# US 6,724,504 B1 · Image reading system and image reading device

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- Number: US 6,724,504 B1
- Document ID: US6724504B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/480,460
- Filed: 2000-01-11
- Granted: 2004-04-20
- Earliest claimed: 1999-01-12
- Assignees: PENTAX Corporation
- Inventors: Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6724504B1

## CPC

- H04N 1/00384: {Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads (electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00)}
- H04N 1/0035: {User-machine interface; Control console (input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00)}
- H04N 1/0044: {for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet}
- H04N 1/12: using the sheet-feed movement {or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement} as the slow scanning component, {e.g. arrangements for the main-scanning}({sheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; } using multi-element arrays H04N1/19)
- H04N 1/193: using electrically scanned linear arrays {, e.g. linear CCD arrays}
- H04N 2201/0406: Scanning slides
- H04N 2201/0408: Scanning film strips or rolls
- H04N 2201/0416: Performing a pre-scan
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

The image reading system comprises an image reading device and a computer, which can be connected to the image reading device to operate it. In the image reading device, a film, in which an image is recorded, is regularly intermittently moved, so that the image is read by a line sensor. In a pre-scanning operation, the film is moved with a pitch which is coarser than that of a regular scanning operation, so that a pre-view image is read by the line sensor, and is displayed on a screen of a liquid crystal display device. A control bar, indicated on the screen along with the pre-view image, is operated by handling a track ball and a click button, so that an image quality of the pre-view image is adjusted. Namely, even in a stand-alone mode in which the image reading device is operated independently from the computer, the image quality of the pre-view image can be adjusted.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image reading system comprising:
a housing;
a pre-scanning processor that reads an image, recorded in a read object, with a first pitch which is coarser than a second pitch used in a regular scanning operation in which said image is read as a final reading operation, so that a pre-view image is obtained, said pre-scanning processor being provided in said housing;
an image display processor that displays said pre-view image, said image display processor being provided in said housing;
an image quality adjustment information input processor that inputs information for adjusting an image quality of said pre-view image, said image quality adjustment information input processor being provided in said housing;
an image quality adjusting processor that adjusts an image quality of said pre-view image in accordance with said information, said image quality adjusting processor being provided to said housing; and
an external device provided outside of said housing, said external device being configured to process an image signal corresponding to said image;
wherein the image quality adjusting processor adjusts an image quality in accordance with information output from the external device when the external device is operably connected to the housing, and wherein the image quality adjusting processor adjusts an image quality in accordance with information output from the image quality adjusting information input processor when the external device is not connected to the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said pre-scanning processor comprises an optical sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said image display processor comprises a liquid crystal display device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said image quality adjusting processor adjusts at least one of a color, a lightness, a chroma and a contrast of said pre-view image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein said external device comprises an external image display processor that displays said pre-view image.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein said external device comprises an external image quality adjustment information input processor that inputs information for adjusting an image quality of said pre-view image, and an information transmitting processor that transmits a parameter corresponding to said information to an electronic circuit provided in said housing, said image quality being adjusted by said electronic circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusted pre-view image transmitting processor that transmits an adjusted pre-view image, obtained by adjusting said pre-view image in accordance with said parameter, to said external device.