Judging image type with an image scanning device

• US 7,672,533 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rust; Eric A
• Application Number:
  US11/216,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/167, 382/224, 382/274, 345/581, 345/589, 345/590, 358/3.27
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00819 Self-calibrating reading means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40062 Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0416 Performing a pre-scan

Abstract

In the process of control of an image scanning device that creates image data by scanning an image from a recording medium on which the image is recorded, the image scanning device is controlled to acquire first image data by scanning the image at a first scanning resolution; image type is judged on the basis of this first image data; and in the process of controlling the image scanning device to scan the image at a second scanning resolution, second image data is acquired under image acquisition conditions dependent on the image type indicated by the judgment result in the image judgment step.

Claims

1. A control method for an image scanning device that creates image data by scanning an image from a recording medium on which the image is recorded, comprising the steps of:

controlling said image scanning device to acquire first image data by scanning the image at a first scanning resolution;

judging whether an image type indicated by the first image data is a type including an artificial image or a type including a natural image;

rechecking whether the image type judged by the judging as the type including the artificial image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from a criteria of the judging, and rechecking whether the image type judged by the judging as the type including the natural image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from the criteria of the judging;

classifying the image type judged by the rechecking as the type including the artificial image into a detailed sub-class depending on whether ground color of the image includes chromatic color, and classifying the image type judged by the rechecking as the type including the natural image into a detailed sub-class depending on a level of brightness of the image;

determining a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a shadow side being converted into a minimum value at a contrast enhancement process and a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a highlight side being converted into a maximum value at the contrast enhancement process depending on the sub-class of the image type of the first image data;

controlling said image scanning device to acquire second image data by scanning the image at a second scanning resolution; and

performing the contrast enhancement process on the second image data based on the determined cutoff values.

2. A control method for an image scanning device according to claim 1 wherein said first scanning resolution is a lower resolution than said second scanning resolution.

3. A control method for an image scanning device according to claim 1 comprising an image processing step for performing sharpness enhancement process on said second image data, by a degree of enhancement that is different according to said image type.

4. An image scanning device comprising:

an image scanning portion for scanning an image from a recording medium on which the image is recorded in order to acquire image data;

a scan control portion for controlling said image scanning portion to acquire first image data of the image scanned at a first scanning resolution;

an image judgment portion for judging whether an image type indicated by the first image data is a type including an artificial image or a type including a natural image;

a recheck portion for rechecking whether the image type judged by the image judgment portion as the type including the artificial image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from a criteria of the judging, and for rechecking whether the image type judged by the image judgment portion as the type including the natural image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from the criteria of the judging;

a classifying portion for classifying the image type judged by the recheck portion as the type including the artificial image into a detailed sub-class depending on whether ground color of the image includes chromatic color, and for classifying the image type judged by the recheck portion as the type including the natural image into a detailed sub-class depending on a level of brightness of the image;

a determining portion for determining a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a shadow side being converted into a minimum value at a contrast enhancement process and a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a highlight side being converted into a maximum value at the contrast enhancement process depending on the sub-class of the image type of the first image data;

the scan control portion for controlling said image scanning portion to acquire second image data of the image scanned at a second scanning resolution; and

an image processing portion for performing the contrast enhancement process on the second image data based on the determined cutoff values.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a control program for an image scanning device encoded thereon that creates image data by scanning an image from a recording medium on which the image is recorded, comprising:

a scan control code for controlling said image scanning device to acquire first image data of the image scanned at a first scanning resolution;

an image judgment code for judging whether an image type indicated by the first image data is a type including an artificial image or a type including a natural image; and

a recheck code for rechecking whether the image type judged by the image judgment code as the type including the artificial image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from a criteria of the judging, and for rechecking whether the image type judged by the image judgment code as the type including the natural image is the type including the artificial image or the type including the natural image based on a criteria different from the criteria of the judging;

a classifying code for classifying the image type judged by the recheck code as the type including the artificial image into a detailed sub-class depending on whether ground color of the image includes chromatic color, and for classifying the image type judged by the recheck code as the type including the natural image into a detailed sub-class depending on a level of brightness of the image;

a determining code for determining a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a shadow side being converted into a minimum value at a contrast enhancement process and a cutoff value specifying a gradation value of a highlight side being converted into a maximum value at the contrast enhancement process depending on the sub-class of the image type of the first image data;

the scan control code for controlling said image scanning device to acquire second image data of the image scanned at a second scanning resolution; and

an image processing code for performing the contrast enhancement process on the second image data based on the determined cutoff values.