Patent ID: 7676093
Filing Date: 2010-03-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image reading and processing method carried out with an image reading apparatus having an image reading area on which an original is placed and a reading section, and an image processing apparatus having an image processing section and a storage section, the method comprising: a first image reading step of reading an image over the entire image reading area including a region on which the original is placed at a first resolution to obtain first image data; a first detecting step of detecting a contour area of an image of the original based on the first image data obtained in said first image reading step; a first extracting step of extracting a first area from the contour area detected in said first detecting step, wherein outer edges of the first area coincide with outer edges of the contour area detected in said first detecting step, and sandwiching the outer edges and inner edges positioned at inside of the outer edges by the width of a pixel at the first resolution; a second image reading step of reading the image of the original at a second resolution higher than the first resolution, over only a second area having outer edges thereof shared by the outer edges of the first area extracted in said first extracting step, to obtain second image data; a second detecting step of detecting a contour of the image of the original from the area overlapping the first area with the second area obtained in said second image reading step; a second extracting step of extracting third image data of an image portion inside the contour of the image of the original detected in said second detecting step, from the second image data obtained in said second image reading step; and a storing step of storing the extracted third image data in the storage section, wherein the first and second image reading steps are carried out by the image reading section, and wherein the first detecting step, the first extracting step, the second detecting step, the second extracting step, and the storing steps are carried out by the image processing section.