Scanning Patents (Class 358/505)
  • Publication number: 20130003147
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image scanner and an image forming apparatus equipped with the image scanner, and more particularly to a technique of detecting that dew condensation occurs on a transparent member for placing a document thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Akira Shimatani
  • Publication number: 20130003148
    Abstract: A image reading device comprises a reading part for reading a document, a storage part including shared space, and an operation part for accepting input of identification information when the device is in a logged-out state, entering a logged-in state when a user is successfully certified, accepting settings input and function execution input when the logged-in state is in effect, and entering the logged-out state when predetermined conditions are met, the operation part including a scanning START key for accepting instructions to perform scanning using the reading part. When the scanning START key is pressed while the device is in the logged-out state, the reading part reads a document and forms image data, and the storage part stores the image data formed by logged-out scanning in the shared space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventor: Mamoru KANI
  • Patent number: 8345926
    Abstract: A three dimensional machine scanning arrangement for a machine traveling over a worksite includes a pair of scanners that are mounted on the machine. Each of the pair of scanners measures distances to a number of points on the ground at the worksite. One of the pair of scanners faces rearward and the other of the pair of scanners is faces forward. A control is responsive to the pair of scanners. The control determines the contour of the worksite. A display, mounted on the machine, is responsive to the control for displaying the contour of the worksite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Cameron Bruce Clark, Ian Timothy Viney
  • Patent number: 8345331
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an image reading apparatus. In the apparatus, reading an original by irradiating it with light of three primary colors, respectively, and by receiving the reflected light is performed as follows. More specifically, an operation mode is designated, and conditions used to perform image reading are set in accordance with the designated mode. Under the set conditions, the image reading is performed according to a method of irradiating an original sequentially with beams of the three primary colors and reading the beams reflected by the original. Alternatively, under the set conditions, image reading is performed according to a method of irradiating an original simultaneously with beams of two primary colors in each of three different combinations of the three primary colors and reading the beams reflected by the original. Instead, image reading is executed twice according to these two methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Ikeda, Takashi Nakamura, Fumihiro Goto, Akitoshi Yamada, Hidetsugu Kagawa
  • Patent number: 8345330
    Abstract: In reading an image of a document in a monochromatic document reading mode, a document reading apparatus reads the image of the document while conveying the document at a speed determined according to a variable magnification ratio, executes digital variable magnification on the read multivalued image in a main scanning direction by using a main scanning direction variable magnification unit, binarizes the multivalued image, and stores the binary image on a memory. In reading an image in a color document reading mode, the document reading apparatus reads the image of the document while conveying the document at a predetermined speed, stores the read multivalued image on the memory, and executes digital variable magnification on the multivalued image in the main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Kanno, Nobuo Sekiguchi, Shigemichi Hamano, Kenji Morita, Youhei Kattou, Satoshi Seki, Akira Morisawa
  • Patent number: 8345323
    Abstract: Provided is a fast image reading lens system capable of achieving compactness and satisfactorily correcting various aberrations. The image reading lens system includes, in order from an object side: a positive first lens of which a convex surface faces toward the object side; a second lens formed as a biconcave lens; a third lens formed as a biconvex lens; a positive fourth lens of which a convex surface faces toward an image side; and a negative fifth lens of which a convex surface faces toward the image side. Assuming that a focal length of the whole lens system is f, a focal length of the fourth lens is f4, and a space between an image side surface of the fourth lens and an object side surface of the fifth lens on an optical axis is D8, the lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions: 0.06<D8/f<0.16, and 0.77<f4/f<1.81.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoko Otomo
  • Patent number: 8345327
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, which reads an image on an original, including: a light source extending along a main scanning direction to illuminate the original; a plurality of line sensors configured to receive light reflected from the original and to output light intensity signals; a storage unit configured to store reference data; and a determination unit configured to obtain determination data regarding hue based on a light intensity signal output from one of the plurality of line sensors that receive light reflected from a reflective reference member illuminated by the light source and a light intensity signal output from another of the plurality of line sensors that receive light reflected from the reflective reference member illuminated by the light source and to determine a hue balance of the light source based on the determination data and the reference data stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Mikami
  • Patent number: 8346023
