Scanner with a reference pattern for merging images and method of merging images

• US 7,116,845 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avision, Inc.
• Inventors: Liao, Leo, Ku, Jeau-Jeau, Chen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KANJIBHAI B
• Application Number:
  US10/050,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 382/254, 382/284, 382/287, 382/318, 382/319, 358/474, 358/505, 358/537, 358/496, 358/3.26, 358/462, 399/144
• US Class Current: 382/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0473 in subscanning direction, e.g. picture start or line-to-line synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32609 Fault detection or counter-measures, e.g. original mis-positioned, shortage of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3263 of reading apparatus or transmitter, e.g. original jam
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32667 Restarting a communication or performing a recovery operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04703 using the scanning elements as detectors, e.g. by performing a prescan
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04715 by detecting marks or the like, e.g. slits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04732 Detecting at infrequent intervals, e.g. once or twice per line for main-scan control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04749 Detecting position relative to a gradient, e.g. using triangular-shaped masks, marks or gratings

Abstract

Using a reference pattern of the invention, discontinuous images caused by inadequate memory can be merged precisely. The reference pattern can be applied to both the flat bed scanner and the Automatic Document Feed (ADF) scanner.

Claims

1. A flat bed scanner, comprising:

a scan area for positioning a document to be scanned;

a carriage for scanning the document to obtain a plurality of partial images before and after the carriage stops; and

a reference pattern positioned at one side of the scan area, wherein, by using the carriage to detect the reference pattern, the partial images can be merged precisely to form a whole image;

wherein the reference pattern comprises;

a plurality of graphs in a one-to-one mapping function; and

a straight line segment parallel to said one side of the scan area, wherein any one scan line intersects the straight line segment at one and only one point, and any one scan line intersects one of the graphs at one and only one point.

2. The flat bed scanner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphs in the one-to-one mapping function are a plurality of oblique line segments.

3. The flat bed scanner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the oblique line segments have equal slope.

4. An Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) scanner, comprising:

a carriage;

a reference roller located at an area detectable by the carriage, wherein a document to be scanned rolls along with the rolling of the reference roller; and

a reference pattern rolled up and attached at one end of the reference roller so that the reference pattern rolls along with the reference roller, wherein the carriage scans the document to obtain a plurality of partial images before and after the reference roller stops, and by using the carriage to detect the reference pattern, the partial images can be merged precisely to form a whole image;

wherein the reference pattern comprises;

a plurality of graphs in one-to-one mapping function; and

a straight line segment, wherein any one scan line intersects the streight line segment at one and only one point, and any one scan line intersect one of the graphs at one and only one point.

5. The ADF scanner as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphs in the one-to-one mapping function are a plurality of oblique line segments.

6. The ADF scanner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the oblique line segments have equal slope.

7. A method of merging a plurality of partial images to form a whole image in a flat bed scanner, wherein the scanner comprises a carriage, a scan area and a reference pattern located at one side of the scan area, and the carriage scans a document to obtain the plurality of partial images before and after the carriage stops, wherein the method comprises:

(a) detecting two intersect points of an image merging scan line and the reference pattern and determining the distance therebetween, wherein the distance between said two intersect points is defined as a first interval and a scan line where the carriage positions, while a memory of the scanner is inadequate, is defined as the image merging scan line;

(b) slowing down and moving the carriage in a first direction and stopping at a scan line defined as a first stopping scan line;

(c) moving the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction, starting from the first stopping scan line, passing the image merging scan line, slowing down and to a stop at a second stopping scan line;

(d) moving the carriage in the first direction from the second stopping scan line, wherein a stable scan line is where the carriage starts to move stably;

(e) detecting two intersect points of the stable scan line and the reference pattern and determining the distance therebetween, wherein the distance between said two intersect points is defined as a second interval, and determining a migration distance by the first interval and the second interval, using a logic operation; and

(f) moving the carriage from the stable scan line along the first direction and continuing scanning after the carriage reaches the image merging scan line.

8. The method of merging images as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reference pattern comprises:

a plurality of graphs in a one-to-one mapping function; and

a straight line segment parallel to one side of the scan area, wherein any one scan line intersects the straight line segment at one and only one point, and any one scan line intersects one of the graphs in the one-to-one mapping function at one and only one point.

9. The method of merging images as claimed in claim 8, wherein the graphs in the one-to-one mapping function are a plurality of oblique line segments.

10. The method of merging images as claimed in claim 9, wherein the oblique line segments have equal slope.