1. A scanning apparatus which scans an image to generate an image data, the scanning apparatus comprising:
a boundary sensing unit to sense a boundary of the image data and a distortion area, of which a distortion boundary is not sensed, of the image data;
a shadow calculating unit to calculate shadow values of the image data; and
a control unit to calculate the distortion boundary of the distortion area according to the shadow values of the distortion area of the image data if the boundary sensing unit senses the distortion area.
2. The scanning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shadow calculating unit detects each marginal area of a plurality of image lines which are adjacently formed in a scanning direction depending on an image scanning and calculates an average value of the shadow values of the marginal areas.
3. The scanning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit respectively calculates coordinate values of a distortion area starting point at which the distortion area is started and a fold end point which divides the distortion area into two along the boundary of the image which is sensed by the boundary sensing unit, and an average value of the shadow values of a marginal area of an image line which includes the coordinate value of the distortion area starting point and the fold end point.
4. The scanning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit calculates a correlation between a coordinate value of a point in the distortion area and a shadow value of the point in the distortion area based on the calculated coordinate values of the distortion area starting point and the fold end point, and the calculated average value of the shadow values of the marginal area of the image line which includes the coordinate value of the distortion area starting point.
5. The scanning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit calculates the distortion boundary of the distortion area, the distortion boundary being between the distortion area starting point and the fold end point, according to the correlation.
6. The scanning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit determines a reference line, the reference line being an ideal boundary line which minimizes distortion of the distortion area, and
calculates a correction coefficient which maps coordinate values of the distortion boundary to the reference line.
7. The scanning apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an image processing unit which processes the image data,
wherein the control unit controls the image processing unit to process the distortion boundary and an image data inside the distortion area according to the correction coefficient to generate a corrected image data.
8. The scanning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an image forming unit which outputs the image data,
wherein the control unit controls the image forming unit to output the corrected image data.
9. An image correcting method of a scanning apparatus, comprising:
scanning a document to generate an image data;
detecting a boundary of the image data;
calculating shadow values of the image data;
calculating coordinate values of the boundary, and sensing a distortion area having a distortion boundary of which the coordinate values of the distortion boundary are not calculated; and
calculating a distortion boundary of the distortion area according to the shadow values of the distortion area.
10. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the calculating of the shadow values of the image data further comprises:
detecting each marginal area of a plurality of image lines which are adjacently formed in a scanning direction depending on an image scanning; and
calculating an average value of the shadow values of the marginal areas.
11. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising respectively calculating coordinate values of a distortion area starting point at which the distortion area is started and a fold end point which divides the distortion area into two along the boundary of the image which is sensed in the detecting the boundary of the image data, and an average value of the shadow values of a marginal area of an image line which comprises the coordinate values of the distortion area starting point and the fold end point.
12. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising calculating a correlation between a coordinate value of a point in the distortion area and a shadow value of the point in the distortion area according to the calculated coordinate values of the distortion area starting point and the fold end point, and the calculated average value of the shadow values of the marginal area of the image line which includes the coordinate value of the distortion area starting point.
13. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising calculating coordinate values of the distortion boundary, the distortion boundary being between the distortion area starting point and the fold end point, according to the correlation.
14. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:
determining a reference line, the reference line being an ideal boundary line which minimizes distortion of the distortion area, and
calculating a correction coefficient which maps coordinate values of the distortion boundary to the reference line.
15. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising processing the distortion boundary and an image data inside the distortion area according to the correction coefficient to generate a corrected image data.
16. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising outputting the generated corrected image data.
17. An image correcting method of a scanning apparatus, comprising:
scanning a document to generate an image data; and
calculating a distortion boundary of a distortion area of the image data according to shadow values of an image line in a reference direction which corresponds to the distortion area.
18. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the distortion area comprises a distortion area starting point at which a boundary of the image data is not sensed and a fold end point of the image data.
19. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the calculating of the distortion boundary of the distortion area further comprises correlating between a coordinate value of the reference direction with respect to the distortion boundary and a shadow value in the distortion area, respectively, according to the coordinate values of the distortion area starting point and the fold end point, and the shadow values of the image line in the reference direction which corresponds to the distortion area.
20. The image correcting method of the scanning apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising calculating a coordinate value of each distortion boundary depending on the reference direction between the distortion area starting point and the fold end point according to the correlation.
21. An image correcting method of a scanning apparatus, comprising:
scanning an image in image lines disposed in a scan direction;
determining a distortion area according to a variation in focal distances during the scanning of the image within each image line;
determining a distortion boundary of the distortion area;
determining a correction coefficient by mapping the distortion boundary to an ideal image boundary that minimizes distortion of the image;
correcting the distortion area according to the determined correction coefficient.