    Abstract: A computer peripheral apparatus (CPA) provided for connecting to a computer. The CPA includes a CPA processor to execute a CPA program to independently and directly carry out a document processing function without receiving an instruction from a computer. In an exemplary embodiment, the CPA includes a scanner for scanning a document and the CPA processor executes a optical character recognition (OCR) program to directly recognize characters included in the document scanned by the scanner. In another exemplary embodiment, the characters recognized by the OCR program further include instructions for instructing the CPA processor to execute a subsequent program to process the document scanned by the scanner. In another exemplary embodiment, the characters recognized by the OCR program further includes instructions for instructing the CPA processor to send a facsimile of the document scanned by the scanner to a facsimile destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Bo-In Lin
  • Publication number: 20120327486
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a document scanning method, a document scanning device and a portable electronic device. The document scanning method comprises capturing a plurality of images of a plurality of blocks of a document by an image capturing device; adjusting characteristics of the plurality of images according to distances between the image capturing device and the plurality of blocks when the image capturing device is capturing the plurality of images, to generate a plurality of adjusted images; determining a plurality of characteristic points of each of the plurality of adjusted images and a plurality of characteristic vectors corresponding to the plurality of characteristic points; and combining the plurality of adjusted images according to the plurality of characteristic vectors corresponding to the plurality of characteristic points of each of the plurality of adjusted images, to generate a scanning result of the document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Chang-Ming Lee, Kai-Chen Lin, Chien-An Chen
  • Patent number: 8339685
    Abstract: The image reading apparatus is provided with: a manuscript table on which a manuscript is placed; a reflection mirror that moves relative to the manuscript table, and that reflects light which is emitted to and then reflected by the manuscript placed on the manuscript table; an image data generating unit that includes plural light receiving pixels receiving the light reflected by the reflection mirror, and that generates image data on the basis of the light received by the plural light receiving pixels; and a positional information acquiring unit that acquires the image data generated by the image data generating unit with movement of the reflection mirror, and that acquires, on the basis of a density value of each pixel in the image data, information on a position of a pixel affected by an adhesion substance adhering to the reflection mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiko Shiraishi, Kosuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8339674
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for compensating for spatial non-uniformities in a printer by deriving a true spatial non-uniformity tone response curve (TRC) that characterizes the printer in terms of color output variation for each addressable pixel location in a spatial range. The “true average” tone response curve is determined for a color channel. A prediction of the true response as a function of the spatial location is derived by printing and scanning a specially designed halftone-independent target of binary patterns. The predicted tone response curve for each color channel and halftone is predicted using a binary printer model, wherein the “predicted tone response curve” provides a model based approximation of the actual response for each addressable pixel location in the spatial range. Also stored is an “average predicted tone response” by averaging the “predicted tone response curve” over the spatial range of the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Vishal Monga, Shen-Ge Wang, Raja Bala
  • Patent number: 8335024
    Abstract: An image scanning method of an image scanning device, the method including: feeding multiply fed documents in a first path and scanning, by a scanning unit of the image scanning device, a first document of the multiply fed documents; outputting the first document through an exit unit; reversely driving the exit unit after the first document is output to reversely feed a second document of the multiply fed documents in a second path, and scanning the second document; and forming images of the first document and the second document, wherein the second path is used to reversely feed the second document to an upstream side of the scanning unit, in view of a feeding direction of the multiply fed documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-sang Kwon, Jae-In Lee
  • Patent number: 8335025
    Abstract: A contact image scanner comprises a light source, pixel sensors generating a signal, a lens focusing reflected light onto the pixel sensors, a color matrix filter filtering the reflected light, and a signal processing circuit generating a digital image. The method provides pixel sensors for generating a signal in response to incident light, projects light from a light source onto a document in a sequential fashion, reflects the light onto the pixel sensors, filters the reflected light with a color matrix filter, and processes the signal to generate the digital image. With the method and apparatus, each scan line of the document is illuminated with white light only once. The pixel sensors corresponding to red, green, and blue colors of each pixel of the scan line read the pixel of the scan line substantially at the same time in a substantially overlapping manner in a scan line direction without overlapping in an orthogonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Michael King, Mark Eric Miller
  • Patent number: 8334998
