Scanning and capturing digital images using residue detection

• US 8,441,702 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Do, Lydia Mai, Nesbitt, Pamela Ann, Seacat DeLuca, Lisa Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES, TED W
• Application Number:
  US12/624,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 358/505, 358/514, 358/526, 358/537, 358/540, 358/452, 358/474, 358/538
• US Class Current: 358/538
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00795 Reading arrangements details of scanning heads H04N1/024; scanning arrangements therefor H04N1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00811 according to user specified instructions, e.g. user selection of reading mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00816 Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm

Abstract

A mechanism for scanning and capturing digital images using residue detection. Upon detecting a document placed on a scanning surface of a scanning device, the illustrative embodiments detect a residue deposited on the document. The illustrative embodiments determine a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document. The illustrative embodiments then scan the portion of the document.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for scanning a document, the computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a document placed on a scanning surface of a scanning device;

detecting a residue deposited on the document;

determining a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document; and

scanning the portion of the document;

wherein determining a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document further comprises;

determining whether the residue on the document forms an enclosed area;

responsive to determining that the residue of the document forms an enclosed area, determining the portion of the document to be scanned using the enclosed area; and

responsive to determining that the residue of the document does not form an enclosed area, determining the portion of the document to be scanned using a proximity algorithm, wherein the proximity algorithm specifies that the portion of the document to be scanned is located outside of a particular circumference of the residue using a virtual polygon that is formed using the unenclosed area to define the particular circumference.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proximity algorithm specifies that the portion of the document to be scanned is located within a particular distance from the residue.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the residue is deposited by a finger in contact with the document.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the residue is deposited on a transparent overlay coupled to the document.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the residue is a chemical substance.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the residue is detected on the document using micro-X-ray fluorescence.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the document is scanned if the residue is determined to be a valid residue.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein scanning the portion of the document based on a location of the residue on the document is performed by a residue detection module and a plurality of different types of light sources within a scanner device to form a scanned image representing an edited image of the document.

9. A data processing system for scanning a document, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

a processing unit connected to the bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

at least one managed device connected to the bus, wherein the at least one managed device comprises a plurality of different types of light sources and executes the computer usable code to detect a document placed on a scanning surface of a scanning device using a first type of light source;

detect a residue deposited on the document using a second type of light source;

determine a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document;

scan the portion of the document; and

send the scanned portion of the document to the processing unit, wherein the computer usable code to determine a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document further comprises computer usable program code to determine whether the residue on the document forms an enclosed area;

determine, responsive to determining that the residue of the document forms an enclosed area, the portion of the document to be scanned using the enclosed area; and

determine, responsive to determining that the residue of the document does not form an enclosed area, the portion of the document to be scanned using a proximity algorithm, wherein the proximity algorithm specifies that the portion of the document to be scanned is located outside of a particular circumference of the residue using a virtual polygon that is formed using the unenclosed area to define the particular circumference.

10. A computer program product for scanning a document, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer usable storage device having computer usable program code tangibly stored thereon, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for detecting a document placed on a scanning surface of a scanning device;

computer usable program code for detecting a residue deposited on the document;

computer usable program code for determining a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document; and

computer usable program code for scanning the portion of the document;

wherein the computer usable program code for determining a portion of the document to be scanned based on a location of the residue on the document further comprises;

computer usable program code for determining whether the residue on the document forms an enclosed area;

computer usable program code, responsive to determining that the residue of the document forms an enclosed area, for determining the portion of the document to be scanned using the enclosed area; and

computer usable program code, responsive to determining that the residue of the document does not form an enclosed area, determining the portion of the document to be scanned using a proximity algorithm, wherein the proximity algorithm specifies that the portion of the document to be scanned is located outside of a particular circumference of the residue using a virtual polygon that is formed using the unenclosed area to define the particular circumference.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the proximity algorithm specifies that the portion of the document to be scanned is located within a particular distance from the residue.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the residue is a chemical substance, and wherein the residue is deposited by a finger in contact with the document.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable program code is downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable program code is downloaded over a network from a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium with the remote system.