Scanner Combining Section for Displaced Document Image Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing scanner technologies face challenges in accurately combining scan data from multiple line sensors when the document is displaced from its reference reading position, leading to deteriorated image quality due to positional displacement and optical path variations.

Innovation Solution

The scanner employs a combining section that weights and mixes the outputs of adjacent line sensors based on a combining mark, adjusts for deviation amounts, and performs deformation processing to ensure seamless image integration, even when the document is not aligned properly, thereby maintaining image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If outputs of multiple line sensors are combined to read overlapping regions, then scan coverage is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to positional displacement and separation of straight lines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescan coverageVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the weighting values assigned to each line sensor's output based on the detected displacement amount. When document displacement is detected, the system modifies the weighting parameters to compensate for positional shifts, thereby maintaining image quality while preserving the benefits of multi-sensor scan coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical alignment methods with image processing and calculation-based approaches. Instead of physically aligning the document or sensors, the system uses combining marks and computational algorithms to detect displacement and automatically adjust the combination of sensor outputs, achieving precise image integration without mechanical intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If document is displaced from reference reading position, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to optical path variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocument placement flexibilityVSAvoidreading position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by detecting the actual document position using combining marks read by the line sensors, calculating the displacement amount, and using this information to adjust the weighting values for combining sensor outputs. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain measurement precision regardless of document placement variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-arranging combining marks at specific positions on the document that enable displacement detection. These marks are positioned in advance to facilitate automatic detection and calculation of document position, allowing the system to compensate for displacement before final image combination occurs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3352443B1Scanner, scan program, and method of producing scan data
Publication Date: 2022.06.22 SEIKO EPSON CORP
  • EP3352443B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3352443B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3352443B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

There is provided a scanner that combines images read by a first sensor array and a second sensor array, in which the first sensor array and the second sensor array have read regions which are overlapped partially, and includes a combining section that combines a straight line as an image of a non-straight line in a case where the straight line which is non-parallel and non-perpendicular in a main scanning direction is read in an overlapped manner by the first sensor array and the second sensor array.