Image scanning device, image forming apparatus, image scanning method, and image scanning program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10691973-B2
Application number	US-201815951508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

An image scanning device including an image sensor, an operation unit, and circuitry. The circuitry acquires reference-image data and comparative-image data output from the image sensor when a predetermined time elapses after acquiring the reference-image data. The circuitry further divides each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data into a plurality of image areas, extracts a feature point of a given pixel for each of the plurality of image areas of each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data, compares pixel values of feature points in the same coordinate to determine a difference in pixel value, identifies an image area including at least one feature point having a difference in pixel value, and identifies a direction of flip of pages of the document based on the image area including the at least one feature point having the difference in pixel value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image scanning device comprising:
an image sensor to capture an image of a document including a plurality of pages at a given frequency and output a plurality of pieces of image data, the document being placed to allow flipping the pages;
an operation unit to receive an instruction to perform scanning the document, from an outside; and
circuitry to:
acquire reference-image data out of the plurality of pieces of image data output by the image sensor in response to a reception of the instruction by the operation unit;
acquire comparative-image data output from the image sensor when a given time elapses after acquiring the reference-image data;
divide each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data into a plurality of image areas;
extract a feature point of a given pixel for each of the plurality of image areas of each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data;
compare pixel values of the feature points in a coordinate common between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data to determine a difference in pixel value in the coordinate common between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data;
identify an image area including at least one feature point having a difference in pixel value in the common coordinate, from the divided plurality of image areas based on the difference between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data; and
identify a direction of flip of pages of the document based on the image area including the at least one feature point having the difference in pixel value.

2. The image scanning device according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory to store image data output from the image sensor,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
divide the image data of the captured image of the document into page by page;
sort the image data divided into page by page, based on the identified direction of flip of pages of the document; and
store the sorted image data in the memory.

3. The image scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a direction of the image area including the feature point having a difference in pixel value relative to a reference point, and identify the direction of flip of pages of the document based on the determined direction.

4. The image scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the direction of flip of pages of the document is from a left side to a right side when the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the left side relative to a reference position is greater than the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the right side relative to the reference position, and
determine that the direction of flip of pages of the document is from the right side to the left side when the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the right side relative to the reference position is greater than the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the left side relative to the reference position.

5. The image scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the direction of flip of pages of the document is from a lower side to an upper side when the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the lower side relative to a reference position is greater the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the upper side relative to the reference position, and
determine that the direction of flip of pages of the document is from the upper side to the lower side when the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the upper side relative to the reference position is greater than the number of image areas including the feature point having the difference in pixel value on the lower side relative to the reference position.

6. The image scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a difference between image areas included within a given range in the plurality of image areas divided by the circuitry.

7. The image scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination reference position is the center of each of the plurality of image data acquired by the circuitry.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising the image scanning device according to claim 1 .

9. An image scanning method comprising:
capturing an image of a document including a plurality of pages at a given frequency to output a plurality of pieces of image data, the document being placed to allow flipping the pages;
receiving an instruction to perform scanning the document, from an outside;
acquiring reference-image data out of the plurality of pieces of image data output in response to a reception of the instruction in the receiving;
acquiring comparative-image data when a given time elapses after acquiring the reference-image data in the acquiring;
dividing each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data into a plurality of image areas;
extracting a feature point of a certain pixel for each of the plurality of image areas of each of the reference-image data and the comparative-image data;
comparing pixel values of the feature points in a coordinate common between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data to determine a difference in pixel value in the coordinate common between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data;
identifying an image area including at least one feature point having a difference in pixel value in the common coordinate from the plurality of image areas divided in the dividing, based on the difference between the reference-image data and the comparative-image data; and
identifying a direction of flip of pages of the document based on the image area including the at least one feature point having the difference in pixel value.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that causes the image scanning method according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Yabuuchi Masayuki
• Goh Naoki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yabuuchi Masayuki
• Goh Naoki

Classifications

• H04N1/00827 Primary

  Arrangements for reading an image from an unusual original, e.g. 3-dimensional objects · CPC title

• G06V10/22

  by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition · CPC title

• G06V30/40

  Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition · CPC title

• G06V40/28

  Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language (static hand signs G06V40/113) · CPC title

• H04N1/00251

  with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera · CPC title