Image analysis – Image transformation or preprocessing – Combining image portions
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-02
2002-05-28
Au, Amelia M. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Image transformation or preprocessing
Combining image portions
C382S275000, C358S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06396960
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to method and apparatus of image composite processing for composing a plurality of images to be outputted as a single image, and more particularly, to method and apparatus for composing a plurality images each having a duplicate area into a single image.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, an image reading apparatus generally reads an image in the following manner. That is, an original document is placed on a transparent document table made of glass or the like, and optically scanned with a beam of light emitted from a light source. The resulting reflected light is formed into an image at a photo-receiving section of a photoelectric transfer element serving as a reading element, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). Then, the resulting optical signal is converted into an analog electric signal in each element. Further, the analog electric signal is outputted in the form of a digital electric signal by means of an A/D convertor or the like, whereby image data are obtained.
When a range of the document table on which an original document can be placed is limited, or when an image forming range is limited, the above image reading apparatus can not read an entire image in a single reading action. For example, since an image forming range of the photo-receiving section of the CCD is limited, the photo-receiving section can not read an image on a large-size document in a single action. Thus, the image has to be divided into a plurality of sections, and each is read separately. For this reason, an image on the original document is divided into a plurality of sections and an image in each section is read separately first, and thence a plurality of resulting images are composed to be outputted as image data on a single sheet.
In such a case, when the read images are composed, the junctions of the images should be matched with each other very precisely. However, when an original document is placed on the document table per section by the user to be read, the position of the junction has to be detected. Moreover, if there is an area having no matching junction, the image data should be processed in a special manner to create a natural composite image. In other words, there is a problem that, when the junctions do not match with each other, very troublesome jobs, such as interpolation, are required, thereby extending the processing time undesirably.
In contrast, if an original document is not placed on the document table manually but fed to the document table mechanically, or the reading apparatus is arranged to divide an original document placed on the document table into a plurality of sections and read each section, an image in each section is read after the original document is divided precisely at the laminated portion of the junctions. Accordingly, the matching detection is simplified and the images in the divided sections can be outputted as a single natural image.
However, there still arises a problem of mechanical accuracy in the automatic feeding of the original document and in the movement of the reading optical system. Thus, although the original document can be placed more accurately than being placed manually to a predetermined position, mechanical errors and the like cause a problem that the interpolation processing and composite processing take too long.
To solve the above problem, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 122606/1993 (Tokukaihei No. 5-122606) proposes an image composite processing method, which will be briefly explained in the following with reference to FIG.
10
.
Here, an image
101
of FIG.
10
(
a
) and an image
102
of FIG.
10
(
b
) are composite subject images on an original document divided into two sections and read by an image forming apparatus equipped with the CCD.
The composite subject images
101
and
102
are formed in such a manner that each has a duplicate portion (areas
105
and
104
) of an object (read image)
103
, and each composite subject image is divided into a plurality of images. When the composite subject images
101
and
102
are monochromic images, each pixel includes luminance (density of image and the like) information.
On the other hand, when the composite subject images
101
and
102
are color images, each pixel includes color information, such as chromaticity.
An end area
104
is an area of the composite subject image
102
at the end which will be laminated to the composite subject image
101
. A lamination area
105
is an area of the composite subject image
101
including a partial duplicate area of the end area
104
of the composite subject image
102
.
In the above image composite processing method, when the composite subject images
101
and
102
are monochromic images, differences of the luminance values between the pixels on the end area
104
of the composite subject image
102
and those on the lamination area
105
of the composite subject image
101
are computed and added up.
When the composite subject images
101
and
102
are color images, an image composite processing apparatus computes differences of the chromaticity between the pixels on the end area
104
and those one the lamination area
105
and adds up the same.
In the above image composite processing method, after the above computation, an area where a total of the differences of the luminance values or chromaticity becomes 0 or a minimum value is found in the lamination area
105
. More specifically, an area taken out from the image
101
is shifted to the left per pixel while the comparison with the end area
104
is being carried out until an area where the differences of the luminance values or chromaticity becomes 0 or a minimum value is found. When the lamination area
105
such that satisfies the above condition is obtained, the image composite processing apparatus composes the composite subject images
101
and
102
in such a manner that the end area
104
overlaps the lamination area
105
, whereby a composite image
106
as shown in FIG.
10
(
c
) is obtained.
According to the above method, areas that should be composed can be found accurately by finding the duplicate areas, thereby making it possible to obtain a natural composite image regardless of mechanical accuracy errors or the like. Moreover, the finding action is accelerated and the composite processing is carried out accurately.
However, the above conventional method has a problem as follows. That is, when an image is formed, an unwanted image is also formed occasionally on the lamination area of one of the composite subject images. Examples of such an unwanted image are an image formed when light is scattered by flaws or the like on the camera lens of the image forming apparatus equipped with the CCD, and an image formed by stain or dust. When this happens, the unwanted image is directly outputted in the composite image in the conventional method.
In other words, as shown in FIG.
10
(
a
), when an unwanted image (noise image)
107
, which is not found in the original image
103
, is outputted through the CCD for the above reason, the noise image
107
, which should not have been formed, is formed on the resulting composite image
103
as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is devised to solve the above problems, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide method and apparatus of image composite processing which can output a desired composite image even when an unwanted image is formed on a composite area on one of composite subject images by eliminating such an unwanted image.
To fulfill the above and other objects, an image composite processing method of the present invention is an image composite processing method for composing a plurality of images, each having a duplicate area, into a single composite image based on a retrieved duplicate area, wherein the plurality of images are composed into the single composite image by comparing the duplicate areas of every two adjacent composite subject images, and adopting one of the duplicate areas based on a
Au Amelia M.
Conlin David G.
Dike Bronstein, Roberts & Cushman IP Group, Edwards & Angell, LL
Tucker David A.
Wu Jingge
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