초록 ▼

An image reading device which has a reduced size and which can read images at high quality. LEDs, which are respective pluralities of light emitting diode elements that emit red, green, blue and infrared light, are disposed at an area CCD scanner. A frame image of a photographic film is successively

An image reading device which has a reduced size and which can read images at high quality. LEDs, which are respective pluralities of light emitting diode elements that emit red, green, blue and infrared light, are disposed at an area CCD scanner. A frame image of a photographic film is successively read with light of each wavelength by emitting light from the LED elements. Pixels that are affected by a scratch or dust at the photographic film are detected by the infrared light. Red, green and blue image data for such pixels is corrected by means of interpolation or the like. Thus, images can be read at high quality. Furthermore, because the LEDs are used as a light source instead of a halogen lamp, less heat is emitted, the device is more compact, and cut filters and the like are not needed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An image reading device which reads an image recorded at an original, using visible light for reading the image and invisible light for detecting inappropriate pixels, and corrects inappropriate pixels of image data, comprising:a light source formed by light emitting diodes which emit visible lig

1. An image reading device which reads an image recorded at an original, using visible light for reading the image and invisible light for detecting inappropriate pixels, and corrects inappropriate pixels of image data, comprising:a light source formed by light emitting diodes which emit visible light for reading the image and invisible light for detecting inappropriate pixels;an area sensor which reads the image by receiving visible and invisible light that has been one of transmitted and reflected by the image; andan image processing section which detects inappropriate pixels on the basis of invisible light image data, which has been read by invisible light at the area sensor, and corrects the inappropriate pixels at visible light image data, which has been read by visible light. 2. An image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is formed by light emitting diode elements that emit visible light and which are disposed in array form, and light emitting diode elements that emit invisible light and which are disposed in array form. 3. An image reading device according to claim 2, wherein the light source is formed by light emitting diode elements of each of at least four wavelengths, including at least three visible light region wavelengths and one invisible light region wavelength, said light emitting diode elements of each wavelength being arranged in a pattern which is planar and which is the same as patterns of the light emitting diode elements of other wavelengths. 4. An image reading device according to claim 2, whereinthe light source is formed by a plurality of types of light emitting diode elements disposed in rows and columns, which types of light emitting diode element respectively emit at different wavelengths, andthe types of light emitting diode element are disposed alternately in at least one direction of a direction of rows and a direction of columns, and a ratio of a spacing between adjacent light emitting diode elements in the one direction to a spacing between adjacent light emitting diode elements in another direction is1:(number of types of light emitting diode element). 5. An image reading device according to claim 3, wherein the light source is formed by light emitting diode elements disposed such that distributions of light of respective wavelengths are uniform. 6. An image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the light source has a central portion and a peripheral portion, and the light emitting diode elements that form the light source are disposed more densely at the peripheral portion than at the central portion. 7. An image reading device according to claim 1, whereinthe light source has a central portion and a peripheral portion,the light source is formed by a plurality of light emitting diode elements that emit visible light and a plurality of light emitting diode elements that emit invisible light, andthe proportion of the light emitting diode elements that are light emitting diode elements that emit invisible light increases from the central portion to the peripheral portion. 8. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a mirror box between the light source and the original, said mirror box having an internal reflection surface which reflects light from the light source, said mirror box thereby illuminating the original, and said mirror box having an entrance opening at which light from the light source enters the mirror box; anda diffuser provided at said entrance opening, said diffuser having a central portion and a peripheral portion, and having higher diffusiveness at said central portion than at said peripheral portion. 9. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a mirror box between the light source and the original, said mirror box having an internal reflection surface which reflects light from the light source, said mirror box thereby illuminating the original, and said mirror box having an emergence opening a t which light leaves the mirror box toward the original; anda diffuser provided at said emergence opening, said diffuser having a central portion and a peripheral portion, and having higher diffusiveness at said central portion than at said peripheral portion. 10. An image reading device according to claim 8, wherein the diffuser is a diffusion member provided centrally at the entrance opening, the diffusion member and the entrance opening each having a peripheral edge spaced apart from one another. 11. An image reading device according to claim 9, wherein the diffuser is a diffusion member provided centrally at the emergence opening, the diffusion member and the emergence opening each having a peripheral edge spaced apart from one another. 12. An image reading device according to claim 8, wherein the diffuser is a diffusion member provided at the entrance opening, said diffusion member having a central portion and a peripheral portion, and said central portion being thicker than said peripheral portion. 13. An image reading device according to claim 9, wherein the diffuser is a diffusion member provided at the emergence opening, said diffusion member having a central portion and a peripheral portion, and said central portion being thicker than said peripheral portion. 14. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a mirror box between the light source and the original, said mirror box having an internal reflection surface which reflects light from the light source, said mirror box thereby illuminating the original, and said mirror box having an entrance opening at which light from the light source enters the mirror box and an emergence opening at which light leaves the mirror box toward the original; andan ND filter provided centrally at one of the openings, the ND filter and said one of the openings each having a peripheral edge spaced apart from one another. 15. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a mirror box between the light source and the original, said mirror box having an internal reflection surface which reflects light from the light source, said mirror box thereby illuminating the original, and said reflection surface being formed by a diffusion member. 16. An image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the area sensor is formed by imaging elements and an amount of light received by the area sensor is controlled by controlling an accumulation time of the imaging elements. 17. An image reading device according to claim 1, wherein an amount of light received by the area sensor is controlled by controlling driving factors of the light emitting diodes. 18. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a correction section that stores in advance respective shading correction values corresponding to different wavelengths of light emitted from the light source, and corrects shadings of image data read respectively at each wavelength on the basis of the shading correction values. 19. An image reading device according to claim 1, wherein shading correction is performed by reading an image in a state in which the original is not present, and separately controlling output of each light emitting diode element on the basis of an output value of the area sensor. 20. An image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising:a photoelectric transducer that detects an amount of light between the original and the light source,wherein output of the light emitting diodes is kept constant on the basis of output of the transducer. 21. An image reading device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting diodes elements are arranged in a pattern in which positions of the light emitting diode elements of each wavelength shift by one place form one line in the pattern to an adjacent line in the pattern.