A scanner comprising a platen, a first laser assembly movable along a first axis, a second laser assembly movable along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and laser movement controllers configured to control the movement of the laser assemblies along their axes. The laser assemblies comprise laser emitters configured to project laser lines on the platen that illustrate edges the current scan area, such that the dimensions and/or position of the scan area can be adjusted by moving the laser lines on the platen.

To provide a sheet size determining apparatus capable of appropriately determining a sheet size. Specifically, a sheet size detection result is acquired by a sensor, and when there are a plurality of candidate sheet sizes corresponding to the acquired detection result, a sheet size is determined from the plurality of candidate sheet sizes in response to a setting of the operation device that indicates sheet sizes.

A scanner comprising a platen, a first laser assembly movable along a first axis, a second laser assembly movable along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and laser movement controllers configured to control the movement of the laser assemblies along their axes. The laser assemblies comprise laser emitters configured to project laser lines on the platen that illustrate edges the current scan area, such that the dimensions and/or position of the scan area can be adjusted by moving the laser lines on the platen.

A scanning device includes a visible light source, an infrared light source, a visible light sensor and an infrared light sensor. The visible light source provides visible light to a scan section of an original. The original reflects the visible light to generate reflected light. The infrared light source provides infrared light to the scan section. The infrared light penetrates through the original to generate penetrating light. The visible light sensor receives the reflected light at a first scan position and generates a visible light image signal representative of a visible light image of the scan section. The infrared light sensor receives the penetrating light at a second scan position and generates an infrared light image signal representative of an infrared light image of the scan section. A relative positional relationship between the first and second scan positions is fixed.

When a light blocking body is located at a light blocking position where light emitted from a light emitter toward a light receiver of a document detection sensor is blocked, the document detection sensor is set to be in a light blocking state in which the emitted light is blocked. When the light blocking body is located at a light receiving position to make it possible for the light emitted from the light emitter toward the light receiver of the document detection sensor to be received, the document detection sensor is set to be in a light receiving state in which the emitted light is received. A controller judges that, when the document detection sensor is in the light receiving state, an access cover is opened or the access cover is closed and a document is not placed on a document tray, and judges that, when the document detection sensor is in the light blocking state, the access cover is closed and the document is placed on the document tray.

Method and systems of automated document processing described herein include activating in sequence a plurality of illumination modules of an illumination source to illuminate a document, where the plurality of illumination modules are located at different positions relative to the document. The document can be imaged each time the document is illuminated by an illumination module to provide a plurality of images. A shadow profile of the document can be obtained based on the plurality of images. One or more of a boundary of the document and presence of a fastener attached to the document can be identified using the shadow profile. Any fasteners present may be removed using a robot arm.

A sheet identification device includes an acquisition portion and an asperity identification portion. The acquisition portion acquires an identification image (Im1). The identification image (Im1) is an image of an identification region (R1) of the surface (A1) of a sheet (Sh1) on which image formation or image reading is performed. The identification region (R1) is a region on which pattern light (P1) is projected of the surface (A1) of the sheet (Sh1). The asperity identification portion identifies asperity information on the asperities on the surface (A1) of the sheet (Sh1), based on the identification image (Im1).

A sheet identification device includes a light irradiation portion. When forming an identification image, the light irradiation portion projects first pattern light (P11) and second pattern light (P12) having different dependences on a fiber direction of a surface of a sheet on an identification region (R1). The identification image is an image of the identification region (R1) of the surface of the sheet on which image formation or image reading is performed, which is used for identifying the fiber direction of the surface of the sheet.

A sheet-sensing system is applied to a sheet and a transparent carrier plate. The sheet is placed on the transparent carrier plate. The sheet-sensing system includes a microcontroller, an infrared-emitting apparatus, and an infrared-receiving apparatus. The sheet and the transparent carrier plate are disposed between the infrared-emitting apparatus and the infrared-receiving apparatus. The microcontroller controls the infrared-emitting apparatus to emit an infrared ray toward the sheet and the transparent carrier plate. The microcontroller uses the infrared-receiving apparatus to receive the infrared ray passing through the transparent carrier plate to determine a boundary of the sheet.