Document reading apparatus having a function of determining effective document region based on a detected data

Claim 2

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; detecting means for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imaging means; and processing means for processing the output from the imaging means based on an output from the detecting means.

Claim 3

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects a hand or a finger on the basis of its difference from the document in luminous density.

Claim 4

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects a hand or a finger by means of color detection.

Claim 5

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting means performs a detecting operation within a predetermined area on a document.

Claim 6

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined area of detection is determined depending on a document size.

Claim 7

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processing means replaces any detected hand or finger output from the means for imaging with a white output signal.

Claim 8

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detecting means includes a counter for generating pulses and means for judging if the counted pulses represent a hand or a finger.

Claim 9

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detecting means includes an infrared detector.

Claim 10

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; detecting means for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imaging means; and processing means for processing to delete an image data of the object, on the basis of detecting the result of the detecting means.

Claim 11

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; detecting means for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imaging means; and processing means for processing to delete an image data of the object, on the basis of detecting the result of the detecting means.

Claim 12

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the detecting means performs a detecting operation within a predetermined area on a document.

Claim 13

A document reading apparatus comprising: a first imaging means for imaging a document placed on a document holder and obtaining a picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; calculating means for calculating a chromaticity of two specified colors from the imaged picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; judging means for judging, from the chromaticity of the two colors, whether or not the imaged picture element output is of a predetermined color; a second imaging means for imaging the document; and rectifying means for rectifying to delete an image data of the second imaging means on the basis of a judgment result of the judging means.

Claim 14

A document reading apparatus comprising: a first imaging means for imaging a document placed on a document holder and obtaining a picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; calculating means for calculating a chromaticity of two specified colors from the imaged picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; judging means for judging, from the chromaticity of the two colors, whether or not the imaged picture element output is of a predetermined color; a second imaging means for imaging the document; and rectifying means for rectifying to delete an image data of the second imaging means on the basis of a judgment result of the judging means.

Claim 15

A document reading apparatus comprising: a first imaging means for imaging a document placed on a document holder and obtaining a picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue, wherein a flesh color region is detected; calculating means for calculating chromaticity of two specified colors from the imaged picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; judging means for judging, from the chromaticity of the two colors, whether or not the imaged picture element output is of a predetermined color; a second imaging means for imaging the document, wherein an image region containing characters or pictures is detected; rectifying means for rectifying an output from the said second imaging means on the basis of an output from the above judging means; and a warning means for warning when the flesh color region and the image region are overlapping.

Claim 16

A document reading apparatus comprising: a first imaging means for imaging a document placed on a document holder and obtaining a picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue, wherein a flesh color region is detected; calculating means for calculating chromaticity of two specified colors from the imaged picture element output of three colors of red, green, and blue; judging means for judging, from the chromaticity of the two colors, whether or not the imaged picture element output is of a predetermined color; a second imaging means for imaging the document, wherein an image region containing characters or pictures is detected; rectifying means for rectifying an output from the said second imaging means on the basis of an output from the above judging means; and a warning means for warning when the flesh color region and the image region are overlapping.

Claim 17

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for scanning a document to provide image signals; first means for processing the image signals to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that contains printing; second means for processing the image signals to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that represents a hand or a finger; and means for providing a warning to an operator when the second means determines a hand or a finger are represented in the image signals.

Claim 18

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for scanning a document to provide image signals; first means for processing the image signals to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that contains printing; second means for processing the image signals to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that represents a hand or a finger; and means for providing a warning to an operator when the second means determines a hand or a finger are represented in the image signals.

Claim 19

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for scanning a document to provide image signals; first means for initially scanning the document with the scanning means to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that represents a hand or a finger and storing the same; and second means for subsequently scanning the document to provide image signals with that portion of the document including a hand or a finger removed from the image signals.

Claim 20

A document reading apparatus comprising: means for scanning a document to provide image signals; first means for initially scanning the document with the scanning means to determine that portion of the scanned document image signals that represents a hand or a finger and storing the same; and second means for subsequently scanning the document to provide image signals with that portion of the document including a hand or a finger removed from the image signals.

Claim 21

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder; a detector for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imaging means; and a processor for processing the output from the images based on an output from the detector.

Claim 22

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder; a detector for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imaging means; and a processor for processing the output from the images based on an output from the detector.

Claim 23

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the detector detects a hand or a finger on the basis of its difference from the document in luminous density.

Claim 24

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the detector detects a hand or a finger by means of color detection.

Claim 25

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the detector performs a detecting operation within a predetermined area on a document, which is less than the overall area of the document.

Claim 26

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the predetermined area of detection is determined depending on a document size.

Claim 27

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imager; and a processor for processing the imager output to delete an image data of a hand or a finger, on the basis of the detected results of the detector.

Claim 28

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting a position of a hand or a finger other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imager; and a processor for processing the imager output to delete an image data of a hand or a finger, on the basis of the detected results of the detector.

Claim 29

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the detector performs a detecting operation only within a predetermined area on a document.

Claim 30

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting an area of luminous density above a predetermined value within a predetermined area of the document, based on an output from the imager in the predetermined area of the document, the predetermined area being positioned at an end portion of the document and not influenced by any luminous density of image information of the document to be imaged; and a processor for processing an output of the imager to delete any image data corresponding to the area of the luminous density above the predetermined value in the predetermined area, based on an output from the detector.

Claim 31

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting an area of luminous density above a predetermined value within a predetermined area of the document, based on an output from the imager in the predetermined area of the document, the predetermined area being positioned at an end portion of the document and not influenced by any luminous density of image information of the document to be imaged; and a processor for processing an output of the imager to delete any image data corresponding to the area of the luminous density above the predetermined value in the predetermined area, based on an output from the detector.

Claim 32

A document reading apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the predetermined area of detection is determined depending on a document size.

Claim 33

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting a position of an object other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imager; and a processor for processing an output of the imager to delete any image data of the object on the basis of the detected result of the detector.

Claim 34

A document reading apparatus comprising: an imager for imaging a document placed on a document holder from above; a detector for detecting a position of an object other than a document placed on the document holder based on an output from the imager; and a processor for processing an output of the imager to delete any image data of the object on the basis of the detected result of the detector.