22. The image correcting method of claim 21, wherein the determining of the distortion area comprises determining a shadow value of each image line according to the variation in the focal distances during the scanning.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-58. (canceled)
59. A method of operating a virtual school, comprising the steps of:
providing a computer network, including server means and a plurality of clients each of which is adapted to be connected to said server means over said network;
loading a means for operating said server means and said plurality of clients, said operating means supporting a run-time environment for a virtual school application on said network;
providing graphical user interface means adapted to be displayed on said plurality of clients;
connecting a database to said computer network;
storing within said database a first plurality of browser windows, each of which is adapted to display to a user on one of said plurality of clients individual parts of a lesson, a first plurality of text files, each of which is adapted to teach a given part of said lesson to said user, and a first plurality of image files, each of which is adapted to supplement said given part of said lesson;
operating the computer system to render said first plurality of browser windows on the display;
providing a first interactive module, which is adapted to be run over said network and be used by said user to plan a curriculum comprising a plurality of lessons; and
providing a second interactive module, which is adapted to be run over said network and interface with said first interactive module for sequencing said plurality of lessons based on an assessment of said user and said curriculum.
60. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:
storing within said database a second plurality of browser windows, each of which is adapted to display to a user on one of said plurality of clients an assessment test, a second plurality of text files, each of which is adapted to test said user on a given part of said curriculum, and a second plurality of image files, each of which is adapted to supplement said test, and content created as an assembly of said second plurality of browser windows, said second plurality of text files, and said second plurality of image files; and
storing said content as a plurality of objects defined by the group consisting of content objects, user objects, and role objects.
61. The method according to claim 60, further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a diagnostic test for assessing an initial performance of said user;
administering said diagnostic test with said first interactive module; and
adjusting said curriculum with said second interactive module, based on the results of said diagnostic test.
62. The method according to claim 60, further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a lesson test for assessing a performance of said user at an end of said lesson;
administering said lesson test with said first interactive module; and
adjusting said curriculum with said second interactive module, based on the results of said lesson test.
63. The method according to claim 60, wherein said curriculum further comprises a plurality of units, each of which comprises a plurality of lessons, said method further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a unit test for assessing a performance of said user at an end of each said unit;
administering said unit test with said first interactive module; and
adjusting said curriculum with said second interactive module, based on the results of said unit test.
64. The method according to claim 60, wherein said curriculum further comprises a plurality of courses, each of which comprises a plurality of units, said method further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a mid-course test for assessing a performance of said user at a point in time substantially midway through each said course;
administering said mid-course test with said first interactive module; and adjusting said curriculum with said second interactive module, based on the results of said mid-course test.
65. The method according to claim 60, wherein said curriculum further comprises a plurality of courses, each of which comprises a plurality of units, said method further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a final test for assessing a performance of said user at an end of each said course;
administering said final test with said first interactive module; and
adjusting said curriculum with said second interactive module, based on the results of said final test.
66. The method according to claim 60, wherein said curriculum further comprises a plurality of courses, said method further comprising the steps of:
creating, from said content, a proctored test for assessing a performance of said user at upon completion of said plurality of courses;
administering said proctored test with said first interactive module; and
awarding a certificate based on the results of said proctored test.
67. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the step of selecting said user from the group consisting of a pupil, a caring adult, a system teacher, a system proctor, a system administrator, a system principal, and a system superintendent.
68. The method according to claim 67, further comprising the step of assigning a caring adult to one or more pupils.
69. The method according to claim 68, further comprising the step of facilitating user access and communication among a plurality of caring adults who share a selected interest.
70. The method according to claim 69, wherein said selected interest comprises a virtual charter school.
71. The method according to claim 67, further comprising the step of assigning a system teacher to a plurality of pupils.
72. The method according to claim 71, further comprising the step of facilitating user access and communication among a plurality of system teaches who share a selected interest.
73. The method according to claim 72, wherein said selected interest comprises an academic grade level.
74. The method according to claim 72, wherein said selected interest comprises a virtual charter school.
75. The method according to claim 67, further comprising the step of assigning a system principal to a plurality of system teachers.
76. The method according to claim 75, further comprising the step of facilitating user access and communication among said system principal and said plurality of system teachers.
77. The method according to claim 67, further comprising the step of assigning a system superintendent to a plurality of system principals.
78. The method according to claim 77, further comprising the step of facilitating user access and communication among said system superintendent and said plurality of system principals.
79-86. (canceled)