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Document processing systems based on electronic imaging technology are evolving rapidly, motivated by technology advances in optical storage, image scanners, image compression, high speed digital communications, and high resolution displays. These evolving systems require high speed reliable image scanning systems to create the digital image data base that is at the heart of the applications addressed by these evolving systems. High speed production document scanners must provide the capability of converting a wide variety of input material into high quality digital imagery. The required capabilities include: (i) the ability to scan varying sizes and weights of paper, (ii) image enhancement techniques adequate to produce quality imagery from a document material that may depart significantly from standard high contrast black and white office correspondence, (iii) standard compression options, and (iv) a standard interface to a host or control processor providing full control of all scanner operations and all image processing options. As electronic document processing systems proliferate, additional capabilities will be required to support automated or semi-automated document indexing and selective capture of document content. Capabilities now present on microfilming systems will be required as options or features on document capture systems. These capabilities will include: endorsers, bar code readers, and optical character recognition (OCR) capability. Bar code and OCR capabilities will be required to support automated indexing of scanned material, and OCR capability within specific areas of scanned document material will be required to support indexing and specific application needs. These features will also be supported and controlled through a standard host interface. This paper describes the architecture of the TDC DocuScan Digital Image Scanner. The scanner is a double-sided scanner that produces compressed imagery of both sides of a scanned page in under two seconds. Full control of all scanner operation and processing options is provided through a SCSI interface. The scanner architecture has been designed to accommodate OCR and bar code recognition capability and other features now in common use in microfilming equipment, and the technical approach to these extensions will be described.
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