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus acquires communication setting information for communicating with an image processing apparatus by a second communication unit via a first communication unit. In accordance with the acquired communication setting information, communication by the second communication unit is established to execute, via the second communication unit, an image processing service provided by the image processing apparatus. When establishment of communication is detected, an operation window display request for executing the image processing service is transmitted via the second communication unit. The image processing apparatus receives the operation window display request from the information processing apparatus via the second communication unit. In accordance with the received operation window display request, an operation window for executing the image processing service is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8335026
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that reads an original and forms an image of the original that has been read, a skew amount of the original is calculated when the original has been read and a shift amount of each color of image data in image formation is obtained from a storage unit. A color shift correction amount for correcting color shift in an output image is calculated based on the calculated skew amount and the stored shift amount of each color, and the color shift is corrected based on that color shift correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mizuki Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8325393
    Abstract: Provided is a method for automatically determining an error of a user operation or a calorimeter caused when the calorimeter is manually slid to measure the colors of color patches on a row-by-row basis. Also provided is a method capable of determining an error or a scanning direction using a feature value obtained from the calorimetric values without using fixed reference and threshold values for each patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8325394
    Abstract: A system and method of scanner characterization is provided which establishes an accurate relationship between a scanner's device-dependent (scanner) color space and a device-independent colorimetric space. A hierarchical subdivision of device-dependent color space into sub-regions is performed. The sub-regions are defined by cutting planes dividing patch color values in device-dependent color space perpendicular to principal axes. A color transformation matrix is then generated establishing the relationship between the scanner device-dependent color space and the device-independent color space for each sub-region of device-dependent color space using the patch color values and a weighting function for each matrix. Each weighting function gives a weight to each patch color value which is a function of the location of the patch color value with respect to the cutting planes defining the sub-region containing the patch color value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: R. Victor Klassen, Stephen C. Morgana
  • Patent number: 8320007
    Abstract: An image scanner device connected to a general information processing apparatus can be used on a network at a low cost, and further, the firmware of hardware for this purpose can be a maintenance-free firmware, thus user's convenience can be improved. A scanner/network connection apparatus 100 to connect a scanner 200 to a network 300 has an LCD server to drive a LCD as a display unit, a touch panel task to transmit a touch position on a touch panel, and a SCSI server to connect the scanner 200 to the network. A PC 500 to control the scanner has a virtual LCD driver, a virtual touch panel driver, and a virtual SCSI driver, operating to provide an environment as if the LCD, the touch panel and the image scanner of the scanner/network connection apparatus 100 are connected to the PC 500. The virtual LCD driver draws a screen image as a user interface for various operations, and the result of drawing is displayed on the LCD of the scanner/network connection apparatus 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Fujita, Hirokazu Higuchi, Minoru Okawara, Nozomi Masao, Hiroshi Komuro
  • Patent number: 8320009
    Abstract: A disclosed image formation apparatus includes: an operation unit allowing input of reading conditions of image data; an input unit reading the image data in accordance with the reading conditions input via the operation unit; a first storage unit storing the image data read by the input unit; a second storage unit storing correspondence relation between the reading conditions and predicted data amount of the image data to be stored in the first storage unit; a data amount prediction unit predicting data amount of the image data to be read based on the reading conditions and the correspondence relation stored in the second storage unit; and a judgment unit judging whether to perform reading of the image data based on the predicted data amount and an available capacity of the first storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miki Kouchi, Rie Nakamura, Yoshinori Furuichi, Daisuke Noguchi, Tetsuo Asakawa, Akihiro Kakoi
  • Patent number: 8314977
    Abstract: A turning-on control unit causes a turning-on unit to apply to a light source an initial voltage when turning on the light source and to apply a rated voltage after the light source has been turned on. The initial voltage is higher than the rated voltage. An image-signal control unit controls analog signals to be input to an analog signal processing unit from a turn-on time point that is a time point at which the light source is turned on until a stabilization time point that is a time point at which output of the light source is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Inadome, Noriaki Orikasa
  • Patent number: 8314980
