Image scanner with optical waveguide and enhanced optical sampling rate
First Claim
1. An image scanner comprising:
- an array of photosensor elements;
an optical waveguide suitable for guiding light from pixels on an original image onto the photosensor elements; and
a rotatable cylindrical rod lens, wherein for each photosensor element, the lens passes light from at most one pixel on the original image and blocks light from all other pixels.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical waveguide and a shutter are used to guide light from multiple illuminated pixels on a document being scanned onto a single photosensor element. Various methods are disclosed for selecting one pixel at a time for projection onto a single sensor element. Multiple scans are required to capture all the image pixels. The data from multiple scans are then combined to form a single scanned image that has a higher optical sampling rate than the native optical sampling rate of the sensor array. Superresolution image analysis techniques developed for reconstruction of one image from a set of lower resolution images may be applied to provide a diffraction-limited high-resolution image. The waveguide as described also provides an ability to reduce scanning time for lower resolution images. In a first example embodiment, a rotating rod lens with a pattern of black and white areas is used to block/unblock optical waveguide array elements. In a second example embodiment, a thin mask is translated over the optical waveguide array elements. In a third example embodiment, an electronic display device such as a liquid crystal array is used to block/unblock optical waveguide array elements.
-
Citations
6 Claims
-
1. An image scanner comprising:
-
an array of photosensor elements;
an optical waveguide suitable for guiding light from pixels on an original image onto the photosensor elements; and
a rotatable cylindrical rod lens, wherein for each photosensor element, the lens passes light from at most one pixel on the original image and blocks light from all other pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method of scanning an image, the method comprising the following steps:
-
guiding, by an optical waveguide and a rotatable cylindrical rod lens having some areas that are transparent and other areas that are opaque, light from a first pixel on the image onto a photosensor element;
determining a first numerical value corresponding to the intensity of light received from the first pixel;
guiding, by the optical waveguide and the lens, without relative movement between the optical waveguide and the image, light from a second pixel on the image onto the photosensor element;
determining a second numerical value corresponding to the intensity of light received from the second pixel; and
placing the first and second numerical values into an array of numerical values representing the image. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
modifying the first and second numerical values, further comprising the following step;
compensating for blurring.
-
-
6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
-
modifying the first and second numerical values, further comprising the following step;
resampling to provide a resolution that is different than a resolution determined by a distance between the first and second pixels.
-
Specification