Image processing method and image processing apparatus

• US 6,583,895 B1
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Yasuhiro, Kojima, Akio, Watanabe, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US09/379,626
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 358/472, 358/471, 358/444, 382/313, 250/208.1, 250/557
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image reading method and apparatus for regenerating on the image data storage image data read by an image reading apparatus such as a hand scanner. The object of the invention is to perform the mapping with high quality in a high speed without using a scanning flag representing whether the mapping has been already performed or not by using an image data reading apparatus able to perform the scanning freely in any direction. The invention is carried out by the following steps: first the position information generating device 2 generates position information of the image reading sensor 51 in accordance with the moving amount detected by the moving amount detecting unit 1, the scanning direction detecting unit 3 detects a scanning direction in accordance with the position information thus obtained, and the boundary detecting unit 4 generating a boundary within the mapping area in accordance with the scanning direction and the position information. And next, the boundary comparing unit 5 compares the boundary and the position information of pixels obtained by each elements of the image reading sensor 51 in accordance with the scanning direction, if the pixels are existed outside the boundary, the mapping unit 8 is given the compared results so as to perform the mapping. And the mapping unit 8 performs the mapping of the image data read by the image reading unit 6 on the image data storage in accordance with the position information. At this time, the mapping processing is controlled by the compared result with the boundary.

Claims

1. An image data reading method for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, and

where a read starting position represents a reference position, the reading elements arraying direction of the image reading sensor at the reference position is defined as a Y axis, and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a boundary vertical to at least either one of the X axis or the Y axis within a mapping area in accordance with the position information of one or both ends of the image reading sensor generated by the position information generating means when the free scanning apparatus scans for a section in the X positive direction, and

mapping only a part outside the boundary generated by the one section scanning when the free scanning apparatus scans in the X negative direction.

2. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein a combined boundary is generated synthesizing boundaries of a plural sections by repeating the aforementioned scanning, and when the free scanning apparatus scans in the X negative direction, only a part outside the combined boundary is mapped.

3. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein the scanning in the X negative direction includes that one end of the image reading sensor moves in the X positive direction and the other end moves in the X negative direction.

4. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the Y axis in accordance with a minimum value of Y coordinate, within the scanning for one section, of an end of the sensor having a larger value of Y coordinate at the reference position than the other end.

5. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the Y axis in accordance with a maximum value of Y coordinate, within the scanning for one section, of an end of the sensor having a smaller value of Y coordinate at the reference position than the other end.

6. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein the boundary includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the X axis in accordance with a lager value of X coordinate of an end of the sensor at the scan starting position within the one section than the other end.

7. The image data reading method defined in claim 1, wherein a determination of the scanning direction of the free scanning apparatus is performed if the scanning is over a specific moving amount or over a specific time for reading.

8. An image data reading method for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, and

where a read starting position represents a reference position, the reading elements arraying direction of the image reading sensor at the reference position is defined as a Y axis, and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, and a forward direction of the scanning is detected according to the moving amount in the X axis direction for a specific section of the free scanning apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a boundary vertical to at least either one of the X axis or the Y axis within a mapping area in accordance with the position information of one or both ends of the image reading sensor generated by the position information generating means when the free scanning apparatus scans in the forward direction for a section, and

mapping only a part outside the boundary generated by said one section scanning when the free scanning apparatus scans in the reverse direction.

9. The image data reading method defined in claim 8, wherein a combined boundary is generated synthesizing boundaries of a plural sections by repeating the aforementioned scanning, and when the free scanning apparatus scans in the reverse direction, only a part outside the combined boundary is mapped.

10. The image data reading method defined in claim 8, wherein the scanning in the reverse direction includes that one end of the image reading sensor moves in the X positive direction and the other end moves in the X negative direction.

11. The image data reading method defined in claim 8, wherein the boundary includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the X axis in accordance with a smaller value of X coordinate of one end of the sensor at the scan starting position in the X negative direction within the one section than the other end.

12. An image data reading method for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, and

where a read starting position represents a reference position, the reading elements arraying direction of the image reading sensor at the reference position is defined as a Y axis, and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a slant of the free scanning apparatus against the reference position in accordance with the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor generated by the position information generating means when the free scanning apparatus scans,

generating a boundary vertical to either one of the X axis or the Y axis within a mapping area of one section when the slant value is under a specific value, and

mapping only the part outside the boundary when the slant value is over the specific value.

13. The image data reading method defined in claim 12 wherein a combined boundary is generated synthesizing boundaries of a plural sections by repeating the aforementioned scanning, and when the slant value is larger than the specific value, only a part outside the combined boundary is mapped.

14. The image data reading method defined in claim 12, wherein, when the slant value of the free scanning apparatus is detected, the slant information over a maximum threshold value is determined as it is larger than the specific value, the slant information under a minimum threshold value is determined as it is smaller than the specific value.

15. An image data reading method for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, and

where a read starting position represents a reference position, the reading elements arraying direction of the image reading sensor at the reference position is defined as a Y axis, and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a boundary vertical to at least either one of the X axis or the Y axis within a mapping area in accordance with the position information of one or both ends of the image reading sensor generated by the position information generating means when the free scanning apparatus scans in the X positive direction for one section, and

performing a processing for an image data obtained from one side of the boundary different from that for an image data obtained from the other side of the boundary.

16. The image reading apparatus defined in claim 15, wherein the boundary includes a combined boundary obtained by synthesizing boundaries of a plural sections.