    Abstract: A method is provided for processing image data read from a book document placed on a platen of an image reading apparatus. The method includes determining a background pixel of the image data based on a luminance difference or a color difference between neighboring pixel arrays, identifying a shadow region based on a luminance change between the neighboring background pixel arrays, discriminatively detecting a shadow of a binding portion and a shadow of a front edge in a document region with reference to a changing direction of shadow luminance, and performing a luminance correction on the shadow region according to characteristics of the shadows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichiro Makino, Koji Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Bannai
  • Publication number: 20120287488
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a division unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of color regions based on a color difference; a color gradient information calculation unit configured to calculate color gradient information at a boundary between the divided color regions from color information of the input image; an attribute determination unit configured to determine a gradation attribute representing a characteristic of a color gradient at the boundary using the color gradient information; and a vectorization target determination unit configured to determine, based on the gradation attribute of the boundary determined by the attribute determination unit, whether the input image is a vectorization target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Oto
  • Publication number: 20120287487
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a system for automatically scanning documents based on at least a user's credentials. The user's credentials are used to select a highest tier (from a plurality of tiers) for scanning the image data, and the image data is scanned according to the selected highest tier. Alternatively, if the highest tier selected is not authorized by a user's credentials, then a next highest tier is selected in accordance with the credentials, and then the job is automatically scanned. The credentials may be based on a time period (e.g., time of day), bandwidth, or a user's authorization (e.g., to scan color documents), for example. The tiers may be based on one or more thresholds, such as a percentage of color content in a document or scan resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ramesh NAGARAJAN
  • Patent number: 8310724
    Abstract: An image processing system for interpolating image data is comprised of a shift invariant point determining device, an illumination averager, a second order differentiator, and color data calculator. The shift invariant point determining device ascertains shift invariant points within the mosaic color element array pattern. The illumination averager determines average illumination values of clusters of a plurality of pixels. The second order differentiator determines a second order derivative of the average illumination values of the clusters of the plurality of pixels. The color data calculator determines color data for each of the plurality of pixels from the image data and second order derivative. A second order derivative scaler multiplies the second order derivative by a scaling factor for selectively smoothing and sharpening the second order derivative. A color data averager averages color data values of adjacent pixels to a resolution of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Youliza, Gehts B.V. Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Taner Dosluoglu
  • Patent number: 8305661
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reading speed changing unit to change a reading resolution of a manuscript in a vertical direction by changing a carrier linear speed of the manuscript or a moving speed of a reading carriage; a resolution changing unit to change a resolution in the vertical direction of image data of which reading resolution is changed; and a resolution instruction unit to calculate a threshold of a required resolution of an image to determine instruction contents for the reading speed changing unit and the resolution changing unit, based on a data size drawn from a maximum readout size of the manuscript in a main scanning direction and information to specify a pixel and data transfer capability of a data bus, and to provide a resolution for the reading speed changing unit and the resolution changing unit according to the calculated threshold of the required resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Baba
  • Patent number: 8305633
    Abstract: A registering apparatus includes: a first image data acquiring unit that acquires first image data from a first region on a recording medium; a second image data acquiring unit that acquires second image data from a second region that includes the first region; a third image data acquiring unit that acquires third image data from a third region that does not include the first region and differs from the second region when a correlation value between the second image data and the first image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value; and a registering unit that registers the first image data as registration data that are image data to be used in authentication of the recording medium when a correlation value between the third image data and the first image data is equal to or less than a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kimura, Kensuke Ito
  • Patent number: 8305663
    Abstract: A clock-signal generating unit generates temporally-continuous clock signals. A spread-spectrum clock-signal generating unit generates a spread-spectrum clock signal by modulating a frequency spectrum of a clock signal generated by the clock-signal generating unit. A signal delaying unit generates a fixed delay unaffected by a spread spectrum from the spread-spectrum clock signal generated by the spread-spectrum clock-signal generating unit, and delays a phase of the spread-spectrum clock signal based on an amount of the fixed delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masaki Nagase, Tohru Kanno
