Image processing apparatus and image processing method

An image processing method in an image processing apparatus in which an area sensor formed by arranging sensor components for a pixel in a two-dimensional array is attached in an inclined manner with respect to a reference installation position, and which includes a sensor unit which reads, from the sensor components for a pixel which are determined based on an inclination angle indicating an inclination of the area sensor from the reference installation position and have been arranged within the area sensor, image data in which the inclination has been corrected, the image processing method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of frames of image data having a shift of less than one pixel, by scanning an original document image once by the sensor unit;
• obtaining image data with a resolution higher than resolutions of the sensor components for a pixel by using the obtained image data to perform interpolation processing, wherein the area sensor has an effective reading region which is determined based on the inclination angle indicating the inclination of the area sensor from the reference installation position and the number of the sensor components for a pixel configuring a long side and a short side of the area sensor, and wherein the effective reading region is a rectangular region existing within the area sensor installed in an inclined manner with respect to the reference installation position;
• receiving, from a user, designation of a resolution of an output image when the original document image is output;
• comparing the number of the frames of the image data required for obtaining the output image with the designated resolution, with the number of the plurality of frames of the image data which can be obtained in the image data obtaining step;
• and
• obtaining the image data in which the inclination has been corrected, from the sensor components for a pixel arranged within the effective reading region and the sensor components for a pixel arranged out of the effective reading region, if it is determined in the comparing step that the number of the frames of the required image data is larger.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a program that, when executed by a processor, performs an image processing method in an image processing apparatus in which an area sensor formed by arranging sensor components for a pixel in a two-dimensional array is attached in an inclined manner with respect to a reference installation position, and which includes a sensor unit which reads, from the sensor components for a pixel which are determined based on an inclination angle indicating an inclination of the area sensor from the reference installation position and have been arranged within the area sensor, image data in which the inclination has been corrected, the image processing method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of frames of image data having a shift of less than one pixel, by scanning an original document image once by the sensor unit;
• obtaining image data with a resolution higher than resolutions of the sensor components for a pixel by using the obtained image data to perform interpolation processing, wherein the area sensor has an effective reading region which is determined based on the inclination angle indicating the inclination of the area sensor from the reference installation position and the number of the sensor components for a pixel configuring a long side and a short side of the area sensor, and wherein the effective reading region is a rectangular region existing within the area sensor installed in an inclined manner with respect to the reference installation position;
• receiving, from a user, designation of a resolution of an output image when the original document image is output;
• comparing the number of the frames of the image data required for obtaining the output image with the designated resolution, with the number of the plurality of frames of the image data which can be obtained in the image data obtaining step;
• and
• obtaining the image data in which the inclination has been corrected, from the sensor components for a pixel arranged within the effective reading region and the sensor components for a pixel arranged out of the effective reading region, if it is determined in the comparing step that the number of the frames of the required image data is larger.