JP2006173960A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that desired electronic image data are created without using a host, or created electronic image data cannot be taken out. <P>SOLUTION: An image reading apparatus includes a memory card I/F18 for performing the transfer of image data, etc. among a scanner unit 11 which reads in an image, an image processor 12 which performs necessary processing to the image data which the scanner unit 11 reads in, and the memory card 3 of a memory means which is detachable from and attachable to the image reading apparatus 1. The image data which perform necessary image processing to the image data read in the scanner unit 11 or this image data are stored in the memory card 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus.

  An image reading device such as an image scanner is used as a means for inputting an image output by an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copying machine, or a combination of these. An image read by this image reading apparatus The data is processed into image data suitable for a format output by the image forming apparatus by an image processing apparatus such as a personal computer.

As a conventional image reading apparatus, as described in Patent Document 1, a first reading unit that reads an image on a predetermined surface of a document conveyed by a document conveyance unit that conveys a document, or a predetermined surface of a document. The image processing unit performs various image processing on the image data output from the second reading unit that reads an image at a position different from the first reading unit, and performs predetermined thinning processing to generate pre-scan data, The control means stores the image data subjected to the predetermined image processing by the image processing means in the image storage means, and when the image processing method is designated based on the prescan data generated by the image processing means, the image storage means stores the image data. Image processing method for obtaining pre-scan data in one reading operation by performing image processing on the image data stored in the means by the designated image processing method In addition to being able to specify, it is possible to obtain image data that finally reflects the required image processing for the image data acquired by the single reading operation by the specified image processing method, thereby improving work efficiency. An image reading apparatus capable of performing the above is known.
JP 2002-247305 A

Further, as an image processing apparatus that processes image data captured by an imaging unit such as a digital camera, as described in Patent Document 2, an input unit for inputting image data and an image process for the image data are performed. Image processing means for generating the image data in a desired output form, and having output form information obtaining means for obtaining output form information for selecting attached image data to be attached to the image data, and performing image processing It is known that the means selects the attached image data to be attached to the image data based on the output form information acquired by the output form information acquisition means, and performs image processing on the image data according to the selected attached image data. ing.
JP 2003-259114 A

  However, although the above-described image reading apparatus of Patent Document 1 improves the work efficiency in reading a large amount of originals, it creates desired electronic image data without using a host such as a personal computer, or There is a problem that the created electronic image data cannot be taken out.

  The image processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is an apparatus that processes an image captured by a digital camera or the like instead of a personal computer, and is substantially replaced with a personal computer. Similarly, there is a problem that desired electronic image data cannot be created without using the host, or the created electronic image data cannot be taken out.

  In other words, when using the scanner function in a single scanner as a general image reading device or a multifunction machine having an image reading function, a copy function, and a printing function in one unit, a personal computer with a scanner and a scanner driver installed. (PC) is connected, and a series of operations are executed by operations from the PC side. At that time, the read image data is stored in the internal storage means on the PC side. In this case, the PC is indispensable for handling the image reading apparatus, but it is natural that the image reading apparatus is originally positioned as a peripheral device of the PC.

  Some MFPs are equipped with a large-capacity storage such as an HDD so that the scan data can be saved in the HDD. In this case, a non-removable HDD in the MFP is used. Although it can be output by the device for storage, when it is desired to take it out as electronic image data, it is necessary to connect the PC and take out the image data from the internal HDD.

  However, with the widespread use of scanners and multi-function peripherals, it is convenient to handle electronic image data if it can be easily converted into electronic image data by an image reading device and taken out with a memory card without using a host such as a PC. Will be improved dramatically.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems and requirements, and provides an image reading apparatus capable of creating desired electronic image data without using a host or taking out the created electronic image data. Objective.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the image reading apparatus according to the present invention includes a control unit that controls storage of image data read by a reading unit or image data obtained by performing required image processing on the image data in a removable memory unit. It was set as the structure equipped with.

  Here, the format of the image data stored in the removable memory means is preferably RAW data, a filtered format, a general-purpose image format, and a bitmap format.

  According to the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the image data read by the reading unit or the image data obtained by subjecting the image data to the required image processing can be stored in the removable memory means. Image data can be easily created without using it, and the created image data can be easily taken out only by the memory means, so that direct printing can be easily handled.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming system including an image reading apparatus according to the present invention.
The image reading apparatus 1 controls the entire scanner unit 11 including a CCD sensor 11a that is a reading unit that reads an image, and performs necessary processing on image data read by the scanner unit 11. A processing unit 12, an image memory 13 for storing read image data and processed image data, an operation panel 14 including a display unit for inputting necessary instructions to the image processing unit 12 and displaying necessary information; A print output unit 15 that outputs image data to the image forming apparatus 2, a host I / F 16 for transferring information between a host such as a PC, and a memory unit that can be attached to and detached from the image reading apparatus 1 A memory card I / F 18 for transferring image data and the like to and from the memory card 3 is provided.

