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US 7,256,380 B2Granted
Image reading apparatus
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshikatsu Kamisuwa, Koji Tanimoto, Jun Sakakibara, Kunihiko Miura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for color signal compensation are disclosed. A quality of one type of signal is enhanced using a second type of signal, wherein the second type of signal has a higher quality than that of the unenhanced first type of signal. This may be used in an image forming apparatus for scanning a color image, and using higher-resolution monochrome signals to enhance the resolution of lower-resolution color signals.
Claims14
An image reading apparatus, comprising
- an image sensor unit comprising
- a first photoconverter comprising a first array of first light receiving elements, the first photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a first color from a source image for outputting a first color signal
- a second photoconverter comprising a second array of second light receiving elements, the second photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a second color from a source image for outputting a second color signal
- a third photoconverter comprising a third array of third light receiving elements, the third photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a third color from a source image for outputting a third color signal
- a fourth photoconverter comprising a fourth array of fourth light receiving elements, the fourth photoconverter for photoelectrically converting monochromatic light from the source image for outputting a monochrome signal
- an A/D converter unit to
- convert the first, second, and third color signals into respective first, second, and third digitized color signals each having a first number of bits
- convert the monochrome signal to a digitized monochrome signal having a second number of bits greater than the first number of bits
- a signal correction unit to
- produce enhanced color signals
- use the digitized monochrome signal to modify the first, second, and third digitized color signals to produce the enhanced color signals.
8 more elements
An image reading apparatus comprising
- an image sensor unit comprising
- a first photoconverter comprising a first array of first light receiving elements, the first photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a first color from a source image for outputting a first color signal
- a second photoconverter comprising a second array of second light receiving elements, the second photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a second color from a source image for outputting a second color signal
- a third photoconverter comprising a third array of third light receiving elements, the third photoconverter for photoelectrically converting light of a third color from a source image for outputting a third color signal
- a fourth photoconverter comprising a fourth away of fourth light receiving elements, the fourth photoconverter for photoelectrically converting monochromatic light from the source image for outputting a plurality of monochrome signals
- an A/D converter unit to
- convert the first, second, and third color signals into respective first, second, and third digitized color signals each having a first number of bits
- convert the plurality of monochrome signals to digitized monochrome signals each having a second number of bits greater than the first number of bits
- a signal collection unit to
- produce enhanced color signals
- use the plurality of monochrome signals to modify the first, second, and third digitized color signals to produce the enhanced color signals.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.