EP0276126A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Image reading apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1988-01-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-01-19
Abstract
Abstract An image reading apparatus such as a color copying apparatus has a plurality of sensing CCD chips for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal, each sensing CCD chips having a plurality of sensing elements. The apparatus also has a circuit for converting the electrical signal into digital data. A first adjusting circuit is provided for conducting either one of an operation for obtaining level matching of the electrical signal converted by the sensing chips and an operation for controlling the gain of the electrical signal converted by the sensing chips. The apparatus further has a second adjusting circuit for effecting compensation for fluctuation of characteristics of the sensing elements of the sensing chips, by making use of the digital data converted by the converting circuit, the second adjusting cirtcuit being adapted for effecting the compensation on the basis of electrical signals which are produced as a result of conversion by the sensing chips from two objects having different levels of density from each other such as white and black levels.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshio Honma
- 👤 Nobuo Matsuoka
- 👤 Shizuo Hasegawa
- 👤 Yasumichi Suzuki
- 👤 Hiroshi Itagaki
- 👤 Kenji Sasahara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/40; H04N1/407; H04N1/4076; H04N1/401
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
An image reading apparatus comprising: a) a plurality of sensing means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal, each sensing means having a plurality of sensing elements; b) means for converting said electrical signal into digital data; c) first adjusting means for conducting either one of an operation for obtaining level matching of said electrical signal converted by said sensing means and an operation for controlling the gain of said electrical signal converted by said sensing means; and d) second adjusting means for effecting compensation for fluctuation of characteristics of said sensing elements of said sensing means, by making use of said digital data converted by said converting means, said second adjusting means being adapted for effecting said compensation on the basis of electrical signals which are produced as a result of conversion by said sensing means from two objects having different levels of density from each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
An image reading apparatus comprising: a) a plurality of sensing means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal, each sensing means having a plurality of sensing elements; b) means for converting said electrical signal into digital data; c) first adjusting means for conducting either one of an operation for obtaining level matching of said electrical signal converted by said sensing means and an operation for controlling the gain of said electrical signal converted by said sensing means; and d) second adjusting means for effecting compensation for fluctuation of characteristics of said sensing elements of said sensing means, by making use of said digital data converted by said converting means, said second adjusting means being adapted for effecting said compensation on the basis of electrical signals which are produced as a result of conversion by said sensing means from two objects having different levels of density from each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image reading apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensing means are arranged in a linear form.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image reading apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said first adjusting means includes clamp means for clamping said electrical signal at a predetermined level, said operation for obtaining level matching of said electrical signals is conducted by said clamp means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An image reading apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said second adjusting means includes amplifying means for amplifying said electrical signal with a predetermined amplification factor, said operation for controlling the gain of said electrical signal performed by said first adjusting means is conducted by said amplifying means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
An image reading apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said second adjusting means is adapted for effecting said compensation for fluctuation of said sensing elements in accordance with electrical signals obtained through conversion by said sensing means from a first object of a first density and a second object of a second density higher than said first density.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
An image reading apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein said second adjusting means includes: a) first memory means for storing said electrical signal obtained through conversion by said sensing means from said first object; b) second memory means for storing said electrical signal obtained through conversion by said sensing means from said second object; and c) correcting means for correcting said digital data in accordance with said electrical signals stored in said first and second memory means.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
84 words
An apparatus comprising a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal, said means having a plurality of converting elements; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an information corresponding to fluctuation of said converting elements; and c) memory means for storing said information corresponding to the fluctuation of said converting elements, wherein said information is obtained through a computation of correlation between a remarked pixel and a pixel adjacent to said remarked pixel in said converting element.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
84 words
An apparatus comprising a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal, said means having a plurality of converting elements; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an information corresponding to fluctuation of said converting elements; and c) memory means for storing said information corresponding to the fluctuation of said converting elements, wherein said information is obtained through a computation of correlation between a remarked pixel and a pixel adjacent to said remarked pixel in said converting element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said fluctuation of said elements is fluctuation of converting characteristics of said converting elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, further comprising: computing means for computing said information concerning correlation between the remarked pixel and a pixel adjacent to said remarked pixel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said fluctuation of said converting elements is the fluctuation in the dark current characteristics of said converting elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, further comprising: digital conversion means for converting said electrical signal into a digital value, wherein said adjusting means adjusts the digital value obtained through conversion by said digital conversion means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, further comprising: digital conversion means for converting said electrical signal into a digital value, wherein said information is formed by a computation from the digital value obtained through conversion by said digital conversion means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said information is obtained in accordance with the electrical signal produced through conversion by said digital conversion means from an object of a high level of density.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said information is obtained in accordance with the electrical signal produced through conversion by said digital conversion means from an object of a low level of density.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
75 words
An apparatus comprising: a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an adjusting information; c) memory means for storing said adjusting information; d) control means for conducting a control as to whether said adjusting information stored in said memory means is to be corrected or not; and e) setting means for manually setting the control operation performed by said control means.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
75 words
