Xerox Corporation

Xiaodong Wu

Robert Anthony Street

David A Jared

Vittorio R Castelli

Steven E Ready

Richard L Weisfield

Lars-Erik Swartz

G A Connell

Harold M Anderson

An apparatus for imaging books or other bound documents which includes a cradle for supporting a book and an optical system positioned above the cradle. The optical system is mounted for movement along a vertical axis toward and away from the cradle. It includes an upper portion supporting a camera and mirror arrangement and a lower portion comprising a platen assembly. The upper and lower portions are mounted for independent movement along the vertical axis over a first range of travel remote from the cradle, and are coupled for movement as a single unit over a second range of travel, toward and proximate to the cradle. When the upper and lower portions are coupled, the optical system has an optical path of a predetermined length extending from the platen surface, through the mirror arrangement and through the camera.

Bound document imager

The system achieves high-resolution imaging with low-resolution two-dimensional imagers whose sensors are only a fraction of a selected pixel area. Sensors are stepped across an image with an optical or mechanical stepper to acquire an image at each sensor position. Thereby, resolution is defined by a step size which is comparable to the sensor size, rather than by pixel resolution. The system thus uses multiple image, obtained from individual sensors, which have a sensed area substantially less than the area of the pixels of the sensor array. Such rescanning is accomplished by movable mirrors or lenses that are disposed between an illuminated specimen and a sensor area.

Resolution enhancement by multiple scanning with a low-resolution,

A color scanner with a wedge shaped platen sequentially records opposing pages of a bound document positioned thereon using a single imaging station. The scanner includes a partially reflective mirror positioned between the wedge shaped platen. The two sides of the wedge shaped platen are illuminated with polarized light having angles orthogonal to each other. Polarized illuminators operate in combination with polarization analyzers positioned under the wedge shaped platen to sequentially image the opposing pages of the bound document. A controller insures that polarized light sources consisting of the three primary colors red, green, and blue, sequentially expose each opposing page of the bound document. The opposing pages of the bound document are focused through optics onto the single imaging station. In another embodiment, light polarized by analyzers positioned under the wedge shaped platen is filtered by a polarizer positioned in front of the focal optics before reaching the single imaging station. The controller first exposes one side of the platen and then the other to each of the three primary colors red, green, and blue. Digital representations of each primary color are combined to form a single composite image for each opposing page of the bound document. In one arrangement, the imaging station is a two-dimensional array of detectors which sense an image of a page of the bound document projected thereon. In another arrangement, the imaging station is a photoconductive belt which when exposed by the polarized light records a latent image thereon. In either arrangement, a one page imaging station records opposing pages of a bound document either electronically or on print media, one page at a time.

Apparatus and method for scanning a bound color document using a wedge

A wedge shaped platen scanner sequentially records opposing pages of a bound document positioned thereon using a single imaging station. A mirror is positioned between the wedges of the platen. A controller positions the mirror in one of two operational positions. In the first operational position, the mirror is positioned so that light emitted by a lamp reflects off of the mirror and onto the single imaging station. In the second operational position, the mirror is moved out of the imaging station's optical path. In each operational position, the lamp sequentially illuminates an opposing page of the bound document with each of the three primary colors: red green, and blue. In both the first and the second operational positions, images of opposing pages of the bound document are focused with optics onto the imaging station. In one arrangement, the imaging station is a two-dimensional array of detectors which sense an image of a page of the bound document projected thereon. In another arrangement, the imaging station is a photoconductive belt which when exposed by either flash lamp records a latent image thereon. In either arrangement, a one page imaging station records opposing pages of a bound document either electronically or on print media, one page at a time.

Apparatus and method for scanning a bound document using a wedge shaped

A wedge shaped platen scanner sequentially records opposing pages of a bound document positioned thereon. A dichroic mirror is positioned between the surfaces of the wedge shaped platen. The two sides of the opposing pages of the bound document are exposed by light having different wavelengths. One side is exposed by a flash lamp that emits light with a wavelength that forms an optical path through the dichroic mirror and onto an imaging station. The other side is exposed by a flash lamp emits light with a wavelength that forms a reflective path off of the dichroic mirror and onto the imaging station. A controller insures that the opposing pages of the bound document are sequentially illuminated by the two flash lamps. Images of opposing pages of the bound document are focused through optics onto the imaging station. In one arrangement, the imaging station is a two-dimensional array of detectors which sense an image of a page of the bound document projected thereon. In another arrangement, the imaging station is a photoconductive belt which when exposed by either flash lamp records a latent image thereon. In either arrangement, a one page imaging station records opposing pages of a bound document either electronically or on print media, one page at a time.

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Atherton, CA, United States of America

Xiaodong Wu