17. An image data reading apparatus for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in arrays on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, said apparatus comprising:

first scanning direction detecting means for detecting a scanning direction of the free scanning apparatus in accordance with the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor,

first boundary detecting means, where the read starting position represents a reference position, a reading elements arraying direction at the reference position is defined as a Y axis and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, in accordance with scanning direction signals outputted from the first scanning direction detecting means and the position information of one or both ends of the image reading sensor, when the free scanning apparatus scans in the X positive direction for one section, said means for generating a boundary vertical to at least either one of the X axis or the Y axis within the mapping area,

first boundary comparing means, when the free scanning apparatus scans in the X negative direction in accordance with the scanning direction signals, said means for comparing boundary signals outputted the first boundary detecting means and the position information of the image reading sensor, and

mapping means, when the image data is mapped on the image data storage in accordance with the position information of the image reading sensor, for determining whether the mapping is performed or not in accordance with comparing signals outputted from the first boundary comparing means.

18. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the first boundary comparing means compares the boundary signals for a plural sections generated by repeating the scanning and the position information of the image reading sensor.

19. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the scanning in the negative direction detected by the first scanning direction detecting means includes the moving of one end of the image reading sensor in the X positive direction and the moving of the other end of the image reading sensor in the X negative direction.

20. The image data reading method defined in claim 19, wherein the boundary generated by the boundary detecting means includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the X axis in accordance with a smaller value of X coordinate of one end of the sensor at the scan starting position in the X negative direction within the one section than the other end.

21. The image data reading method defined in claim 19, wherein a determination of the scanning direction of the free scanning apparatus is performed if the scanning is over a specific moving amount or over a specific time for reading.

22. The image data reading method defined in claim 17, wherein the boundary generated by the boundary detecting means includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the Y axis in accordance with a minimum value of Y coordinate within the scanning for one section of an end of the sensor having a larger value of Y coordinate at the reference position than the other end.

23. The image data reading method defined in claim 17, wherein the boundary generated by the boundary detecting means includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the Y axis in accordance with a maximum value of Y coordinate within the scanning for one section of an end of the sensor having a smaller value of Y coordinate at the reference position than the other end.

24. The image data reading method defined in claim 17, wherein the boundary generated by the boundary detecting means includes a boundary which is generated in vertical to the X axis in accordance with a lager value of X coordinate of an end of the sensor at the scan starting position within the one section than the other end.

25. An image data reading apparatus for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, said apparatus comprising:

forward direction determining means for determining a forward direction of the free scanning apparatus in accordance with the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor for a specific section,

second scanning direction detecting means for detecting a scanning direction of the free scanning apparatus in accordance with the position information of both end of the image reading sensor and forward direction signals outputted from the forward direction determining means,

second boundary detecting means, where the read starting position represents a reference position, a reading elements arraying direction at the reference position is defined as a Y axis and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, in accordance with the forward direction signals, scanning direction signals outputted from the second scanning direction detecting means and the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor, when the scanning apparatus is determined to move for one section in the forward direction, said means for generating a boundary vertical to at least one of the X axis or the Y axis within the mapping area,

second boundary comparing means, if the free scanning apparatus is determined to move in reverse direction according to the scanning direction signals, said means for comparing boundary signals outputted from the second boundary detecting means and the position information of the image reading sensor, and

mapping means, when the image data is mapped on the image data storage in accordance with the position information of the image reading sensor, for determining whether the mapping is performed or not according to comparing signals outputted from the second boundary comparing means.

26. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 25, wherein the second boundary comparing means compares boundary signals of a plural sections by repeating the scanning and the position information of the reading sensor.

27. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 25, wherein the scanning in reverse direction detected by the second scanning direction detecting means includes the moving of one end of the image reading sensor in the X positive direction, and the moving of the other end of the image reading sensor in the X negative direction.

28. An image data reading apparatus for generating image data by image reading means in accordance with signals detected by a plurality of reading elements set in an array on an image reading sensor of a free scanning apparatus able to scan an original in arbitrary direction, said image data corresponding to each reading element, calculating position information corresponding to said each image data by position information generating means according to a moving amount of the free scanning apparatus, and mapping said each image data in image data storage means according to the position information, said apparatus comprising:

slant scanning detecting means for detecting the slant against the reference position of the free scanning apparatus according to the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor,

third boundary detecting means, where the read starting position represents a reference position, a reading elements arraying direction at the reference position is defined as a Y axis and a direction vertical to the Y axis as a X axis, in accordance with the position information of both ends of the image reading sensor and slant scanning signals outputted from the slant scanning detecting means, said means for detecting a slant of the free scanning apparatus against the reference position, and generating a boundary vertical to at least one of the X axis or the Y axis within the mapping area for one section when the slant value is under a specific value,

third boundary comparing means for comparing boundary signals outputted from the third boundary detecting means and the position information of the image reading sensor in accordance with the slant scanning signals, and

mapping means, when the image data is mapped in the image data storage according to the position information of the image reading sensor, said means for determining whether the mapping is performed or not in accordance with comparing signals outputted from the third boundary comparing means.

29. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 28, wherein the third boundary comparing means compares the boundary signals for a plural sections generated by repeating the scanning and the position information of the image reading sensor.

30. The image data reading apparatus defined in claim 28, wherein the slant scanning signals is generated in accordance with two threshold values.