Document scanner having a selectable range of resolutions with reduced processing
US6831761B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N1/486
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A document scanner for producing any combination of color or grayscale or bi-tonal document images having a selectable range of resolutions is provided that maximizes image production speed by minimizing the processing required to produce the particular type of images selected. The scanner includes an imaging camera including a high-resolution grayscale CCD sensor in combination with lower resolution red, green, and blue CCD sensors. The scanner further includes an image processing circuit for processing data generated by the grayscale and color CCD sensors into any combination of color, grayscale, or bi-tonal document images having high or low resolution. High-resolution color images are produced by superimposing the high-resolution grayscale image generated by the grayscale sensor with the lower resolution color images generated by the color CCD sensors. The image processing circuit may also produce high or low resolution, color, grayscale or bi-tonal images when selected at respectively lower bandwidths. In all cases, image production speed is maximized by using only a minimum amount of processing required to generate the particular type and resolution of document image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.