Image Reading Apparatus, Method for Reading Image, and Storage Medium

• US 20080037077A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Higashi, Toshikazu, Nonoyama, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/498
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00018 Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00092 relating to the original or to the reproducing medium, e.g. imperfections or dirt detecting properties of a sheet H04N1/00681
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00588 to the scanning position H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00909 Cleaning arrangements or preventing or counter-acting contamination from dust or the like cleaning in general, prevention of fouling in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1017 the main-scanning components remaining positionally invariant with respect to one another in the sub-scanning direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/121 Feeding arrangements transporting sheets to or from the scanning position H04N1/0057; control or error compensation of sub-scanning velocity H04N1/0473

Abstract

The present invention provides an image reading apparatus: transporting a document using an automatic document feeding unit in a predetermined direction while the document floats above a platen glass member; reading an image on the document, at a predetermined reading location, by irradiating a portion on the document at the reading location using a light source disposed below the platen glass member, and by receiving reflected light from the portion on the document; converting the reflected light into image data; detecting the floating amount of the document from the platen glass member; and setting a value of an image parameter for correcting the image data for the document, based on the detected floating amount of the document.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus, comprising:

an automatic document feeding unit operable to transport a document in a predetermined direction while the document floats above a platen glass member;

a reading unit operable to read an image on the document being transported, at a predetermined reading location, by irradiating a portion on the document at the reading location using a light source disposed below the platen glass member, and by receiving reflected light from the portion on the document;

a converting unit operable to convert the reflected light into image data;

a detecting unit operable to detect a floating amount of the document from the platen glass member; and

a setting unit operable to set a value of an image parameter for correcting the image data for the document, based on the detected floating amount.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit comprises a table in which floating amounts from the platen glass member are associated with values of the image parameter, and obtains and sets the value of the image parameter referring to the table, based on the detected floating amount.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit used by an operator to adjust the value of the image parameter; and

a correcting unit operable to correct the set value of the image parameter using an adjustment value that has been input from the input unit.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image parameter is one of a sharpness correction parameter and a density correction parameter.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting unit detects the floating amount, once, in a state where the document is held at its leading end by rollers in a downstream of the reading location in a document transport direction, and its trailing end by rollers in an upstream of the reading location in the document transport direction, and

the setting unit sets the value of the image parameter for the document, once, based on the detected floating amount.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting unit detects a floating amount, at each of a plurality of positions from the leading end to the trailing end of the document, and

the setting unit sets values of the image parameter for the document, based on the respective floating amounts detected at the plurality of positions.

7. A method for reading an image in an image reading apparatus, comprising:

a document transporting step of transporting a document with an automatic document feeding unit in a predetermined direction while the document floats above a platen glass member,

a reading step of reading an image on the document being transported, at a predetermined reading location, by irradiating a portion on the document at the reading location using a light source disposed below the platen glass member, and by receiving reflected light from the portion on the document;

a converting step of converting the reflected light into image data;

a detecting step of detecting a floating amount of the document from the platen glass member; and

a setting step of setting a value of an image parameter for correcting the image data for the document, based on the detected floating amount.

8. The method for reading an image according to claim 7,

wherein in the setting step, referring to a table in which floating amounts from the platen glass member are associated with values of the image parameter, the value of the image parameter that is in association with the floating amount of the document is obtained and set, the floating amount being detected in the detecting step.

9. The method for reading an image according to claim 7, further comprising:

an input step of accepting an adjustment value that is input by an operator in order to adjust the value of the image parameter; and

a correcting step of correcting the set value of the image parameter using the input adjustment value.

10. The method for reading an image according to claim 7,

wherein the image parameter is one of a sharpness correction parameter and a density correction parameter.

11. The method for reading an image according to claim 7,

wherein in the detecting step, the floating amount is detected, once, in a state where the document is held at its leading end by rollers in a downstream of the reading location in a document transport direction, and its trailing end by rollers in an upstream of the reading location in the document transport direction, and

in the setting step, the value of the image parameter for the document is set, once, based on the detected floating amount.

12. The method for reading an image according to claim 7, wherein in the detecting step, a floating amount is detected, at each of a plurality of positions from the leading end to the trailing end of the document, and

in the setting step, values of the image parameter for the document are set, based on the respective floating amounts detected at the plurality of positions.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing an image reading process in an image reading apparatus,

wherein the program lets a computer execute:

a document transporting process of transporting a document with an automatic document feeding unit in a predetermined direction while the document floats above a platen glass member,

a reading process of reading an image on the document being transported, at a predetermined reading location, by irradiating a portion on the document at the reading location using a light source disposed below the platen glass member, and by receiving reflected light from the portion on the document;

a converting process of converting the reflected light into image data;

a detecting process of detecting a floating amount of the document from the platen glass member; and

a setting process of setting a value of an image parameter for correcting the image data for the document, based on the detected floating amount.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein in the setting process, referring to a table in which floating amounts from the platen glass member are associated with values of the image parameter, the value of the image parameter that is in association with the floating amount of the document is obtained and set, the floating amount being detected in the detecting process.

15. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the program lets the computer further execute:

an input process of accepting an adjustment value that is input by an operator in order to adjust the value of the image parameter; and

a correcting process of correcting the set value of the image parameter using the input adjustment value.

16. The storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein the image parameter is one of a sharpness correction parameter and a density correction parameter.

17. The storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein in the detecting process, the floating amount is detected, once, in a state where the document is held at its leading end by rollers in a downstream of the reading location in a document transport direction, and its trailing end by rollers in an upstream of the reading location in the document transport direction, and

in the setting process, the value of the image parameter for the document is set, once, based on the detected floating amount.

18. The storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein in the detecting process, a floating amount is detected, at each of a plurality of positions from the leading end to the trailing end of the document, and

in the setting process, values of the image parameter for the document are set, based on the respective floating amounts detected at the plurality of positions.