Method and apparatus for using data compression techniques to increase a speed at which documents are scanned through a scanning device

• US 9,013,760 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Poole, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudolph, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURLESON, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/765,545
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1911 Simultaneously or substantially simultaneously scanning picture elements on more than one main scanning line, e.g. scanning in swaths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00

Abstract

A scanner device includes a plurality of image sensor arrays and an image processing component. Each image sensor is configured to acquire a corresponding sequence of image slices, wherein the sequences of image slices are concurrently acquired, and wherein each sequence of image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium. The image processing component is configured to generate an image file representing the target medium based at least in part on the sequences of image slices.

Claims

1. A scanner device comprising:

a plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays is configured to acquire a corresponding sequence of analog image slices such that a plurality of corresponding sequences of analog image slices are acquired by the plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein

(i) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of analog image slices is concurrently acquired, and

(ii) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of analog image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

an analog front end component configured to (i) receive the plurality of sequences of analog image slices and (ii) convert the plurality of sequences of analog images slices into a corresponding plurality of sequences of digital image slices; and

an image processing component configured to generate an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays based at least in part on the plurality of corresponding sequences of digital image slices,

wherein the analog front end component is configured to convert, in parallel, analog image slices from at least two of the plurality of sequences of analog image slices.

2. The scanner device of claim 1, further comprising:

a media transport path configured to advance the target medium along the media transport path during a scan of the target medium.

3. The scanner device of claim 1, wherein the image processing component is configured to arrange, in the image file, the plurality of corresponding sequences of digital image slices in an order that corresponds to a contiguous scan of the target medium.

4. A scanner device comprising:

a plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays is configured to acquire a corresponding sequence of image slices such that a plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices is acquired by the plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein

(i) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices is concurrently acquired, and

(ii) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

an image processing component configured to generate an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays based at least in part on the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices, wherein the image processing component is configured to determine a separation distance between immediately adjacent image sensor arrays of the plurality of image sensors arrays; and

at least one driver configured to drive at least one image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays from a first location to a second location, wherein at the second location the at least one image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor array is separated from an immediate adjacent image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays by the determined separation distance.

5. The scanner device of claim 4, further comprising:

one or more input and output devices configured to provide a user interface to receive user input selecting at least one of (i) a scan orientation for the target medium and (ii) a size for the target medium, wherein the image processing component determines the separation distance based at least in part on the user input.

6. The scanner device of claim 4, further comprising:

a carriage configured to carry the plurality of image sensors; and

a carriage motor configured to translate the carriage, wherein the plurality of image sensors are translated as one with the carriage.

7. The scanner device of claim 6, wherein the at least one driver is carried by the carriage.

8. A scanner device comprising:

a plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays is configured to acquire a corresponding sequence of image slices such that a plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices is acquired by the plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein

(i) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices is concurrently acquired, and

(ii) each one of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

an image processing component configured to generate an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays based at least in part on the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices,

wherein a first sequence of image slices of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices includes at least one image slice that is an approximate or full duplicate of at least one image slice of a second sequence of image slices of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices, and wherein the image processing component is configured to omit the at least one image slice of the first sequence of image slices of the plurality of corresponding sequences of image slices.

9. A method of scanning a target medium, comprising:

concurrently acquiring a plurality of sequences of analog image slices with a corresponding plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein each sequence of analog image slices of the plurality of sequences of analog image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of the target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

converting the plurality of sequences of analog image slices into a plurality of sequences of digital image slices, wherein each analog image slice comprises a plurality of analog pixel values that are digitized to convert into a corresponding digital image slice;

based at least in part on the plurality of sequences of digital image slices, generating an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays,

wherein the converting the plurality of sequences of analog image slices into the plurality of sequences of digital image slices comprises

converting, in parallel, analog image slices from each of the plurality of sequences of analog image slices.

10. A method of scanning a target medium, comprising:

concurrently acquiring a plurality of sequences of image slices with a corresponding plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein each sequence of image slices of the plurality of image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

partitioning a contiguous scan zone into a plurality of contiguous partial scan zones;

aligning, one to one, a respective partial scan zone of the plurality of contiguous partial scan zones and a respective image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays; and

generating an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays based at least in part on the plurality of sequences of image slices.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining separation distances between immediately adjacent image sensor arrays of the plurality of image sensors arrays; and

driving at least one image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays to at least a distance that is equal to the separation distance between the at least one image sensor array and immediate adjacent image sensor arrays.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining separation distances between immediately adjacent image sensor arrays of the plurality of image sensors arrays includes:

obtaining a total scan length;

dividing the total scan length by an image sensor array number (N) to obtain a quotient, wherein the image sensor array number (N) is equal to a total number of image sensors arrays that make up the plurality of image sensor arrays, and wherein the separation distances are approximately equal to the quotient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the obtaining a total scan length is based at least one of a scan orientation for the target medium and a size for the target medium.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the concurrently acquiring a plurality of sequences of image slices with a corresponding plurality of image sensor arrays includes:

concurrently scanning each partial scan zone with the respective image sensor array aligned therewith.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the concurrently acquiring a plurality of sequences of image slices with a corresponding plurality of image sensor arrays includes iteratively:

(i) capturing, during a scan interval of time, an image slice with each of image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

(ii) causing, after the scan interval of time, a relative translation between the target medium and the plurality of image sensor arrays; and

(iii) including each captured image slice in a corresponding sequence of image slices of the plurality of sequences of image slices.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the concurrently acquiring a plurality of sequences of image slices with a corresponding plurality of image sensor arrays includes:

causing a relative translation between the target medium and each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays, wherein the relative translation between the target medium and each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays is caused by one of

(i) only moving the plurality of image sensor arrays,

(ii) only moving the target medium, and

(iii) a combination of moving both the target medium and the plurality of image sensor arrays.

17. A scanner device comprising:

a carriage carrying a plurality of image sensor arrays, each image sensor array configured to acquire a corresponding sequence of analog image slices, wherein each sequence of analog image slices are concurrently acquired and each sequence of analog image slices represents a contiguous partial scan of a target medium by a corresponding image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays;

a carriage motor configured to translate the carriage during a scan of the target medium;

an analog front end component configured to receive the plurality of sequences of analog image slices and convert the plurality of sequences of analog images slices into a corresponding plurality of sequences of digital image slices;

an image processing component configured to generate an image file representing the target medium scanned by the plurality of image sensor arrays based at least in part on the plurality of sequences of digital image slices; and

at least one driver configured to drive at least one image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor arrays from a first location to a second location, wherein at the second location each image sensor array of the plurality of image sensor array is separated from immediate adjacent image sensor arrays by a specified separation distance,

wherein the image processing component is configured to determine the specified separation distance between immediately adjacent image sensor arrays of the plurality of image sensors arrays based at least in part on a scan length and an image sensor array number (N), wherein the image sensor array number (N) is equal to a total number of image sensors arrays that make up the plurality of image sensor arrays.