Abstract: A circuit of a scanner to perform a color space conversion on an RGB signal. The circuit has several sampling-amplified-offset devices to sample, amplify and compensate potential of an R charge signal, a G charge signal and a B charge signal to obtain an R analog signal, a G analog signal and a B analog signal. The circuit further has a gain adder to multiply the corresponding weighted gain with the R analog signal, the G analog signal and the B analog signal. The multiplication results are then summed up to obtain an addition analog signal. A multiplexer is also included to select between the R analog signal, the G analog signal, the B analog signal and the addition analog signal for output.

Abstract: A foot sole massager includes a housing, a massager mechanism, far infrared devices, and a temperature controlled device; the housing has juxtaposed openings on an uppermost portion; the massager mechanism is positioned in the opening; the far infrared devices are positioned in the housing so as to face respective ones of the openings; the far infrared devices have elongate far infrared heaters perpendicular to a front side of the housing such that a user's feet will be parallel to the elongate far infrared heaters while the massager mechanism is being used; the temperature controlled device is positioned in the housing for detecting ambient temperature produced by the far infrared devices as well as limiting the temperature within a predetermined range; the temperature controlled device can stop power from being supplied to the far infrared devices as soon as the temperature increases to be higher than a maximum allowed value, thus preventing the massager mechanism from getting too hot.

Abstract: A method for reading sensor that stores data in numerous separate memory cells, such as 1-D linear sensor or 2-D sensor composed of some 1-D linear sensor. To read the sensor, initially receiving a parameter which is a positive integer N, then skipping some former memory cells, finally starting to read following memory cells behind the (N?1)th memory cell.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing exposing time of an image processing system is disclosed herein. The image processing system including a shift register coupled to a photo-sensing means, the photo-sensing device is used to convert an optical image from a lens to a plurality groups of charge to form an electrical signal. The apparatus includes control device (counter) and a reset gate. The control device generates the first reset signal and the second reset signal depending on whether the image processing system is in a first resolution mode or a second resolution mode. A first number of cells of the photo-sensing device are exposed to the light of the optical image during the first resolution mode, and a second number of cells of the photo-sensing device being exposed to the optical image during the second resolution mode. The first number of cells is greater than the second number of cells.

Abstract: An optical module with movable reflective mirrors is provided in the invention. The optical module, which is set in a scanner for the scanning of documents, comprises the following elements: a first carriage comprising a first reflective mirror, a lens and a photoelectric sensing device, wherein the first carriage moves along the scanning direction to scan the document to be scanned; a second carriage comprising a second reflective mirror, a lens and a photoelectric sensing device, wherein the second carriage can make relative movement corresponding to the first carriage along the scanning direction; and a third carriage comprising a third reflective mirror, a lens and an photoelectric sensing device, wherein the third carriage can make relative movement corresponding to the first carriage along the scanning direction.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus of the invention comprises a scanning module that is slidably mounted to a guiding structure, and a scanning platform where is placed a document sheet to be scanned. The guiding structure includes a first track portion and a second track portion that oppositely face the scanning platform. Thereby when the scanning module is located on the first track portion, it captures the image of the front side of the document sheet. When the scanning module is located on the second track portion, it captures the image of the reverse side of the document sheet.

Abstract: A CMOS light sensor and the operation method thereof are disclosed. The CMOS light sensor has a plurality of light sensing lines and a plurality of capacitor lines. Each light sensing line has a plurality of light sensors such that the number of capacitors in each capacitor line is smaller than the number of light sensing cells in each light sensing line. The capacitors are used for holding a portion of the potentials produced by the light sensing cells due to illumination. The method of operating the CMOS light sensor includes transferring the data captured by the light sensing line to the capacitor line and reading out the data according to a pre-defined order so that the leakage of charges from the capacitor is reduced.

Abstract: A method of resolving photoelectron coupling that results from the operation of a staggered charge-coupled device inside a scanner. The staggered charge-coupled device at least includes an optical sensor group comprising of an optical sensor array and a neighboring optical sensor array for scanning pixels. The method includes the step of: recording the quantity of photoelectrons transferred between a first quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array and a second quantity of photoelectrons captured by the neighboring optical sensor array during a scanning time interval t. Thereafter, the quantity of transferred photoelectrons is subtracted from the first quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array to obtain the correct quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array during the scanning time interval t. Using the corrected value, accurate brightness value of the pixels scanned by the optical sensor array is obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus of linear staggered sensors. The scan comprises a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is laterally offset from the second sensor, the sensors comprises a plurality of charge coupled devices, wherein the each of charge coupled device comprises a photosensitive zones and a non-photosensitive zones, the charge coupled devices of the sensors are linear arrangement; and the first sensor is abutting with the second sensor, wherein the first sensor is abutting place with the second sensor is the non-photosensitive zones.

