Image Reading Apparatus Streak Correction Outside Content Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image reading apparatuses face challenges in accurately reading small size characters from accounting documents due to streak images caused by adhering substances, which can lead to decreased readability and character detection accuracy, and existing correction methods risk erasing important content.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus with a processor that detects streak images and performs correction processing only outside the content area, ensuring that character information is preserved and streak images are removed without affecting the content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If streak image correction is performed on the entire read image, then the appearance quality of the reading image is improved, but important content (characters) may be erased along with the streak images
Solution Approach 1:
The read image is segmented into content areas (where characters are printed) and non-content areas (blank areas). The streak image correction is then applied selectively: correction processing is performed on streak images in non-content areas to improve appearance quality, while correction processing is suppressed in content areas to preserve character information. This segmentation approach allows the system to resolve the contradiction by treating different regions of the image differently.
2Measurement precision
If streak image correction is suppressed to preserve content, then character detection accuracy is maintained, but streak images remain in the image deteriorating appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality levels of streak image correction to different local regions of the image. In non-content areas, full correction processing is applied to achieve high appearance quality. In content areas, correction processing is suppressed to maintain character detection accuracy. This local quality approach allows the system to optimize for appearance quality where it matters (blank areas) while preserving character information where it matters (printed content).
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes: a conveyance unit configured to convey the original; an image reading unit configured to read an image of the original conveyed by the conveyance unit by using a reading sensor to generate image data which represents a reading result; at least one processor configured to: detect a streak image in an image represented by the image data based on the image data; determine a content area in the image represented by the image data, the content area being an area where content is printed, and perform correction processing for removing the streak image by correcting the image data; wherein the at least one processor is configured to be operable in a first reading mode in which the correction processing is performed to image data corresponding to the streak image in an area outside the content area.