Image combining device and image combining method

An image combining method, to read a flat medium, a size of which is larger than a size of a reading window of an image read section of flatbed type, and to generate an image of said medium, the image combining method comprising:

• storing said flat medium into a transparent holder, in which a plurality of matching reference points are marked in an edge region;
• placing said transparent holder on said reading window;
• reading said medium held in said transparent holder, to generate a plurality of partial images, each of which includes an image of a part of said medium and a part of the plurality of matching reference points, the matching reference points being arranged along a part of an edge of the image of the part of said medium;
• and
• combining said plurality of partial images based on the matching reference points included in said plurality of partial images, to generate a combined image including an image of said medium.

A transparent holder, to hold a flat medium, a part of which is read by an image read section of flatbed type, a size of said flat medium being larger than a size of a reading window of the image read section, the transparent holder comprising:

• a plurality of matching reference points in an edge region, wherein
• a plurality of partial images are generated, each of which includes an image of the part of said medium and a part of the plurality of matching reference points,
• the matching reference points are arranged along a part of an edge of the image of the part of the medium, and
• said plurality of partial images are combined based on the matching reference points included in said plurality of partial images, to generate a combined image including an image of said medium.

An image combining device, comprising:

• a holding means for holding a flat medium, a plurality of matching reference points marked in an edge region;
• image reading means for reading said medium held in said holding means placed on a reading window, a size of said medium being larger than a size of said reading window, and for generating a plurality of partial images, each of which includes an image of a part of said medium and a part of the plurality of matching reference points, the matching reference points being arranged along a part of an edge of the image of the part of said medium;
• and
• control means for combining said plurality of partial images based on the matching reference points included in said plurality of partial images, and for generating a combined image including an image of said medium.

A recording medium, to record a program, which makes a computer execute a process to read a flat medium, a size of which is larger than a size of a reading window of an image read section of flatbed type, and to generate an image of said medium, the process comprising:

• reading said flat medium held in a transparent holder, in which a plurality of matching reference points are marked in an edge region, said transparent holder being placed on said reading window;
• generating a plurality of partial images, each of which includes an image of a part of said medium and a part of the plurality of matching reference points, the matching reference points being arranged along a part of an edge of the image of the part of said medium;
• and
• combining said plurality of partial images based on the matching reference points included in said plurality of partial images, to generate a combined image including the image of said medium.