, a first region including a specific form pattern (a two-dimensional bar-code pattern or the like) with the digital information embedded therein and a second region not including the specific form pattern to apply the image processing to the scanned image. More particularly, the image processing apparatus applies different processing to the first region and the second region, respectively. For example, a working degree to the first region is made smaller than a working degree to the second region to apply the specific image working processing to both the regions.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes, with the purpose of detecting with improved precision noise generated due to dust on a platen, three line sensors spaced from each other in a sub scanning direction to scan an original in the sub scanning direction, the platen between the original and the three line sensors, a moving mechanism for moving the platen at a rate relative to the line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the line sensors, an interline corrector synchronizing three data output from the three line sensors to be values of pixels reading a single location on the original, and a noise detector receiving these data synchronized by the interline corrector that are provided successively line by line, and the noise detector includes an isolated noise determiner determining that an isolated point of a chromatic color is a noise pixel.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus moves a copyboard provided between an original document and three line sensors and the three line sensors relatively to each other at a speed different from the speed of conveying an original document. An in-line correction portion allows three data output by three line sensors to be synchronized so that a foreign object on the copyboard appears at different positions of the original document in chromatic color. A foreign object position detection portion detects a position on the copyboard of a foreign object before an original document is conveyed, and a color determination portion decides a determination pixel for use in determination from a plurality of pixels included in each of scanned data obtained while the original document is conveyed, based on the position of the foreign object, and determines whether the original document is color or black-and-white based on the determination pixel.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes, with the purpose of accurately correcting noise in an image due to dust on a platen, three line sensors spaced from each other in a sub scanning direction to scan an original in the sub scanning direction, a platen between the original and the three line sensors, a moving mechanism for moving the platen, a noise detection processor detecting a noise pixel from each of multiple data output from the three line sensors, a second pixel extractor extracting a second pixel present in first data for correcting the noise pixel, based on a value of a first pixel present in second data different from the first data and corresponding to the same location on the original as the noise pixel, and a corrector correcting the noise pixel based on the extracted second pixel.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing the three data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the three data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing a plurality of data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the plurality of data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data and also has at least a predetermined value in saturation.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a first detector detecting a noise pixel based on a plurality of data output from the three line sensors; and a second detector detecting a subsequent noise pixel based on the noise pixel detected with the first detector.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a first lightness difference detector extracting a first feature pixel of a first level from each of three data output from the three line sensors; a second lightness difference detector extracting a second feature pixel of a second level; and NOR and AND devices comparing the three data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the first feature pixel extracted from one of the three data, as a noise pixel if the second feature pixel is not extracted from the other data.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors having filters, respectively, different in spectral sensitivity, and arranged in a subscanning direction with a distance therebetween to scan an original in the subscanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a noise pixel detection processor detecting a noise pixel from each of the three data output from the three line sensors; a color detector detecting a color of each noise pixel from the three data; and a determiner validating a result of detection by the noise pixel detection processor when a color of the noise pixel and that of a pixel neighboring the noise pixel form a predetermined combination.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing the three data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the three data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data.