  • Patent number: 8305662
    Abstract: An image reading device comprising: a carrying unit; a reading unit; a first obtaining unit to obtain a first value representing a ground color of a first face of the document; a first judgment unit to judge whether to execute correction for the ground color of the first face; a first correction unit to correct the ground color of the first face; a second obtaining unit to obtain a second value representing a ground color of a second face of the document; a second judgment unit to judge whether the second value falls within a predetermined range including the first value; a third judgment unit to judge whether to execute correction for the second face of the document in accordance with a judgment result by the first judgment unit if the second judgment unit judges that the second value falls within the predetermined range; and a second correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayoshi Oosaki
  • Patent number: 8300288
    Abstract: Color adjusting apparatus and method for a light source. A reflector of a required color is added to a light source of a scan module, a plating film of the required color is formed on a lens, or the lens is dyed with the required color. Or alternatively, the color of the light source is directly changed into the required color. As a result, the inconsistent intensities for the light in the primary color, red, green and blue output from the charge-coupled device caused by different brightness of the light source, different wavelength transmission of the lens, and different light sensitivity of the charge-coupled device is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Transpacific Plasma, LLC
    Inventor: Pi-Chen Chen
  • Patent number: 8300278
    Abstract: A module 1 movable over the original surface 110 of the original reader 100 has a metal sheet frame 4 disposed in the vicinity of its gravitational center and having a substantially channel-like shape. A first and a second optical systems 2 and 3 and a drive source 6 assembled to be integral with a flat part 40 of the metal sheet frame 4. Thus, a reduced-size, improved quality and improved-accuracy original reader to be used for facsimile devices and image scanners is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Uchida, Kazuya Shouji
  • Patent number: 8294947
    Abstract: A specified specific color is input, and a patch pattern that contains a large number of patches corresponding to a color adjacent to the specific color is read by a front-side scanner and a back-side scanner. The color difference between read values for the front side and read values for the back side is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoyuki Yanagi
  • Patent number: 8291262
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an input portion for inputting image information, an information storage portion for storing the input image information, a transmission portion for transmitting the image information, and a control portion for processing input, storage and transmission of image information in parallel. The control portion, in the case where an input error occurs in the middle of performing input of image information, causes a transmission portion to transmit an instruction to delete information that has been transmitted to a transmission destination, and to start a retransmission after combining the image information before the input error occurs with the image information input after the input error occurred to form one file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunihiko Tsujimoto
  • Publication number: 20120257264
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a decolorizing section is placed on a downstream side of a first reading section in a sheet transferring direction. A second reading section is placed on a downstream side of the decolorizing section in the sheet transferring direction. A controller is configured to determine if the decolorizing process is necessary or not on a first side of a sheet based on first image data of the first side read by the first reading section, to read the first side of the sheet having been subjected to the decolorizing process at the decolorizing section by the second reading section if it is determined that the decolorizing process is necessary, and to avoid reading of the first side of the sheet passed through the decolorizing section by the second reading section if it is determined that the decolorizing process is unnecessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Shunichi Megawa
  • Publication number: 20120257263
    Abstract: A scanner unit of a multifunction printer (MFP) increases the speed of the movement of the scanner head, lowers the scanning resolution and uses only a single scanning channel during the scanning of a blank area, and decreases the speed of the movement of the scanner head, increases the scanning resolution and uses the three scanning channels of RGB during the scanning of a graphic area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: YI-CHE CHEN, YU-CHU HUANG, KING-LUNG HUANG
  • Patent number: 8284460
    Abstract: In outline processing according to the present embodiment, a normalization coefficient is determined such that values outputted as outline data substantially coincide with a maximum value in a prescribed number of digits in accordance with a variation amount between coordinate values. Such determination can constantly enhance image quality (legibility of a character) of the outline data up to a highest value under conditions of the prescribed number of digits as well as being free of the influence of a size of a target character. In other words, it is possible to provide the highest feasible image quality under the limitation of the number of digits set from the limit of a file size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8284456