A sequence of image processing in the image reading apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the case where the developed image is read and printed is taken as an example.
First, the CCD capture unit 21 senses a document image by the CCD sensor 11a of the scanner unit 11 and captures it as an analog electrical signal. In the case of a color scanner, the signals are captured with RGB three-color signals. The taken analog data is converted into digital data by the A / D converter 22.

  After that, the shading correction unit 23 performs shading correction to correct the light receiving sensitivity of the CCD sensor 11a and the lamp irradiation unevenness, and then the position of the reading line of the CCD sensor 11a is corrected by the dot correction unit 24. As a result, characteristic variations and mechanical errors relating to the reading mechanism of the scanner unit 11 are corrected.

  Then, image processing for γ correction and filtering is performed on the data corresponding to the image read by the scanner γ correction unit 25 and the filter unit 26. Thus, an image suitable for the image quality mode is created by manipulating the characteristic value of each image.

  Thereafter, the color correction unit 27 performs color correction, and converts the image data, which has been RGB data that is the three primary colors of light, into CMY data that is the three primary colors of the color material. In this case, in order to improve the black visibility, black (K) is obtained from the CMY value, and the color correction unit 27 converts the data into four colors of CMYK.

  The scaling unit 28 performs a scaling operation in accordance with the output size, the printer γ correction unit 29 performs γ correction suitable for the characteristics of the image forming apparatus 2, and the gradation processing unit 30 expresses the image forming apparatus 2. After performing gradation processing (for example, halftone processing) to match possible gradations, the bitmap development unit 31 develops the bitmap data used by the image forming apparatus 2.

  Through this series of processing, the image data captured from the scanner unit 11 is converted to output image data and transferred to the image forming apparatus 2.

  The flow of data at this time will be described with reference to FIG. 1. When the user performs a copy execution operation from the operation panel 14, the scanner unit 11 is driven via the image processing unit 12 and the CCD sensor 11a. The analog electrical signal is input to the image processing unit 12, and the image processing unit 12 performs the processing up to the above-described gradation processing unit 30, and then develops and stores the bitmap in the image memory 13.

  When the development of the image data that can be printed in the image memory 13 is completed, the image processing unit 12 activates the print output unit 15 to transfer the image data (bitmap data) on the image memory 13 to the print output unit 15. Let it be transferred. As a result, the print output unit 15 transfers the received bitmap-developed image data to the image forming apparatus 2 for printout.

  Therefore, in this image reading apparatus 1, the image processing unit 12 reads the image data read by the scanner unit 11 or the image data obtained by performing a required process on the image data via the memory card I / F 18. Can be stored. The instruction to store the image data in the memory card 3 is made when the user gives an instruction from the operation panel 14.

  Next, the format of image data stored in the memory card 3 will be described. General image data formats include general-purpose image formats (for example, JPEG defined by the JPEG standards committee, TIFF developed by Microsoft, and GIF format developed by the US personal computer communication network CompuServe). It is not always possible to uniquely determine what type of image data output is preferable depending on the subsequent use of the captured image data.

  In addition, since some of the image formats are subjected to irreversible compression on the original data, the amount of information may be reduced. For users who require a larger amount of information for the captured data, pre-compressed data is preferable (data before compression is referred to as “RAW data”), and the captured data is stored as electronic data. For users who only use the image forming apparatus for output, if the data is processed immediately before output, the printing speed using that data will be faster. The format is preferred. A general-purpose image format such as JPEG is preferable for users who display images captured by a PC.

  Thus, it can be said that it is more preferable to change the data output format according to the user's request.

  Therefore, the format of the image data stored in the memory card 3 includes the above-described RAW data format (data format at the stage where dot correction is performed by the dot correction unit 24 in FIG. 2), and the format after filtering (for example, FIG. 2). A data format when the color correction unit 27 performs color correction) and a general-purpose image format (for example, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, etc. for the image data subjected to color correction by the color correction unit 27) 2), a bitmap format that can be used by the image forming apparatus 2 (a format processed by the bitmap development unit 31 in FIG. 2), and the like. It is preferable that the operation panel 14 be used to specify whether to store.

  Note that when the image data is stored in the memory card 3 in a bitmap format that can be used by the image forming apparatus 2, the image data can be directly transferred from the memory card 3 to the print output unit 15 and transferred to the image forming apparatus 2. Printing output can be performed at a higher speed than when stored in the format.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an image forming system including an image reading apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block explanatory view explaining the flow of processing in the image processing unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image reading apparatus 2 ... Image forming apparatus 3 ... Memory card 11 ... Scanner unit 12 ... Image processing part 13 ... Image memory 14 ... Operation panel 18 ... Memory card I / F

Claims (5)

  In an image reading apparatus comprising a reading unit that reads an image, a processing unit that performs image processing on the read image data, and an output unit that outputs the processed image data, the image data read by the reading unit or the image An image reading apparatus comprising control means for controlling storage of image data obtained by subjecting data to required image processing in a removable memory means.   2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the format of image data stored in the removable memory means is RAW data.   2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the format of image data stored in the removable memory means is a format after filtering.   2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a format of image data stored in the removable memory means is a general-purpose image format. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a format of image data stored in the removable memory means is a bitmap format.

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