US 6,747,765 B2 · Image reading system

Abstract

An image reading system constructed as in the following in order to shorten a time from a turn-on of an original illuminating lamp to a substantial image reading operation and perform a high speed scanning. A position and size of an original which do not require a stable light amount of the original illumination lamp are read during a forwards pre-scanning operation period (tps) during which the light amount is unstable after the start of the pre-scanning. During the period (tacs1) after a timing (t1) when the light amount becomes stable during the forwards pre-scanning operation, an original color information is read from an area of the original from which the color information cannot be read during the backwards pre-scanning operation. Accordingly, the total time required for the pre-scanning operation can be made shorter than that required by a conventional pre-scanning operation which reads the original information and color information only during the forwards pre-scanning operation.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An image reading system comprising:

(a) an illuminating unit which illuminates an original;
(b) a reading unit which reads an image of the original illuminated by said illuminating unit;
(c) a moving unit which causes said reading unit to move relative to the image in forward and backward directions;
(d) a detection unit which detects at least one of a size of the original and a position of the original;
and
(e) a controller that controls said detection unit to detect the at least one of the size of the original and the position of the originals and said reading unit to read color information of the original when said moving unit moves said reading unit in the relatively forward direction, and that controls said reading unit to read color information of an area of the original when said moving unit moves said reading unit in the relatively backward direction,
wherein the color information of the area of the original read during relative movement in the backward direction is not read by the reading unit during relative movement in the forward direction.

4 more elements

An image reading method comprising the steps of;

(a) illuminating an original with an illuminating unit;
(b) reading, with a reading unit, an image of the original illuminated in said illuminating step;
(c) moving, with a moving unit, the reading unit relative to the image in forward and backward directions;
(d) detecting at least one of a size of the original and a position of the original;
and
(e) controlling, (i) when the reading unit moves in the forward direction, said detection step and said reading step such that at least one of the size of the original and the position of the original is detected and said reading step such that color information of the original is read, and, (ii) when the reading unit moves in the backward direction, said reading step such that color information of an area of the original is read,
wherein the color information of the area of the original read in the backward direction is not read by said reading step during motion in the forward direction.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image reading system

Life of this patent

Image reading system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17