A document feed portion of an image reading device is capable of feeding a document placed on a first document placement portion, to a predetermined reading position. A size detection portion detects a size of the document placed on the first document placement portion. A storage processing portion stores size information indicating the size of the document detected by the size detection portion, into a predetermined storage medium. An image reading portion performs a reading process of scanning a read surface of the document placed on a second document placement portion, to read an image. A setting portion sets the size information stored into the storage medium by the storage processing portion, as size information to be used for the reading process by the image reading portion.

A document reading device includes a reading section, an orientation detecting section, an orientation determining section, and a notification section. The reading section reads images of respective pages of a spread document one at a time. The orientation detecting section sequentially detects orientations of respective images read by the reading section. The orientation determining section determines whether or not the orientation detecting section detects orientation alternation between a first orientation and a second orientation opposite to the first orientation for a read image read by the reading section. The notification section notifies an error upon the orientation determining section determining that the orientation detecting section does not detect orientation alternation between the first orientation and the second orientation.

An image reading apparatus according to the present invention is an image reading apparatus including a reading unit that illuminates an original and reads an image of the original, wherein the apparatus can execute a first mode of reading the image of the moving original while the reading unit is kept stationary, and a second mode of reading the image of the stationary original while moving the reading unit, the apparatus further includes a light condensing unit that refracts a light flux from the reading unit and condenses the light flux on the original in the first mode, and the light flux from the reading unit incidents on the original without passing through the light condensing unit in the second mode.

An image reading apparatus includes an image scanning unit that is provided with a holding portion holding a flexible flat cable. The holding portion is protruded toward an upstream side in a sub scanning direction, and provided with a second wall part. The flexible flat cable that is extended from a connector is brought into contact with the second wall part. As for the flexible flat cable, a downward movement is regulated by a lower holding portion and an upward movement is regulated by an upper holding portion. Accordingly, the flexible flat cable does not rise.

An enclosure that can be utilized with an image capture device for digitizing documents can include a bin having a platform panel, an aperture panel, and side support panels. The aperture panel comprises an aperture passing through it. Documents or objects may be gathered and/or stored within the bin. When a user desires to digitally capture the documents or objects, the user may turn the bin on its side so that the aperture panel is on top and the platform panel is on bottom, place a document on the platform with the document facing the aperture, place an image capture device on the aperture panel with the image capture sensor aligned with the aperture and therefore facing the document, and capture an image of the document.

A document management facility may process volumes of physical documents for digital imaging. The document management facility may utilize robotic apparatus to perform the various functions for processing the documents, which may include document intake, document storage, document digitization, and/or document removal. Digital versions of the documents may be accessed with a document management system.

The present invention provides a technique capable of obtaining image data without a missing part even in a case where a business form is not rectangular. An image reading device including a reading unit which reads an image of a business form, the image reading device includes a skew angle calculation unit which calculates a skew angle used for correcting inclination of the business form according to image data of the image read by the reading unit, a circumscribed region detection unit which generates an image after a first skew correction obtained by rotating the image according to the skew angle, scans the generated image after the first skew correction, and thus detects a circumscribed quadrangle circumscribed around the image of the business form and included in the image after the first skew correction, and an image cutout unit which cuts out a business-form image after cutout from the image read by the reading unit, according to coordinates of four corner points of the circumscribed quadrangle.

A sheet transportation device includes a sheet loading table, a feeding unit that feeds a sheet placed on the sheet loading table, a first detection unit that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in a sheet transportation direction and that detects a position of a leading end of the sheet, a second detection unit that is provided upstream of the feeding unit in the sheet transportation direction and that detects a position of a leading end of a small-size sheet which is smaller than the sheet detected by the first detection unit, and a control unit that starts feeding the sheet based on a result of detection performed by any of the first detection unit or the second detection unit in accordance with a size of the sheet.

A linear image scanner capable of digitizing three-dimensional surfaces according to the photometric stereo technique has a linear type imaging sensor, a scanning plane, an optical system, an optical axis, a scan line, a lighting system with at least four independently controllable light sources arranged so that each light source enlighten the scan line from a different direction. At least two first light sources are arranged symmetrically respect to the vision plane and at least two second light sources are arranged symmetrically respect to the moving plane and so that the at least two first and two second light sources radiate the scan line from at least four different directions with uniform light intensity and uniform incident angles of the light sources over the entire length of the scan line. A scanning method is also described.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and an image reading apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first pair of conveying rollers and a first motor driving the first pair of conveying rollers at a first speed. The image reading apparatus includes an image reading unit, a second pair of conveying rollers arranged downstream of said first pair of conveying rollers and a second motor driving the second pair of conveying rollers at a second speed lower than the first speed. The second motor drives the second pair of conveying rollers at the second speed so as to form a loop of the sheet between the first pair of conveying rollers and the second pair of conveying rollers.