A reading device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The reading device includes an image reading device configured to read an image on a recording medium being conveyed, a background device serving as a background image when the image is read by the image reading device, and a foreign-object detector configured to compare a first read image obtained as the background device is read by the image reading device with a second read image obtained as the background device and the recording medium are read by the image reading device to detect an attached foreign object. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device and an image forming device.

Examples disclosed herein relate to identifying a plurality of content areas of a document to be scanned, classifying each of the plurality of content areas into a content type, determining a minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability for each of the plurality of content areas according to the classified content type, and performing a scan of the document to a digital file, wherein each of the plurality of content areas is scanned at least at the determined minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability of the respective content area.

The invention relates to a method for scanning originals using a scanner, for example a flatbed scanner, said method comprising the steps of: (i) performing a pre-scan using a scanner bed (2) of the scanner, said scanner bed (2) having an extension in the x-direction and in the y-direction, in order to measure an x-extension (4) between a smallest (4a) and a largest extension value (4b) in the x-direction and to measure a y-extension (6) between a smallest (6a) and a largest extension value (6b) in the y-direction in respect of each of the originals on the scanner bed (2), and creating scanning frames (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6) associated with the originals from the respectively measured extension values, (ii) specifying the scanning frame (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6) with the largest y-extension (6) as the leading frame (R4), (iii) defining as subsequent frames (R3, R5) those which are located with their y-extension within a section (10) of the scanning bed which is spanned in the y-direction by the smallest and the largest extension value of the y-extension of the leading frame, (iv) creating an image processing dataset from said section, its leading frame and its subsequent frames, (v) registering said image processing dataset in a list of image processing datasets, (vi) performing steps (ii) to (v), without taking into account the scanning frames already existing in an image processing dataset, until all the scanning frames measured in step (i) are included in an image processing dataset, (vii) capturing image data by scanning the sections of the image processing datasets registered in the list, (viii) cropping the image data of originals from the captured image data along the scanning frame, and (ix) storing the cropped image data of the originals.

(FIG. 2)

According to one embodiment, an image reading apparatus includes a light emitting unit, a first carriage, a first photoelectric conversion unit, a first lens, and a second carriage. The light emitting unit irradiates a reading object with light. The first carriage includes a first optical member for guiding reflected light from the reading object. The first carriage is movable in a sub-scanning direction along the reading object. The first photoelectric conversion unit receives the reflected light from the reading object guided through the first optical member and outputs an image signal. The first lens is disposed on an optical path of the reflected light between the first optical member and the first photoelectric conversion unit, and images the reflected light from the reading object on the first photoelectric conversion unit. The second carriage is movable in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction along the reading object with respect to the first carriage. The second carriage includes a second optical member for guiding the reflected light from the reading object, a second photoelectric conversion unit that receives the reflected light from the reading object guided through the second optical member to output an image signal, and a second lens that is disposed on an optical path of the reflected light between the second optical member and the second photoelectric conversion unit and images the reflected light from the reading object on the second photoelectric conversion unit at a magnification different from the first lens.

A reading device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The reading device includes an image reading device configured to read an image on a recording medium being conveyed, a background device serving as a background image when the image is read by the image reading device, and a foreign-object detector configured to compare a first read image obtained as the background device is read by the image reading device with a second read image obtained as the background device and the recording medium are read by the image reading device to detect an attached foreign object. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device and an image forming device.

Examples disclosed herein relate to identifying a plurality of content areas of a document to be scanned, classifying each of the plurality of content areas into a content type, determining a minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability for each of the plurality of content areas according to the classified content type, and performing a scan of the document to a digital file, wherein each of the plurality of content areas is scanned at least at the determined minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability of the respective content area.

An image reading apparatus includes a platen on which a document is to be placed; an image generating unit that performs scanning on the platen to generate a position detection image and an output image; a document position detecting unit that detects whether a document exists and a position of the document based on the generated position detection image; a document extracting unit that extract an area corresponding to the document from the generated output image; and a control unit that controls the image generating unit, the document position detecting unit, and the document extracting unit so as to output an image of the extracted document.

An image reading device includes a first image reading portion, a cooling portion, a second image reading portion, and a notification processing portion. The first image reading portion reads an image of a document sheet at a first reading position. The cooling portion cools the document sheet at a cooling position downstream in a feeding direction of the document sheet with respect to the first reading position. The second image reading portion reads an image of the document sheet at a second reading position downstream in the feeding direction with respect to the cooling position. In a case where a difference image different from a first image read by the first image reading portion, the difference image being included in a second image read by the second image reading portion has been detected, the notification processing portion provides a notification that the difference image has been detected.

A document reading unit includes an R light source, a G light source, a B light source, a UV light source, a lighting control unit, a first photoelectric conversion element, a second photoelectric conversion element, a lens, and an output unit. The first photoelectric conversion element includes an M filter. The second photoelectric conversion element includes a G filter. The output unit outputs outputs of the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element at the time of simultaneous lighting of the R and G light sources and an output of the first photoelectric conversion element at the time of simultaneous lighting of the B and UV light sources as the image data, and outputs an output of the second photoelectric conversion element at the time of simultaneous lighting of the B and UV light source as fluorescent color data indicating a fluorescent color region.

A reading module has a light source, an optical system imaging, as image light, reflected light of the light radiated from the light source to the document, and a sensor converting the image light imaged by the optical system into an electrical signal. The optical system has a mirror array in which reflection mirrors are coupled together in an array in the main scanning direction and an aperture stop portion having a first aperture adjusting the amount of image light reflected from a reflection mirror and a second aperture shielding stray light that enters the first aperture from an adjacent reflection mirror. The second aperture is arranged at such a position as to be able to shield stray light passing through a boundary between the reflection mirrors and the center of the first aperture when the mirror array contracts to the maximum extent in the main scanning direction.