Image information processing apparatus including area image sensor operable as electronic camera and image scanner

Claim 2

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; an image reading device for deriving continuous image information from the image information produced by said imaging device when an object to be read is manually scanned by said image reading device in response to a moving amount of said manual scanning operation thereof; a switching device for switching a function of said imaging device into one of an electronic camera and an image scanner; and an output device for outputting the image information for one frame from said imaging device when said switching device switches the function of said imaging device to the electronic camera, and for outputting the continuous image information derived by said image reading device when said switching device switches the function of said imaging device to the image scanner.

Claim 3

An image information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imaging device includes: an imaging lens; a focal point controller for controlling a focal point of said imaging lens; an area image sensor having solid-state imaging elements arranged in a planar manner; and an image information processor for converting the image of the imaging object read by said area image sensor into the image information.

Claim 4

An image information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said image reading device includes: a rotation member rotatable on an object to be read so as to manually scan the object to be read; an encoder for detecting a moving amount of said image reading device in accordance with a rotation amount of said rotation member when said rotation member is rotated on said object to be read; and an image acquiring device for deriving the continuous image information from the image information produced by said imaging device every time the moving amount detected said encoder reaches a predetermined moving amount.

Claim 5

An image information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: a memory for storing the image information produced by said imaging device every time the moving amount detected by said encoder reaches a predetermined moving amount; and wherein said image acquiring device derives a partial image from the stored image information and outputs each of the derived partial images as the continuous type information.

Claim 6

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a movement detecting device for detecting a manual-scanning movement of said imaging device when said image device is switched to the image scanner function by said switching device and said imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device; and an image acquiring device for acquiring said image information produced by said imaging device responsive to said movement detection device detecting the manual-scanning movement of said imaging device.

Claim 7

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a movement detecting device for detecting a manual-scanning movement of said imaging device when said image device is switched to the image scanner function by said switching device and said imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device; and an image acquiring device for acquiring said image information produced by said imaging device responsive to said movement detection device detecting the manual-scanning movement of said imaging device.

Claim 8

An image information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a light source for illuminating said imaging object while said imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device.

Claim 9

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a storage device for storing said image information displayed on said display device; a control unit for outputting an imaging operation control signal for controlling an imaging operation of the imaging device; and a storage control device for causing said storage device to store one frame of the image information produced by said imaging device responsive to said imaging operation control signal output by said control unit when said switching device switches said imaging device to the electronic camera function.

Claim 10

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a storage device for storing said image information displayed on said display device; a control unit for outputting an imaging operation control signal for controlling an imaging operation of the imaging device; and a storage control device for causing said storage device to store one frame of the image information produced by said imaging device responsive to said imaging operation control signal output by said control unit when said switching device switches said imaging device to the electronic camera function.

Claim 11

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a storage device for storing said image information displayed on said display device; an image acquiring device for acquiring the image information produced by said imaging device as continuous image information responsive to a manual-scanning operation wherein the imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device when said switching device switches said imaging device to the image scanner function; and storage control device for causing said continuous image information acquired by said image acquiring device to be stored in said storage device.

Claim 12

An image information processing apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information; a switching device for switching said imaging device between an electronic camera function and an image scanner function; a display device for displaying said image information produced by said imaging device; a storage device for storing said image information displayed on said display device; an image acquiring device for acquiring the image information produced by said imaging device as continuous image information responsive to a manual-scanning operation wherein the imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device when said switching device switches said imaging device to the image scanner function; and storage control device for causing said continuous image information acquired by said image acquiring device to be stored in said storage device.

Claim 13

An image information input apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information, said imaging device being switchable between an image scanner function and an electronic camera function; a focal point controller for controlling a focal point of said imaging device to be set to one of a far sight range and a near sight range in response to a switching instruction for switching the function of said imaging device; an image acquiring device for acquiring image information of said imaging object produced when said imaging device is switched to the image scanner function, whereby said imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device based upon the focal point of the near sight range set by said focal point control device; and an image output device for outputting the image information of one frame produced by said imaging device based upon the formal point of the far sight range set by said focal point control device when said imaging device is switched to the electronic camera function.

Claim 14

An image information input apparatus comprising: an imaging device for reading an image of an imaging object and for converting the read image of said imaging object into image information, said imaging device being switchable between an image scanner function and an electronic camera function; a focal point controller for controlling a focal point of said imaging device to be set to one of a far sight range and a near sight range in response to a switching instruction for switching the function of said imaging device; an image acquiring device for acquiring image information of said imaging object produced when said imaging device is switched to the image scanner function, whereby said imaging object is manually scanned by said imaging device based upon the focal point of the near sight range set by said focal point control device; and an image output device for outputting the image information of one frame produced by said imaging device based upon the formal point of the far sight range set by said focal point control device when said imaging device is switched to the electronic camera function.

Claim 15

An image information input apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said image acquiring device includes: a rotation member rotatable on said imaging object; and a moving-amount detecting device for detecting a moving amount of said rotation member in accordance with a rotation operation of said rotation member when said rotation member is rotated on said imaging object when said imaging object is manually scanned; said image acquiring device acquiring the image information produced by said imaging device as continuous image information responsive to said moving-amount detecting device detecting the moving amount of said rotation member.

Claim 16

An image information input apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a memory for storing the image information acquired by manually scanning said imaging object every time the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting device reaches a predetermined moving amount; and wherein said image acquiring device derives a partial image from the stored image information, and outputs each of the derived partial images as the continuous image information.