Patent ID: 7843609

Claim:
A method of scanning a target image and inhibiting backtrack artifacts from the scanned image, comprising: initiating a scan on a flat bed scanner, said flat bed scanner comprising at least a scanbar, a memory buffer and a motion control pattern comprised of a plurality of spaced elements, each element having an angled portion with respect to the motion of the scanbar; acquiring scan data for at least one scan position line with said scanbar, said scan data comprising a motion control pattern data and an image data, said motion control pattern data comprising, for each scan position line, a plurality of light patterned line segments and a plurality of dark patterned line segments; storing said previously acquired scan data in a memory buffer; querying whether said memory buffer reaches a preselected full threshold; acquiring a last valid scan data at a last valid scanbar position; stopping and backtracking said scanbar when said memory buffer preselected full threshold is met; acquiring, following the backtracking, at least one new scan data line, each of said at least one new scan data line including a plurality of light patterned line segments and a plurality of dark patterned line segments; and, inhibiting backtrack artifacts by one of a first real-time position analysis and a post-processing analysis by comparing a position of at least one of said line segments of said at least one scan position line acquired prior to backtracking to a position along the new scan data line of at least one of said line segments of the new scan data line.