Abstract: A white reference image is inputted to an image sensor so as to output groups of analog data. The groups of analog data are converted by a processing unit into those groups of digital data the number of which is smaller than that of photosensor elements of the image sensor. The lowest density value of the groups or digital data is inspected, an operating environment is set so that the lowest density value of the groups of digital data may become a density value within a predetermined range. An optical system, a drive unit and the processing unit are controlled under the operating environment so as to output from the processing unit, image data which express a subject image inputted to the image sensor.

Abstract: A composite image forming system includes a color reduction unit, operable to form a background image which is a raster image by reducing a color gamut of a user image which is a raster image and is stored in a recording medium; an order form printing control unit, operable to cause a printing unit to print a figurative element which indicates a rectangular handwriting region whose long side is parallel to a long side of a paper, and an order form in which the background image is allocated to the handwriting region in a position in which a row or a column is parallel to the long side of the handwriting region; a scanning control unit, operable to cause a scanning unit to read an image in a region corresponding to the handwriting region from an order sheet on which a user has handwritten the figurative element in the handwriting region of the order form; a synthesizing unit, operable to form a composite image which is a raster image by using a color gamut of the background image to divide a handwritten element

Abstract: An image processing system comprising: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a scanned image; a non-voltage storage medium that stores correction information corresponding to a known object having a three-dimensional shape defined by the standard; when an object of the scanned image is the known object, a correction unit that corrects a shadow area of the scanned image corresponding to a shadow resulting from thickness of the known object, on the basis of the correction information.

Abstract: An image forming system is provided and includes an access unit, a reductive color processing unit, an order sheet print control unit, a composition unit, and a composite print control unit. The access unit accesses a user image stored in a recording medium, the processing unit forms a background image by reducing a color gamut of the user image, and the order sheet print control unit causes a printer unit to create an order sheet on which the background image is printed in a free rendering area. Also, the composition unit separates an area of a subject recorded by a user in the free rendering area from an image of the free rendering area read by a scan unit based on a color gamut of the background image and superimposing the area of the subject on the user image to thereby form a composite image. Finally, the composite print control unit causes the printer unit to print the composite image. A method that the system performs is also provided.

Abstract: An image processing system is provided and includes a first receiving unit, a print control unit, a second receiving unit, a read control unit, and a composition unit. The first receiving unit receives an order-sheet request, and the print control unit causes a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request. The second receiving unit receives a scan request, and the read control unit causes an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request. Also, the composition unit composites an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images. A method that the system performs is also provided.

Abstract: A photographic image region extracting apparatus includes: a scanner portion that emits a light to a photographic sheet on which a photographic image is fixed to read a light reflected from the photographic sheet, and outputs image data including the photographic sheet; a photographic sheet extracting portion that extracts a region of the photographic sheet based on the image data output from the scanner; a margin deciding portion that decides presence of a margin around the photographic image based on image data of the photographic sheet region extracted by the photographic sheet extracting portion; and a photographic image extracting portion that specifies a region the photographic image based on a result of the decision of the margin deciding portion and outputs the specified region of the photographic image.

Abstract: An image processing system has an image acquisition unit for acquiring a scanned image, a first scan area specifying unit for specifying a first scan area corresponding to an object on the basis of the scanned image, a recognizing unit for recognizing that the first scanned area object is a known object, and a second scan area specifying unit for specifying a second scan area obtained by removing from the first scan area at least a part of a shadow area presumed to correspond to a shadow of the known object. The system makes it possible to eliminate from a copy of an object with thickness such as a CD or a book the shadow cast by the object when it is illuminated by a scanner in the copying process.

Abstract: An image processing system, comprising: first receiving unit that receives an order-sheet request; print control unit that causes a printer portion to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request; second receiving unit that receives a scan request; read control unit that causes an image pickup portion to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request; and composition unit that composites an image of the free rendering area read by the image pickup portion in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images.

Abstract: When a memory card is placed in a printer, a service layer requests a file list manager to create an image information list. When the memory card is removed, the service layer requests the file list manager to discard the image information list. When image data is written onto the memory card by a host computer PC or a scanner function of the printer, when a print command is issued, the service layer requests the file list manager to update the list. When the image data is changed by the scanner, the list is updated; when the image data is changed by the host computer PC, the list is maintained.

Abstract: A white reference image is inputted to an image sensor so as to output groups of analog data. The groups of analog data are converted by a processing unit into those groups of digital data the number of which is smaller than that of photosensor elements of the image sensor. The lowest density value of the groups or digital data is inspected, an operating environment is set so that the lowest density value of the groups of digital data may become a density value within a predetermined range. An optical system, a drive unit and the processing unit are controlled under the operating environment so as to output from the processing unit, image data which express a subject image inputted to the image sensor.