IMAGE READING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20170359479A1
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: HARADA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1801 Input data handling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1809 relating to the printing process
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1868 for fitting to an output condition, e.g. paper colour or format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00708 Size or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00779 Adjusting settings, e.g. mode, feeding rate or type of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3875 combined with enlarging or reducing enlarging or reducing per se H04N1/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3935 with modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes a document setting table, an image data generation unit, a downsized image data generation unit, a document information generation unit, and an image cropping unit. The image data generation unit reads a plurality of source documents placed on the document setting table and generates image data representing the plurality of source documents. The downsized image data generation unit generates downsized image data by reducing a size of the image data. The document information generation unit analyzes the downsized image data to detect respective positions of the plurality of source documents and generate document information indicating the detected positions. The image cropping unit cuts out a plurality of regions from the image data according to the document information and acquires a plurality of items of cropped image data respectively representing the plurality of source documents.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

a document setting table;

an image data generation unit that reads a plurality of source documents placed on the document setting table and generates image data representing the plurality of source documents;

a downsized image data generation unit that generates downsized image data by reducing a size of the image data;

a document information generation unit that analyzes the downsized image data to detect respective positions of the plurality of source documents and generate document information indicating the detected positions; and

an image cropping unit that cuts out a plurality of regions from the image data according to the positions indicated by the document information, and acquires a plurality of items of cropped image data respectively representing the plurality of source documents.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the document information generation unit further includes an inclination correction unit that:

analyzes the downsized image data to thereby detect inclination of each of the plurality of source documents, and generates information indicating the detected inclination as part of the document information; and

corrects the inclination of each of the plurality of items of cropped image data according to the inclination indicated by the document information.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the inclination correction unit rotates the cropped image data according to the inclination indicated by the document information, to thereby correct the inclination of each of the plurality of items of cropped image data to a horizontal orientation.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image data synthesizing unit that generates synthesized image data by synthesizing the plurality of items of cropped image data.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit;

a display controller that controls a display operation performed by the display unit;

an instruction reception unit that receives an instruction from a user; and

an output unit that outputs an image corresponding to the image data,

wherein the display controller causes the display unit to display a preview screen showing the plurality of items of cropped image data, and

the output unit outputs an image corresponding to the cropped image data designated by a selection instruction through the instruction reception unit in the preview screen, out of the plurality of items of cropped image data.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the image reading apparatus according to claim 1; and

an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet according to image data generated by the image reading apparatus.