An image reading apparatus includes a common transport route, a first and a second transport route, a first and a second image sensor, a first and a second discharge tray, and a controller. The controller executes a first reading mode including guiding the document from the common transport route to the first transport route, reading the image on the first face of the document with the first image sensor, and discharging the document to the first discharge tray, or a second reading mode including reading the image on the second face of the document with the second image sensor, guiding the document from the common transport route to the second transport route, and discharging the document to the second discharge tray, inhibits the first reading mode, upon deciding that the first discharge tray is full, and inhibits the second reading mode, upon deciding that the second discharge tray is full.

An image forming apparatus includes an image reader, a controller, and an output section. The image reader reads a document at a highest resolution. The controller generates, from first image data obtained by reading of the document performed at the highest resolution, second image data having a resolution that is lower than the highest resolution, and sets a resolution of output image data based on a result of comparison between a first recognition result, which is a recognition result of character recognition processing performed on the first image data, and a second recognition result, which is a recognition result of character recognition processing performed on the second image data.

To reduce a burden on a user when selecting an image forming device from a user terminal, an information processing method includes acquiring use information from a local storage device of the user terminal. The use information is about past use of image forming devices in a plurality of image forming devices connectable to the user terminal. The method further includes transmitting a status request to the image forming devices used in the past, generating screen data for a history display screen based on the use information regarding the past use of the image forming devices, and causing a display device to display the history display screen with those image forming devices currently in a usable status based on a returned status request response being shown in one mode and those image forming devices currently in an unusable status based on a returned status request being shown in another mode.

In a case where it is determined that image processing on image data is executed not in parallel with other image processing different from the image processing and printing of an image of the document is started after reading of an image of a first page of the document is completed, a transfer rate of image data from an image reading unit to an image processing unit is set to a predetermined transfer rate. Whereas in a case where it is determined that the image processing on image data is executed not in parallel with the other image processing different from the image processing and printing of the image of the document is started without waiting for the reading of the image of the first page of the document to be completed, the transfer rate is set to a transfer rate lower than the predetermined transfer rate.

Disclosed are a shortcut copying method for a multi-function printer and a multi-function printer using the same. After a plurality of data is input by an automatic document feeder, the multi-function printer scans first data in the plurality of data and generates a first scanning image. The multi-function printer provides a control interface composed of a front-side scanning and copying option unit, a back-side scanning and copying option unit and a duplex scanning and copying option unit, and determines whether an option execution command is received based on the control interface. When the multi-function printer determines that it receives the option execution command, it continues to scan other data of the plurality of data and generate a second scanning image. By providing the control interface with concise and clear functions, it is convenient for users to select the copying method quickly and conveniently, thereby improving convenience and efficiency of use.

An image forming device includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a transfer medium; and a controller that controls multiple image readers capable of performing image reading for the same surface of the transfer medium, and acquires reading results from the image readers. The controller is capable of performing failure/no-failure determination for the image on the transfer medium based on the reading results, of switching image reading by the multiple image readers between reading by a first number of image readers and reading by a second number of image readers, the second number being smaller than the first number, and of enabling, while the second number of image readers perform reading, at least one of the other image readers to execute a maintenance operation for the at least one of the other image readers.

An image reading apparatus includes a transparent member having a placement surface on which a document is to be placed, a reading unit configured to read an image of the document placed on the transparent member via the transparent member, and a reading mode in which an image of a document, placed in a holding member with a transparent portion, is read. The document to be read is placed in the holding member so as to be visible via the transparent portion and the holding member is placed on the placement surface with the transparent portion of the holding member in contact with the placement surface. A processor detects an edge in an image acquired by the reading unit in the reading mode, and to extract an image surrounded by an edge detected in an area surrounded by an edge corresponding to the holding member in the reading mode.

An image processing apparatus includes: a document conveyor that conveys a document; an image reader that reads an image of the conveyed document; at least one main memory; a data transfer circuit; and one or more controllers, whereas the controllers determine whether to read an image of each page in a first reading mode or a second reading mode, the first reading mode being a mode in which conveyance of the next document is started before reading of an image of a previous page is completed, the second reading mode being a mode in which conveyance of the next document starts after reading of the document of a previous page is completed, and when there is a possibility that preparation regarding image data transfer of the next page is not completed during reading in the first reading mode, the first reading mode is switched to the second reading mode.

A reading device includes a feeder, a reading unit, and circuitry. The feeder feeds a document. The reading unit reads the document fed by the feeder. The circuitry acquires image data of the document read by the reading unit, in a mode selected in accordance with a predetermined selection condition from a plurality of modes that includes a first mode for acquiring image data including a document area of the document and an outside area other than the document area and a second mode for acquiring image data of an area not including the outside area.

An image scanning apparatus comprises: a first image scanning unit that performs image scanning of a first surface of an original; a second image scanning unit that performs image scanning of a second surface of the original; and a control unit that controls output channels for outputting analog signals from the first image scanning unit, wherein the control unit changes, between a case of single-sided scanning and a case of both-sided scanning, the output channels of the analog signals output from a part of scanning region in a plurality of scanning regions of the first image scanning unit, and changes, between a case of single-sided scanning and a case of both-sided scanning, the number of output channels for outputting the analog signals from the first image scanning unit.