Patent ID: 7148976

Claim:
A document image capture and processing system comprising: a document scanner for scanning a document and providing a digital image of information on the document to an image buffer; a document transport for transporting paper documents past the document scanner; a computer having a trend array for storing maximum values of scanner output as a document is scanned; trend analyzer logic in the computer for evaluating the maximum values in the trend array to determine a rate of scanner performance deterioration; adjust logic in the computer for adjusting the maximum values of scanner picture element output in an initial row of the trend array after an interval to generate an adjusted maximum value for each scanner picture element; the adjust logic in the computer, adjusting a maximum picture element value by a larger amount when the maximum value of scanner picture element output indicates a return to acceptable performance by the scanning portion of the image system and adjusting a maximum picture element value by a smaller amount when the maximum value of scanner picture element output indicates a deterioration of acceptable performance by the scanning portion of the image system.