A processing device in a server computer system generates multiple instances of a universal scanner driver on a server, each instance corresponding to a different scanner connected at separate user devices. The processing device receives requests for an application running on the server to scan documents using the multiple scanners concurrently. The processing device sends, using the different instances of the universal scanner driver, the requests to each user device concurrently and receives scan data corresponding to the documents from the user device.

An image reading apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image reading unit configured to generate reference data by reading a reference surface and to generate image data by reading a sheet. A reference unit has a reference surface. A shading correction unit determines whether a portion of the reference surface includes a contaminant based on image data generated by the image reading unit reading the portion of the reference unit. When the portion of the reference surface is determined to not include a contaminant, the shading correction unit generates reference data based on the image data generated by the image reading unit reading the portion of the reference surface determined to not include a contaminant.

An image scanner includes a transparent plate, a scanning device, a driving device, a positioning member, a light absorbing portion and a white reference portion. The transparent plate has an original placing surface. The scanning device irradiates an original with light by means of a light source and scans reflected light from the original. The driving device reciprocates the scanning device along the transparent plate. The positioning member positions the original placed on the original placing surface of the transparent plate. The light absorbing portion, which is disposed on the original placing surface side of the positioning member and at substantially a central portion of the positioning member in moving directions of the scanning device, absorbs ambient light entering to the original placing surface side of the positioning member through the transparent plate. The white reference portion is provided to the original placing surface side of the positioning member.

A document scanning device includes first and second image sensors spaced along a document path and positioned to scan first and second sides of an input document. A first driven belt is configured to receive the input document directly onto a first surface of the first driven belt and transports the document past the first image sensor, where a first side of the document is scanned. A second driven belt, horizontally spaced from the first driven belt, receives the document after it has been scanned by the second image sensor and transports the document to an output. The device is suited to scanning of a variety of substrates and document sizes, such as normal, small, rigid, or delicate documents as the document path can be substantially straight and provide support for the document during scanning allowing delicate, small or rigid documents to be scanned.

An image reading apparatus comprises a first reading section; a second reading section; a conveyance section which conveys the sheet sequentially to the first reading section and the second reading section; a control section which executes a first storage operation of storing image data read by the first reading section in a storage section and a second storage operation of storing image data read by the second reading section in the storage section, determines whether the reading operations of the first reading section and the second reading section, the first and the second storage operations are ended normally and deletes, if any one of the operations is not ended normally, the image data of the sheet not scanned normally stored in the storage section.

A printer (300) is disclosed. The printer has two scanners (336, 338) in the paper path of the printer located after the print zone (346). The two scanners are spaced apart from each other by a known distance A and overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the media axis of travel. The two scanners capture a first and second image of the media.

An image reading device includes a plurality of readers, an access opening, and a lift. The plurality of readers read an image on a recording medium. The plurality of readers are arranged around a carrier to rotate while carrying the recording medium on a peripheral surface of the carrier. The plurality of readers are arranged radially about a rotation axis of the carrier. The plurality of readers are to be introduced through the access opening. The lift includes a cable to lift one reader of the plurality of readers introduced through the access opening. The lift lifts and locates the one reader at a predetermined height position around the carrier with the cable.

An image reading apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit that is pivotable against the first unit, and a controller. The first unit includes a platen, a member, and a movable first reader. The second unit includes an original tray, a conveyance unit that conveys an original from the original tray, a static second reader. The controller determines an opening/closing state of the second unit against the first unit based on read data obtained when the second reader reads the member. The first reader reads the first side of an original conveyed by the conveyance unit and the second reader reads the second side of the original when the original placed on the original tray is read. The first reader reads the first side while moving under the original when the original placed on the platen is read.

A scanning device comprises a scan assembly, a control processor and an output interface. The scan assembly comprises two scanner modules for scanning front and reverse sides of a data medium to obtain front side analog data and reverse side analog data. The control processor electrically connected to the scan assembly controls the scan assembly, and executes an analog-to-digital converting process to convert the front side analog data and the reverse side analog data into front side digital data and reverse side digital data. The output interface electrically connected to the control processor outputs even sets of digital data, comprising the front side digital data and the reverse side digital data, to an image forming apparatus, so that the image forming apparatus performs even-set data typesetting and outputting after the even sets of digital data are completely outputted. An image forming system using the scanning device is also disclosed.

A document reading device includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a document; a background member having a mark for correcting an inclination of the document; a color reading unit configured to read an image of the document and to output color image data; a monochrome reading unit configured to read the image of the document and to output monochrome image data; a switching unit configured to switch between a first state and a second state; and a hardware processor configured to switch into the first state at the time of a color mode, and to switch into the second state at the time of the monochrome mode, configured to detect the inclination of the document, and configured to correct the inclination of the color image data, and to correct the inclination of the monochrome image data, in accordance with the detected inclination of the document.