    Abstract: A special pattern determination section determines whether a special pattern is included in a document image read by a document reading section. If the special pattern determination section determines that the special pattern is included, the breaking pattern applying section applies a breaking pattern to the document image, and the print image generating section accumulates image data of the document image applied with the breaking pattern into a memory. On the other hand, if it is determined that the special pattern is not included, the print image generating section accumulates the image data of the document image directly into the memory. Then, if it is set by a user so as not to print the breaking pattern, the controller deletes image data of the document image accumulated in the memory and applied with the breaking pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Tanaka, Ariyoshi Hikosaka
  • Patent number: 8284243
    Abstract: A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes a display panel and an image conversion sheet. The display panel includes a plurality of pixel units. Each pixel unit has a zigzag shape that extends in a first direction. The image conversion sheet includes a plurality of lens units. Each lens unit extends in the first direction and is disposed in a second direction different from the first direction. A plurality of the lens units is disposed in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Hoon Lee, Kyoung-Ju Shin, Hae-Young Yun, Sung-Woon Kim, Lu Jian Gang
  • Publication number: 20120250117
    Abstract: A scanner unit of a multifunction printer (MFP) increases the speed of movement of a scanner head and lowers the scanning resolution during the scanning of a blank area of an image, and decreases the speed of movement of the scanner head and increases the scanning resolution during the scanning of an image area of an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: YI-CHE CHEN, YU-CHU HUANG, MIN-CHOU CHUANG
  • Patent number: 8279504
    Abstract: Pieces of reading frequency information representing the use frequencies of first and second reading units are acquired. Read color information of a color on a document that is read by the first or second reading unit is acquired. Based on the acquired pieces of reading frequency information and the acquired read color information, one of the first and second reading units is decided as a reference reading unit serving as a reference when performing correction to make the reading characteristics of the first and second reading units relatively coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Asako Hashizume
  • Patent number: 8274716
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a reading system having a plurality of line sensors extending in a main-scan direction, an imaging optical system for imaging, on the line sensors, imagewise information of an original surface, the imaging optical system including at least one anamorphic optical surface having different powers in the main-scan direction and the sub-scan direction, a scanning system for relatively scanning the original surface and the reading means in a sub-scan direction to read the imagewise information of the original surface, and an image correcting system for correcting imagewise information of the original surface read by each line sensor, on the basis of an imaging-position-deviation correction amount of an image in the sub-scan direction corresponding to a reading position in the main-scan direction, calculated based on an imaging position deviation amount of an image in the sub-scan direction corresponding to the reading position in the main-scan direction upon the line sensors, as
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8274714
    Abstract: Techniques relating to quantifiable color calibration are described. In one instance, a process quantifiably calibrates a first color peripheral device of a system to a known color standard. The process then leverages the first color peripheral device to calibrate other system color peripheral devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Bourgoin, John F Kieltyka, Jeffery A Meissner, Michael D Stokes
  • Patent number: 8274709
    Abstract: Provided is a device that prevents unauthorized copying of a document to which copy inhibition information is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Kakutani
  • Patent number: 8274665
    Abstract: A digital camera device includes a housing defining a slot for receiving a printed instruction card having printed thereon an array of dots representing a programming script, the housing stores therein a roll of print media; an area image sensor for sensing an image and generating pixel data representing the image; a linear image sensor for scanning the array of dots and converting the array of dots into a data signal; a microcontroller provided in the housing, the microcontroller for decoding the data signal into the programming script and applying the programming script on the pixel data; a printing mechanism for printing the pixel data, having applied thereto the programming script, on the roll of print media; a guillotine for cutting the roll of print media; and a print manager for activating the guillotine upon receiving a signal indicating a manual attempt to pull the print media from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20120236377
    Abstract: A system including a reading device that reads an image from a document and a control device that controls the reading device is disclosed herein. The control device includes a processor and a memory storing computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions instruct the processor to determine whether a read image read by the reading device comprises a table image. The computer-readable instructions instruct the processor to generate a first file in a first file format when the processor determines that the read image comprises the table image. The computer-readable instructions instruct the processor to generate a second file in a second file format when the processor determines that the read image does not comprise the table image. The second file is different from the first file. The second file format is different from the first file format. Computer-readable media storing the computer-readable instructions and corresponding methods also are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventor: Shinsuke KAIGAWA
