An image reading device, which may be incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes an image reader, a color reference body, a biasing body, a reading gap forming device, and a driving device. The image reader reads an image of an original document. The color reference body has a white reference face to position facing the image reader within a predetermined range in a document width direction. The biasing body biases the color reference body to the image reader. The reading gap forming device forms a reading gap while receiving a biasing force from the biasing body on the outside of the predetermined range. The driving device has a force drive transmission body engaged with a center of the color reference body in the document width direction and drives the color reference body in the document width direction at the center via the force drive transmission body.

The present invention provides an image processing device and an image processing method capable of removing haze (reducing the effect of haze) without losing detail of a high-luminance subject. In the aspect of the present invention, the input image I is represented by I=J.Math.t+A.Math.(1?t) where an original image is J, an atmospheric light pixel value is A, and a transmittance is t. In this case, a dark channel value D of each pixel of the input image I is calculated, and is associated with the transmittance t having a value monotonically decreasing for each pixel of which D ranges from 0 to 1 and associated with the transmittance t having a value monotonically increasing for each pixel which corresponds to haze and of which D ranges from 1 to Dmax. In such a manner, the original image J is generated as a corrected image.

A correction plate has the same plane size as a small region obtained by equally dividing an image detection region. In addition, the correction plates whose number is equal to the number of small regions are prepared. In a maintenance mode, a plurality of correction plates are laid in the image detection region such that the entire image detection region is covered with the plurality of correction plates. In this state, scanning is performed and a correction image signal obtained by detecting fluorescent light from the correction plate is output. An acquisition unit of a console acquires a correction image signal and a creation unit creates a correction image on the basis of the correction image signal. A correction unit performs shading correction on the basis of the correction image.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion element to generate an image signal according to an intensity of light being input and circuitry. The circuitry obtains pixel values in dark time, respectively, for at least a first time and a second time. The second time is longer than the first time. The pixel values in dark time represent pixel values obtained when no light is input to the photoelectric conversion element. The circuitry obtains a subtraction between the pixel values for the first time and the pixel values for the second time. The circuitry detects a noise amount based on the subtraction. The circuitry determines at least one pixel having the detected noise amount that is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value, as a defective pixel of the photoelectric conversion element.

There is provided a scanner that combines images read by a first sensor array and a second sensor array, in which the first sensor array and the second sensor array have read regions which are overlapped partially, and includes a combining section that deforms and combines an image in a region read in an overlapped manner in a main scanning direction in at least any one of a first read image read by the first sensor array and a second read image read by the second sensor array.

An image reading apparatus is provided with an identification information reading unit (reading unit, NFC reader, and identification information acquisition unit) which acquires identification information by reading the identification information from a section to be read at which identifiable identification information is recorded for each individual carrier sheet and which is provided at a joining section of the carrier sheet in which two transparent sheets for pinching an original document are joined at a portion of a peripheral edge portion; and a processor which performs a process which is associated with the identification information read by the identification information reading unit.

A document conveying and reading device includes a drive motor, a paper ejection roller driven by the drive motor, a first reading unit arranged along a document conveying path to face one surface of the document, and a shading roller arranged along the document conveying path to face the first reading unit. The shading roller includes a white reference member used for shading correction and a conveying guide for a document that is conveyed along the document conveying path, is driven by the drive motor together with the paper ejection roller when the drive motor drives the paper ejection roller to rotate in the second direction, and is not driven by the drive motor together with the paper ejection roller when the drive motor drives the paper ejection roller to rotate in the first direction.

An image scanner includes a controller configured to perform black data acquiring process for each color that includes, in a particular period of time, while controlling a light source to be turned off, controlling each of a plurality of light receiving elements to read an image of an object and transmit read data of the object to a shift register, and in a specific period of time next to the particular period of time, controlling the light source to emit light of a color different from the particular color, and controlling the shift register to output a plurality of pieces of image data of the object as a plurality of pieces of black data for the particular color, the plurality of pieces of image data corresponding to the plurality of pieces of read data of the object transmitted by the plurality of light receiving elements, respectively.

An image reading apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image reading unit that generates reference data by reading a reference surface and generates image data by reading a sheet. A reference plate includes the reference surface for generating the reference data for shading correction of the image reading unit and a background surface for background of a sheet to be read to generate the image data. A control unit controls the positions of the image reading unit and the reference plate to be at a first position relative to each other when the reference data is to be generated and at a second position relative to each other when the image data is to be generated. The second position is different from the first position. A shading correction unit performs the shading correction in the image reading unit based on the generated reference data.

An image reading apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image reading unit configured to generate reference data by reading a reference surface and to generate image data by reading a sheet. A reference unit has a reference surface. A shading correction unit determines whether a portion of the reference surface includes a contaminant based on image data generated by the image reading unit reading the portion of the reference unit. When the portion of the reference surface is determined to not include a contaminant, the shading correction unit generates reference data based on the image data generated by the image reading unit reading the portion of the reference surface determined to not include a contaminant.