Abstract: A method of image sampling and an apparatus thereof. The apparatus comprises: an adder; a first register, the output of which is fed back to the adder; a first multiplexer, which outputs a ratio or a weighted parameter; a multiplier, which receives an input image value and the output of the first multiplexer; an adder/subtracter, which receives the output of the multiplier; a second multiplexer, which receives the output of the adder/subtracter and the multiplier; and a second register, which receives the output of the second multiplexer. By the method of approximation and recursion, the input image data can be processed in real time to produce the output image data.

Abstract: A stepping motor controlling device and method are provided. The controlling device comprises a control circuit and a serial in-parallel out interface. The control circuit includes a motor controlling signal generator and a parallel in-serial out interface. The motor controlling signal generator generates a set of controlling signals in parallel and via the parallel in-serial out interface sends the set of controlling signals to the serial in-parallel out interface. The serial in-parallel out interface receives the set of control signals in sequence and then outputs them in parallel to a stepping motor driver for driving a stepping motor to a predetermined step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clock control method for preventing the charge couple device from saturation. The charge couple device comprises a shift register, a last stage register and a pixel processing circuit. The clock control method for preventing the charge couple device from saturation is able to reduce the charge voltage sent to the last stage register from the shift register by controlling the signal transmission clock of the last stage register and the operating period of the reset clock of the pixel processing circuit, so as to prevent the saturation situation of the charge couple device from occurring. Moreover, better image quality is obtained by the proper clock control.

Abstract: A method of resolving photoelectron coupling that results from the operation of a staggered charge-coupled device inside a scanner. The staggered charge-coupled device at least includes an optical sensor group comprising of an optical sensor array and a neighboring optical sensor array for scanning pixels. The method includes the step of: recording the quantity of photoelectrons transferred between a first quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array and a second quantity of photoelectrons captured by the neighboring optical sensor array during a scanning time interval t. Thereafter, the quantity of transferred photoelectrons is subtracted from the first quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array to obtain the correct quantity of photoelectrons captured by the optical sensor array during the scanning time interval t. Using the corrected value, accurate brightness value of the pixels scanned by the optical sensor array is obtained.

Abstract: A utilization of a defective memory device in an image processing system is provided. The present invention provides three methods for utilizing the defective memory device to serve as an image data storage device. A first method is selecting at least a block of functional memory cells to store image data. A second method is using functional memory cells to store image data while skipping through defective memory cells in accordance with a mapping table of the defective memory cells and their positions in the memory array. A third method is using the defective memory device to store image data and then re-estimating image value of a pixel corresponding to each defective memory cell by an interpolation technique.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling a stepping motor are provided. The apparatus comprises a control circuit and a driving device. The control circuit is used to receive a set of input signals in digital form and output an analog signal with a predetermined voltage level equivalent to the set of the input signals in digital form. The driving device with a power source receives the analog signal to serve as a reference voltage and provides a driving current to a stepping motor. The driving current is determined by the analog signal.

Abstract: A circuit of a scanner to perform a color space conversion on an RGB signal. The circuit has several sampling-amplified-offset devices to sample, amplify and compensate potential of an R charge signal, a G charge signal and a B charge signal to obtain an R analog signal, a G analog signal and a B analog signal. The circuit further has a gain adder to multiply the corresponding weighted gain with the R analog signal, the G analog signal and the B analog signal. The multiplication results are then summed up to obtain an addition analog signal. A multiplexer is also included to select between the R analog signal, the G analog signal, the B analog signal and the addition analog signal for output.

Abstract: The present invention improves the contrast of the image signal before further adjustment by the principle of superposition of the optical-transferring system. There are two ways to carry out the principle of superposition one is in space domain, the other is in frequency domain. Each of them can be implemented by the system or method of the present invention. To implement the compensation in space domain, the present invention utilize the result of scanning the correction board to compensate the optical energy scattered by the optical-transferring system. A pixel in object space can be expressed in terms of the linear combination of the corresponding pixels in image space according to the principle of superposition. Thus is obtained by extracting the coefficients of the linear combination. The pixels of desired picture in image space is multiplied by the compensation vector and the image with sharp contrast is produced by the present invention in space domain.

Abstract: A scanning method for adjusting Y-axis modulation transfer function, suitable for use in a scanner. The scanner performs at least one stepping movement between two neighboring pixels. Each stepping movement requires a shifting time to move the chasis to a fixed position. The scanning method thus generate a shutter signal which lasts a shutter time after the surge of a transmission gate signal is generated.

Abstract: An output method of different color channels of a balanced color sensor, suitable for being applied to a color sensor comprising several color channels. Transmission gate signals within the same section of a phase signal corresponding to the above color channels are generated within different periods of time. In addition, the output times of these color channels can have a same midpoint, and shutter activation times with different lengths.