Image data correction

Claim 1

In an apparatus using a CCD line photosensor for scanning an original image in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, a method for correcting Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) color component data obtained by the CCD line photosensor from light emitted by R, G and B light source lamps and transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising the steps of: (a) generating CCD line photosensor control pulses for enabling said line photosensor for integration periods; (b) turning on one of the three lamps at predetermined times after the occurrence of said control pulses; (c) detecting an effective light quantity emitted from the lamp selected in step (b); (d) turning off the lamp selected in step (b) when the effective light quantity emitted therefrom is at a setup quantity within a time period between the occurrences of two successive said control pulses; (e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) on the other two lamps and thereafter on each of the three lamps, and outputting each color component data obtained by the CCD line photosensor; and (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for each scanning line in the subscanning direction of the original image.

Claim 9

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted by R, G and B light source lamps and transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller synchronized with the CCD control pulse signal for generating a reset signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on control signal at a certain time after the occurrence of the reset signal; (e) a light quantity monitor for generating a light quantity detection pulse signal in response to a setup electric quantity received before the next occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off control signal upon receiving the light quantity detection pulse; (g) lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off control signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order; (h) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (i) means for controlling an operation cycle of (a)-(g) once within each of said lines.

Claim 10

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted by R, G and B light source lamps and transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller synchronized with the CCD control pulse signal for generating a reset signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on control signal at a certain time after the occurrence of the reset signal; (e) a light quantity monitor for generating a light quantity detection pulse signal in response to a setup electric quantity received before the next occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off control signal upon receiving the light quantity detection pulse; (g) lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off control signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order; (h) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (i) means for controlling an operation cycle of (a)-(g) once within each of said lines.

Claim 11

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a periodic CCD control pulse signal of a period 2V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, and first CCD control pulse signals in the middle of the period of the periodic CCD control pulse signal; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the three R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller synchronized to the CCD control pulse signal for generating a reset signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on control signal to turn on one of the three lamps a certain time before the occurrence of the periodic CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor synchronized to the reset signal for generating a light quantity detection pulse signal upon detecting that the electric quantity from the monitoring photosensor is at a setup electric quantity; (f) a third timing controller responsive to the light quantity detection pulse for controlling the CCD controller to generate the first CCD control pulse signal; (g) a fourth timing controller for generating a lamp turn off control signal a certain time after the occurrence of the first CCD control pulse signal; (h) a lamp controller responsive to the turn on and turn off control signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.

Claim 12

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a periodic CCD control pulse signal of a period 2V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, and first CCD control pulse signals in the middle of the period of the periodic CCD control pulse signal; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the three R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller synchronized to the CCD control pulse signal for generating a reset signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on control signal to turn on one of the three lamps a certain time before the occurrence of the periodic CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor synchronized to the reset signal for generating a light quantity detection pulse signal upon detecting that the electric quantity from the monitoring photosensor is at a setup electric quantity; (f) a third timing controller responsive to the light quantity detection pulse for controlling the CCD controller to generate the first CCD control pulse signal; (g) a fourth timing controller for generating a lamp turn off control signal a certain time after the occurrence of the first CCD control pulse signal; (h) a lamp controller responsive to the turn on and turn off control signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.

Claim 13

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller for generating a sampling pulse signal synchronized with the risetime of the CCD control pulse signal and a reset signal synchronized with the falltime of the CCD control pulse signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on signal a certain time after the occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor responsive to the first timing controller for sampling the electric quantity output from the monitoring photosensor in synchronization with the sampling pulse and outputting the sampled data, the light quantity monitor being reset by the reset signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off signal at a time before the next occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (g) a lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off signals; (h) a light quantity correction divider responsive to the sampled data for dividing a voltage corresponding to color component data, obtained by the CCD line photosensor, by a voltage corresponding to the effective light quantity emitted from the lamp; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.

Claim 14

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for generating a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantity emitted from each of the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller for generating a sampling pulse signal synchronized with the risetime of the CCD control pulse signal and a reset signal synchronized with the falltime of the CCD control pulse signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on signal a certain time after the occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor responsive to the first timing controller for sampling the electric quantity output from the monitoring photosensor in synchronization with the sampling pulse and outputting the sampled data, the light quantity monitor being reset by the reset signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off signal at a time before the next occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (g) a lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off signals; (h) a light quantity correction divider responsive to the sampled data for dividing a voltage corresponding to color component data, obtained by the CCD line photosensor, by a voltage corresponding to the effective light quantity emitted from the lamp; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.

Claim 15

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for outputting a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantities emitted from the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller for generating a sampling pulse signal synchronized with the risetime of the CCD control pulse signal and a reset signal synchronized with the falltime of the CCD control pulse signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on signal a certain time after the occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor responsive to the first timing controller for sampling the electric quantity output from the monitoring photosensor in synchronization with the sampling pulse and outputting the sampled data, the light quantity monitor being reset by the reset signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off signal in the interval of the next two occurrences of the CCD control pulse signal; (g) a lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order, synchronized with every second pulse of the CCD control pulse signal; (h) a light quantity correction divider responsive to the sampled data for dividing a voltage corresponding to color component data, obtained by the CCD line photosensor, by a voltage corresponding to the effective light quantity emitted from the lamp; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.

Claim 16

An apparatus for correcting R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) obtained by a CCD line photosensor from light emitted from R, G and B light source lamps transmitted through or reflected at an original, comprising: (a) a CCD controller for outputting a pulse signal of a period V, where V is an integration time of the CCD line photosensor, for controlling said photosensor; (b) a monitoring photosensor for converting the light quantities emitted from the R, G and B lamps into corresponding electric quantities; (c) a first timing controller for generating a sampling pulse signal synchronized with the risetime of the CCD control pulse signal and a reset signal synchronized with the falltime of the CCD control pulse signal; (d) a second timing controller for generating a lamp turn on signal a certain time after the occurrence of the CCD control pulse signal; (e) a light quantity monitor responsive to the first timing controller for sampling the electric quantity output from the monitoring photosensor in synchronization with the sampling pulse and outputting the sampled data, the light quantity monitor being reset by the reset signal; (f) a third timing controller for generating a lamp turn off signal in the interval of the next two occurrences of the CCD control pulse signal; (g) a lamp controller responsive to the lamp turn on and lamp turn off signals for turning on and off the lamps periodically and in order, synchronized with every second pulse of the CCD control pulse signal; (h) a light quantity correction divider responsive to the sampled data for dividing a voltage corresponding to color component data, obtained by the CCD line photosensor, by a voltage corresponding to the effective light quantity emitted from the lamp; (i) means for scanning said original with said line photosensor along successive lines in a subscanning direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction; and (j) means for controlling an operating cycle of (a)-(h) once within each of said lines.