Nippon Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nisca Corporation

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Kabushiki Kaisha

Mineo Kubota

Kenji Masuyama

Satoshi Mikajiri

Tsuneo Yokoyama

Mitsuo Tsuchiya

Hiroshi Saito

Naoki Takatori

Kazukiyo Tamada

Eiji Nakazawa

Takashi Kanda

Mitsuhiro Ishihara

Yoshihiro Hanagata

Satoshi Nezu

Kazuhito Dobashi

Koji Ueda

Atsuko Morita

Kazukyo Tamada

Toru Kitta

Tuyos Isomura

Sumihisa Hashiguchi

Masayoshi Satou

Keitarou Kawai

Norimasa Hikosaka

An image determination apparatus, an image reading apparatus, and an image determining method include a device for cutting a color/monochrome region based on a color saturation value obtained by a predetermined derivation method based on image data, and a device for detecting image errors located in large boundaries of brightness variations including color distortions based on correlations between color saturation and color. When errors are included in the image data acquired by, for example, a color image scanner due to primary color errors at random locations (in particular, color bleeding that occurs as a color distortion in monochrome achromatic color areas), it is possible to extract characteristics from the image data and detect locations in images where color distortions and color bleeding occur without using especially complicated and special compositions to detect where these errors occurred.

Image determination apparatus and image determination method

An image reading apparatus includes a stage for placing a specimen. The stage moves in first directions between a setting position where the specimen is placed and removed and a reading position for reading the specimen. The image reading apparatus also includes a light source for irradiating light onto the specimen on the stage, a photoelectric conversion device having a line shape for photo-electrically converting the light reflected from the specimen, an optical device for guiding the light from the specimen to the photoelectric conversion device, a carriage mounting the optical device, and an apparatus frame for movably supporting the stage and the carriage. The carriage moves along the stage in second directions substantially same as the first direction.

Image reading apparatus

TV camera

Light radiation reader for a light permeable document

Shading correction is effected by partitioning a white standard surface into a plurality of scanning blocks having the same number of scanning lines, scanning the standard surface by block to determine block median values in a first processing stage, determining global median values from the block median values in a second processing stage, and subjecting objective image data read from a given original image to arithmetic such as proportioning calculation. With the two-stage processing, shading distortion caused due to nonuniformity in sensitivity of an image scanning system can be rationally and reliably corrected to a high degree with a simple processing circuit.

Shading correction method and apparatus

Reflected image light obtained by illuminating a reading portion to be read on a given objective image plane is sent to an image sensor located on the rear side through a reflecting member disposed substantially just above the reading portion. By forming a viewing path inclined forward against, or forward with respect to a vertical plane, the image sensor so as to permit the reading portion to be observed easily, the desired image light reflected from the reading portion is little interfered with by external light entering inside the scanner through the viewing path, thereby to enjoy image processing of high quality.

Portable image scanner

Reflected image light obtained by illuminating a reading portion to be read on a given objective image plane is sent to an image sensor located on the rear side through a reflecting member disposed substantially just above the reading portion. By forming a viewing path inclined forward against or toward with respect to a vertical plane the image sensor so as to permit the reading portion to be observed easily, the desired image light reflected from the reading portion is little interfered with external light entering inside the scanner through the viewing path, thereby to obtain image processing of high quality.

Image reduction processing of a given original image is effected by determining the brightness of each picture element in a resultant reduced image in accordance with the numbers of black and white pixels in an intermediate matrix image obtained by quantizing the original image. When the black and white pixels in the quantized intermediate matrix image are equal, the aforesaid brightness is determined according to a prescribed criterion matrix pattern having a criterion point, thereby to obtain the reduced image on a display or the like with high fidelity to the original image.

Method for image reduction processing according to criterion points

Dither element values predetermined at all pixels of a dither matrix pattern prepared for an equality function are outputted one by one each time on n.times.n unit matrix of a read-out image obtained from a given original image by an image reading device such as an image scanner is subjected to extraction of brightness feature in 1/n image reducing mode. Thus, even a halftone image such as a photograph can be effectively reduced to scale an reproduced as a reduced image on a monitor display or the like.

Method and device for image reduction in image processing

Image scanner

An automatic focussing adjusting device which controls properly an integration time necessary to integrate the amount of light received by a CCD line sensor for measuring the light of an object to detect a focal position. In the automatic focussing adjusting device, when the average value of the output data of the CCD line sensor is a value existing out of the stable operation region of the CCD line sensor, the integration in time for the amount of the light received from the object by the CCD line sensor is controlled so that the average value of the next output data of the CCD line sensor converges rapidly to the reference value of the output data to be selected in the CCD line sensor stable operation region. For the average value existing in the stable operation region, the integration time is controlled so that the average value of the next output data converges slowly to the reference value. Therefore, stable output data of the CCD line sensor can be obtained and can follow accurately the variations of the brightness of the object.

Automatic focussing adjusting device

An automatic focussing adjusting device which detects the amount of de-focussing of an image of an object to perform an automatic focussing adjustment of a taking lens of a camera including a zoom lens. The magnification m of a group of magnification varying lenses in the zoom lens is corrected and the amount of movement .DELTA.X of a group of focus lenses necessary for focussing is calculated based on a corrected magnification .alpha..multidot.m, so that a focussing adjustment can be executed. Also, an error in the amount of de-focussing, caused by manufacturing errors in dimensions defining a positional relationship between line sensors and a group of microscopic lenses in a focus detect element is corrected, and based on a correctively calculated amount of de-focussing .beta..multidot..DELTA.P, a focussing adjustment is performed.

Reflected image light obtained by illuminating a reading portion to be read on a given objective image plane is sent to an image sensor located on the rear side through a reflecting member disposed substantially just above the reading portion. By forming a viewing path inclined forward against the image sensor so as to permit the reading portion to be observed easily, the desired image light reflected from the reading portion is little interfered with external light entering inside the scanner through the viewing path, thereby to enjoy image processing of high quality.

Growing community of inventors

Kofu, Japan

Mineo Kubota