  • Publication number: 20120236376
    Abstract: A scanning apparatus capable of switching a scanning background includes a pair of glass plates, a pair of background boards pivoted to the glass plates and a driving mechanism. The glass plates are disposed in a frame and overlapped with each other. The two glass plates define two scanning areas face to face. A portion of the frame adjacent to an outer surface of the glass plate defines a first color area of the scanning background corresponding to the scanning area. One background board is positioned above one glass plate, and the other background board is positioned under the other glass plate and away from the one background board. Each background board defines a second color area of the scanning background corresponding to the scanning area. The driving mechanism mounted in the frame drives the background boards to turn over with respect to the corresponding glass plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: FOXLINK IMAGE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: KUAN-CHENG HUANG, YUNG-KAI CHEN
  • Patent number: 8270047
    Abstract: First, second, and third image planes are obtained from at least one image sensor. The first image plane is formed from light of a first spectral distribution. The second image plane is formed from light of a second spectral distribution. The third image plane is formed from light of a spectral distribution which substantially covers the visible spectrum. First spatial frequency components are generated from the first, second and third image planes. A second spatial frequency component is generated from the third image plane. A color transform is applied to the first spatial frequency components from the first, second, and third image planes to obtain at least first, second and third transformed first spatial frequency image planes. The at least first, second and third transformed first spatial frequency image planes are combined with the second spatial frequency component from the third image plane to form an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen Pollard, Andrew Hunter, Renato Keshet
  • Patent number: 8269989
    Abstract: A printing data generating unit designates a first section (page numbers, etc.) corresponding to a change target part of a before-being-changed document and a second section corresponding to printing data of a changed part. A printing unit includes a replacement processing portion. The replacement processing portion determines whether or not the section of the counted number of sheets of paper matches the first section, and when they match, instructs the printing unit to print the printing data of the changed part corresponding to the second section, and when they do not match, causes the before-being-changed document to be discharged directly from the printing unit, and thereby replacing just the first section of the before-being-changed document with a document of the changed part corresponding to the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Uemura
  • Patent number: 8264746
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a light transmissive member extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction of conveying the document; a reference portion provided outside the conveying region where a document is conveyed with respect to the orthogonal direction and having a transmittance lower than a transmittance of in the conveying region of the light transmissive member; and a light source unit. The image sensor further includes: a lens unit converging the light transmitting through the document and the reference portion; a light receiving unit that receives the light transmitted through the lens unit and outputs an electric signal; an amplifying unit that amplifies the electric signal of the document corresponding to the conveying region and outputs an image signal of the document; and a controlling unit configured to control an amplification factor of the amplifying unit based on the electric signal corresponding to the reference portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Tokida, Takafumi Endo
  • Patent number: 8264747
    Abstract: In an image reading device, a sampling-and-holding circuit generates a plurality of analog image signals by sampling an image signal at each sampling-and-holding timing and holding sampled image signals for a predetermined amount of time, an analog-to-digital converting unit converts the analog image signals into a plurality of digital image signals at each sampling-and-holding timing, a phase regulating unit performs phase regulation of each sampling-and-holding timing based on corresponding digital image signals to obtain phase-regulated sampling-and-holding timing. The sampling-and-holding circuit generates the analog image signal at each phase-regulated sampling-and-holding timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Nagase, Tohru Kanno
  • Patent number: RE43892
    Abstract: A four-line CCD sensor is structured by line sensors R, G, B in which color fillers are respectively disposed on surfaces of light receiving elements, and a line sensor BK at which no color filter is disposed. Amplitudes of signals which are outputted from the line sensors R, G, B at a time of reading a color document, and an amplitude of a signal which is outputted from the line sensor BK at a time of reading a monochrome document are adjusted so as to be substantially equal to one another. In a case in which a color document is read, outputs of the line sensors R, G, B are selectively provided, and in a case in which a monochrome document is read, output of the line sensor BK is selectively provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Sakakibara, Koji Tanimoto