An apparatus comprising: a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an adjusting information; c) memory means for storing said adjusting information; d) control means for conducting a control as to whether said adjusting information stored in said memory means is to be corrected or not; and e) setting means for manually setting the control operation performed by said control means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to Claim 15, further comprising: means for generating said adjusting information based on said electrical signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to Claim 15, wherein said converting means includes a plurality of converting elements.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to Claim 17, wherein said adjusting means adjusts said electrical signal from each of said converting elements.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to Claim 15, wherein said memory means includes a RAM.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to Claim 15, wherein said setting means includes a manually operable member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus according to Claim 17, wherein said converting means is divided into a plurality of converting areas, and said memory means stores at least the adjusting information for each of said converting areas.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to Claim 16, wherein said generating means is adapted for generating said adjusting information on the basis of an electrical signal obtained through conversion by said converting means from an object of a high level of density.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
39 words
An apparatus comprising: a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an adjusting information; and c) means for displaying adjusting condition of said adjusting means.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
39 words
An apparatus comprising: a) means for converting an image of an object into an electrical signal; b) means for adjusting said electrical signal according to an adjusting information; and c) means for displaying adjusting condition of said adjusting means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus according to Claim 23, further comprising: a) memory means for storing said adjusting information; and b) control means for conducting a control as to whether said adjusting information stored in said memory means is to be corrected or not.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said converting means is divided into a plurality of converting areas.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to Claim 24, wherein said display means is adapted to display whether the present mode of operation is a mode for correcting the adjusting information stored in said memory means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said display means includes LCD display elements.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to Claim 23, wherein said display means is designed to display at least one kind of information in addition to said adjusting condition of said adjusting means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
44 words
An adjusting apparatus comprising: a) handling means for handling digital data obtained through a conversion by a predetermined quantizing step from analog data; and b) first means for adjusting said analog data in a discrete manner through a step smaller than said quantizing steps.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
44 words
An adjusting apparatus comprising: a) handling means for handling digital data obtained through a conversion by a predetermined quantizing step from analog data; and b) first means for adjusting said analog data in a discrete manner through a step smaller than said quantizing steps.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to Claim 29, further comprising: c) second means for adjusting said analog data in accordance with the digital data obtained through said conversion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to Claim 29, further comprising: c) analog-to-digital conversion means for converting said analog date into digital data through said predetermined quantizing step.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to Claim 30, further comprising: d) analog-to-digital conversion means for converting said analog date into digital data through said predetermined quantizing step.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said first means includes: a) clamp means for clamping said analog data at a predetermined level; and b) adjusting means for adjusting said predetermined level of clamp through a step smaller than said quantizing step.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to Claim 29, wherein said handling means includes computing means for computing said digital data.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
116 words
An image data processing apparatus comprising: a) supply means for supplying analog image data; b) first adjusting means for adjusting the level of the analog image data supplied by said supply means; c) converting means for converting said analog image data into digital image data through a predetermined quantizing step after the adjustment of said analog image data by said first adjusting means; d) second adjusting means for adjusting specific data of said digital image data to a predetermined level; and e) control means for controlling the adjusting condition of said first adjusting means, said control means being adapted for adjusting the level of said analog image data through a step smaller than said quantizing step.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
116 words
An image data processing apparatus comprising: a) supply means for supplying analog image data; b) first adjusting means for adjusting the level of the analog image data supplied by said supply means; c) converting means for converting said analog image data into digital image data through a predetermined quantizing step after the adjustment of said analog image data by said first adjusting means; d) second adjusting means for adjusting specific data of said digital image data to a predetermined level; and e) control means for controlling the adjusting condition of said first adjusting means, said control means being adapted for adjusting the level of said analog image data through a step smaller than said quantizing step.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to Claim 35, wherein said supply means for supplying analog image data includes converting means for converting a radiation image into said analog image data.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to Claim 35, wherein said first adjusting means includes: a) clamp means for clamping said analog data at a predetermined level; and b) clamp level adjusting means for adjusting said predetermined level of clamp through a step smaller than said quantizing step; wherein said control means controls said predetermined level of clamp by said clamp means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to Claim 35, wherein said second adjusting means is adapted for adjusting said specific data of said digital data to a predetermined level with an adjusting amount unit corresponding to said quantizing step.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
72 words
A signal adjusting apparatus comprising: a) conversion means for converting given analog data into digital data through a predetermined quantizing step; b) first adjusting means for effecting an adjustment of said conversion means such that a predetermined component of said analog data is converted into a predetermined digital data value; and c) second adjusting means for adjusting said analog data in a discrete manner through a step smaller than said quantizing step.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
72 words
A signal adjusting apparatus comprising: a) conversion means for converting given analog data into digital data through a predetermined quantizing step; b) first adjusting means for effecting an adjustment of said conversion means such that a predetermined component of said analog data is converted into a predetermined digital data value; and c) second adjusting means for adjusting said analog data in a discrete manner through a step smaller than said quantizing step.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus for producing image signals representing an image, comprising means for compensating for undesired variations in the image signals.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus for producing image signals representing an image, comprising means for compensating for undesired variations in the image signals.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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