Multiple-field sensor for scanning system

Abstract

A multiple-field sensor for a scanner suitable for scanning a document. The scanner includes a multiple-field sensor, an average accumulator, and a block of memory. The multiple-field sensor has a plurality of sensing lines for each color channel. Each sensing line picks up a portion of image signal from the document during scanning. The sensing lines scan the same portion of the document to produce corresponding image signals. The average accumulator averages the image signals obtained from the sensing lines of the same color channel to produce an average image signal. The block of memory is used as a storage area for image signals in general and the average image signal in particular.

1. A scanner having multiple-field sensor for scanning a document, the scanner comprising:
 a multiple-field sensor having a plurality of sensing lines for each color channel, wherein each sensing line is able configured to obtain a corresponding image signal during scanning; 
 an average accumulator for adding together and averaging configured to add together and average image signals from all the sensing line lines that corresponds correspond to the scanning of an identical portion of the document, and outputting output an average image signal; and 
 a memory for storing configured to store the image signals obtained from the sensing lines and the average image signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The scanner of  claim 1 , wherein the scanner further includes a memory read/write address controller for controlling configured to control memory accessing addresses. 
     
     
       3. The scanner of  claim 1 , wherein the average accumulator further includes an adder and a divider, the adder is used for accumulating configured to accumulate image signals and the divider is used for averaging configured to average the sum of the accumulated image signals to produce an the average image signal. 
     
     
       4. An image scanning method that utilizes a multiple-field sensor having a plurality of sensing lines for each color channel and with each sensing line capable of scanning configured to scan a scan document, the method comprising the steps of:
 sequentially scanning an identical portion of the scan document using the sensing lines to obtain a plurality of corresponding image signals; 
 averaging the image signals to produce an average image signal; and 
 outputting the average image signal. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of averaging the image signals includes the substeps of further comprises:
 storing each image signal; 
 summing the image signals cumulatively; and 
 averaging the sum of the image signals to produce an the average image signal. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the averaging of the image signals is executed in a pipeline mode. 
     
     
       7. An image scanning method that utilizes a multiple-field sensor having a plurality of sensing lines for each color channel and with each sensing line capable of scanning configured to scan a scan document, the method comprising the steps of:
 sequentially scanning an identical portion of the scan document using the sensing lines to obtain a plurality of corresponding image signals; 
 storing each image signal; 
 summing the image signals cumulatively; and 
 averaging the sum of the image signals to produce an average image signal. 
 
     
     
       8. A method, comprising:
 scanning an image using a plurality of sensing lines to obtain a plurality of initial image signals that represent a same region of the image;   averaging the initial image signals to produce a final image signal; and   outputting the final image signal as a representation of the region;   wherein the initial image signals provide overlapping representation of the region.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, wherein the image is scanned using a color scanner and the sensing lines correspond to a same single color channel. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 8, wherein the image is scanned using a mono-color scanning device. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 8, further comprising;
 detecting at least one color channel; and   identifying the plurality of sensing lines used to scan the region of the image according to the detected color channel.   
     
     
       12. A method, comprising:
 scanning an image using a plurality of sensing lines to obtain a plurality of initial image signals that represent a same region of the image;   storing the initial image signals;   averaging the initial image signals to produce a final image signal, wherein averaging the initial image signals to produce the final image signal includes:
 summing the initial image signals; and 
 averaging the sum of the initial image signals to produce the final image signal; and 
   outputting the final image signal as a representation of the region.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12, wherein the initial image signals are summed cumulatively. 
     
     
       14. A system, comprising:
 means for obtaining a plurality of initial image signals that provide overlapping representation of a region of a scanned document; and   means for averaging the initial image signals to produce a final image signal, the final image signal representing the region of the scanned document;   wherein the image signals correspond to an identical color channel for the region of the scanned document.   
     
     
       15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of initial image signals are obtained concurrently and without requiring a scanner sensor to shuttle forward and backward multiple times. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 14, wherein the image signals are mono-color. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus, comprising:
 a first sensing line to generate an initial image signal by scanning a region of an image;   a second different sensing line to generate another initial image signal by scanning the same region of the image as the first sensing line; and   a processor configured to synthesize a final image signal for the region of the image using the initial image signals;   wherein the processor is further configured to synthesize the final image signal by averaging the initial image signals.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second sensing lines are integrated in a same multi-field sensor. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the image signals are mono-color. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sensing lines are arranged to generate the initial image signals concurrently and without requiring a scanner sensor to shuttle forward and backward multiple times. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sensing lines are positioned to generate the initial image signals concurrently responsive to light reflecting from the image or from a mirror above the image. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the averaged image signal is a mathematical average of the initial image signals. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the mathematical average is obtained using an accumulator component and a divider component. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
 adding the initial image signals together; and   dividing a sum from the adding by a value equal to the quantity of the initial image signals, wherein the final image signal is a result of the dividing.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
 dividing the sum of the initial image signals by a value equal to the quantity of the initial image signals, wherein the final image signal is a result of the dividing.   
     
     
       26. The system of claim 14, further comprising:
 means for adding the initial image signals together; and   means for dividing a sum from the adding by a value equal to the quantity of the initial image signals, wherein the final image signal is a result of the dividing.