The embodiments include systems and methods for guiding a user to capture two flash images of a document page, and selectively fuse the images to produce a binary image of high quality and without loss of any content. Each individual image may have an FSR where the content is degraded/lost due to the flash light. The idea is to first guide the user to take two images such that there is no overlap of flash-spots in the document regions. The flash spots in both images are detected and assessed for quality and extent of degradation in both images. The image with lower degradation is chosen as the primary image and the other image as secondary, to minimize fusing artifacts. The region in secondary image corresponding to the FSR in the primary is aligned to the primary region using a multiscale alignment technique. The primary image and aligned FSR are binarized and fused in the vicinity of the flashspot in the primary using an intelligent technique that minimizes fusion boundary artifacts such as cutting of characters and words.

The embodiments include systems and methods for guiding a user to capture two flash images of a document page, and selectively fuse the images to produce a binary image of high quality and without loss of any content. Each individual image may have an FSR where the content is degraded/lost due to the flash light. The idea is to first guide the user to take two images such that there is no overlap of flash-spots in the document regions. The flash spots in both images are detected and assessed for quality and extent of degradation in both images. The image with lower degradation is chosen as the primary image and the other image as secondary, to minimize fusing artifacts. The region in secondary image corresponding to the FSR in the primary is aligned to the primary region using a multiscale alignment technique. The primary image and aligned FSR are binarized and fused in the vicinity of the flashspot in the primary using an intelligent technique that minimizes fusion boundary artifacts such as cutting of characters and words.

A monochrome imager used in such systems as a scanner can detect watermarks that have been encoded in the color space or chrominance. Such watermarks are called chroma watermarks and are considered more reliable than the traditional classic watermarks, which are encoded based on luminance. The monochrome imager detects the chroma watermark, which has been illuminated with ambient white light from a blue light emitting diode (LED) coated with phosphor.

A distance to a target to be read by image capture over a range of working distances is determined by directing an aiming light spot along an aiming axis to the target, and by capturing a first image of the target containing the aiming light spot, and by capturing a second image of the target without the aiming light spot. Each image is captured in a frame over a field of view having an imaging axis offset from the aiming axis. An image pre-processor compares first image data from the first image with second image data from the second image over a common fractional region of both frames to obtain a position of the aiming light spot in the first image, and determines the distance to the target based on the position of the aiming light spot in the first image.

Performing optical mark recognition (OMR) scanning includes receiving a first substrate to be scanned, the first substrate having one or more colors visible to a human eye and bearing user-made marks; scanning the first substrate using a plurality of colors of light emitted from a light sensor to simultaneously generate both (a) first image data representing a visual appearance of the first substrate, and (b) first OMR data corresponding to respective locations of the user-made marks on the first substrate; transmitting from a first page buffer at least a portion of the first image data and/or at least a portion of the first OMR data; receiving a second substrate to be scanned; and during the transmitting from the first page buffer, simultaneously scanning the second substrate.

A reading apparatus includes an irradiation unit that performs irradiation with light, a light receiving unit that receives light reflected from an object to be imaged, a first optical path in which specularly reflected light, which is obtained as light emitted by the irradiation unit is reflected from a first reflection surface so that a front surface of the object to be imaged in an irradiation region is irradiated with the reflected light, and the reflected light is specularly reflected from the front surface of the object to be imaged, is guided to the light receiving unit as a read image, a second optical path in which diffusely reflected light, which is obtained as the light emitted by the irradiation unit is reflected from a second reflection surface so that the front surface of the object to be imaged in the irradiation region is irradiated with the reflected light, and the reflected light is diffusely reflected from the front surface of the object to be imaged, is guided to the light receiving unit as a read image, and a switching section that switches between the first optical path and the second optical path by rotating the irradiation unit.

A reading apparatus that reads an image formed on a document while transporting the document, the reading apparatus includes a first reading section that reads, as a read image, one of specularly reflected light or diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on a reading glass through which the moving document passes, and a second reading section that reads, as a read image, the other of the specularly reflected light or the diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on one side of a transport path through which the document is transported.

In an image reading device including a document platen, a document holder, multiple light sources, and a close contact type image sensor, the light sources are sequentially turned on and the image sensor individually reads light of multiple different colors reflected from a document in a main scanning direction. When the document holder is opened, in an area determination process, a first scanning area where a difference between output values of the image sensor when the light sources are sequentially turned on is within a predetermined threshold value range, and a second scanning area where the difference is outside the predetermined threshold value range are determined in an entire scanning area of the image sensor. A document size in the main scanning direction is detected based on a position of a boundary in the main scanning direction between the first and second scanning areas determined in the area determination process.

An image reader used as a back surface reading unit includes LEDs, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a lens, and a CCD inside a housing. The first mirror, which first reflects light reflected from the document, is positioned farther away from the document reading position than other reflecting mirrors (i.e. the second mirror and the third mirror) in an optical axis direction of the optical path connecting the document reading position and the first mirror.

An image reading apparatus includes a first supporting portion, a sheet conveyance portion, an image reading portion, a second supporting portion, and an illumination portion. The image reading portion is configured to read an image of the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance portion. The second supporting portion is disposed below the first supporting portion and configured to support the sheet whose image has been read. The illumination portion is disposed further on an outside than a sheet supporting region of the second supporting portion in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction, configured to illuminate the second supporting portion, and provided such that a light emission direction of the illumination portion is directed to the sheet supporting region.