Image acquisition apparatus and image forming apparatus

• US 9,930,211 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HP Printing Korea Co., Ltd. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: S-Printing Solution Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sung, Byung Jun, Yoon, Sung Hyun, Kim, Seok Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US15/332,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20170214826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3876 Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40068 Modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions H04N1/3935 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors

Abstract

An apparatus includes a main body having a stage on which an object to be scanned is supported; a camera module that acquires partial images by photographing a part of the object to be scanned; a rotational body in which the camera module is installed and which is rotatably provided; a driving unit that controls a rotational motion of the rotational body; and an image processing unit that forms a synthesized image by synthesizing the partial images acquired by the camera module, the apparatus capable of acquiring an image with high resolution.

Claims

1. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:

a main body having a stage configured to support an object;

a preview camera module provided above the stage and configured to acquire a preview image of the object supported on the stage;

at least one main camera module provided above the stage and configured to rotate, about a rotation axis substantially orthogonal to the stage, to acquire a plurality of partial images of the object supported on the stage, the partial images respectively corresponding to different rotational positions of the at least one main camera module; and

at least one processor configured to produce an image of the object by synthesizing the acquired plurality of partial images of the object,

wherein at least a portion of each partial image of the plurality of partial images acquired by the at least one main camera module overlaps another partial image of the plurality of partial images.

2. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a rotational body rotatably provided above the stage to support the at least one main camera module; and

a driver configured to generate a driving force to drive the rotational body.

3. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stage comprises a support surface to support the object, and a rotation axis of the rotational body is perpendicular to the support surface.

4. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, the rotational body rotates in one direction from a home position toward a final position, and when the rotational body reaches the final position, the rotational body rotates in an opposite direction to return to the home position.

5. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, while the main camera module is acquiring the plurality of partial images of the object, the rotational body is stopped.

6. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the preview camera module and the at least one main camera module comprises a two-dimensional image sensor in which imaging devices for detecting light are arranged in two dimensions.

7. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driver comprises a motor configured to generate a rotational force and a power transfer member configured to transfer the generated rotational force of the motor to the rotational body.

8. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the main body comprises a base portion provided above the stage to support the rotational body.

9. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a rail member configured to guide a rotational motion of the rotational body.

10. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a roller member installed on the rotational body and configured to roll on the rail member.

11. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 2, comprising an angle sensor configured to sense a rotational angle of the rotational body and a home position sensor configured to sense whether the rotational body is located at a home position.

12. An image acquisition apparatus comprising:

a stage having a support surface configured to support an object;

a rotational body configured to rotate above the stage about a rotation axis perpendicular to the support surface; and

at least one main camera module installed at an eccentric position with respect to the rotation axis of the rotational body and configured to acquire a plurality of partial images of the object by photographing portions of the object supported on the stage respectively corresponding to different rotational positions of the rotational body,

wherein at least a portion of each partial image of the plurality of partial images acquired by the at least one main camera module overlaps another partial image of the plurality of partial images.

13. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one main camera module comprises a plurality of main camera modules, and the plurality of main camera modules are arranged in a radial direction.

14. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of main camera modules is configured to acquire a portion of the plurality of partial images.

15. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 12, comprising a preview camera module configured to acquire a preview image of the object by photographing the entire object facing the preview camera module at once.

16. The image acquisition apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the preview camera module is installed on the rotation axis of the rotational body.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a stage configured to support an object;

a camera module that is rotatably provided above the stage, configured to rotate, about a rotation axis substantially orthogonal to the stage, and is configured to acquire a plurality of partial images of the object by photographing a portion of the object at a time respectively corresponding to different rotational positions of the camera module;

at least one processor configured to form a synthesized image by synthesizing the plurality of partial images acquired by the camera module; and

a printer configured to print the synthesized image formed by the at least one processor on a recording medium,

wherein at least a portion of each partial image of the plurality of partial images acquired by the camera module overlaps another partial image of the plurality of partial images.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a rotational body in which the camera module is installed and rotatably provided.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, comprising a driver configured to control a rotational motion of the rotational body.