A image reading apparatus includes a first placement unit, a second placement unit, a first reading unit, a second reading unit, a rotating mechanism, and a switch-over mechanism that switches over the first placement unit and the second placement unit between a horizontal state and an inclined state. The rotating mechanism rotates the first reading unit and the second reading unit, so that, in the horizontal state, the first image reading unit and the second image reading unit read a medium placed on the first placement unit and a medium placed on the second placement unit respectively, and, in the inclined state, the first image reading unit and the second image reading unit read a medium placed on the second placement unit and a medium placed on the first placement unit respectively.

An assembly for transferring information to and/or from flexible sheet media in a highly advantageous curved configuration is disclosed. The sheet material includes a length and a width defining first and second opposing surfaces. The assembly includes support means for supporting the sheet the curved configuration across its width, having the first surface inwardly oriented with respect to the curved configuration. Thereafter, moving means moves the flexible sheet material so supported in a direction along a read/write path generally parallel to the sheet material length and transverse to the direction of curvature. A read/write arrangement is provided which is configured for reading and/or writing information across the width of the first surface of the sheet as the sheet is moved along the path in the curved configuration. In one feature, means is provided for rotationally moving the read/write arrangement in a predetermined way in the housing such that the read/write arrangement is in a confronting relationship with the first, inwardly oriented surface and cooperates with the movement provided by the sheet material moving means so as to cause the read/write arrangement to sequentially read information from and/or write information to the inwardly oriented, first surface of the sheet as the read/write arrangement traverses the width of the flexible sheet material while the latter is on the read/write path in the curved configuration. In another feature, a read and/or write operation may be performed on the second, outwardly oriented surface of the sheet material.

Disclosed is an image acquiring method. The image acquiring method includes receiving an instruction to acquire a one-side image to acquire an image on a first side of a document; obtaining a penetrated image of the first side of the document, which is seen on the second side, with a second image sensor for obtaining an image on a second side of the document, while the document is being fed; obtaining an image on the first side of the document with a first image sensor for obtaining an image on the first side of the document, while the document is being fed; and processing the image on the first side based on the penetrated image of the first side.

A image reading apparatus includes a first placement unit, a second placement unit, a first reading unit, a second reading unit, a rotating mechanism, and a switch-over mechanism that switches over the first placement unit and the second placement unit between a horizontal state and an inclined state. The rotating mechanism rotates the first reading unit and the second reading unit, so that, in the horizontal state, the first image reading unit and the second image reading unit read a medium placed on the first placement unit and a medium placed on the second placement unit respectively, and, in the inclined state, the first image reading unit and the second image reading unit read a medium placed on the second placement unit and a medium placed on the first placement unit respectively.

An image reading apparatus includes a front surface reading sensor configured to read a front surface of a document, a rear surface reading sensor configured to read a rear surface of the document, a storage control unit configured to store image data of the front surface of the document read by the front surface reading sensor and image data of the rear surface of the document read by the rear surface reading sensor, and an encoding unit configured to encode image data of the paired front and rear surface images based on the image data of the front surface and the image data of the rear surface.

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.

An image reading apparatus including a conveyance portion configured to convey a document in a conveyance path, and a reading portion configured to read an image of a document conveyed in the conveyance path. The reading portion includes an image sensor configured to read an image of a document, a casing accommodating the reading element and including an opening portion having an opening through which an optical path of the reading element extends toward the conveyance path, a transparent member fixed to the casing and covering the opening, and a shield member disposed between the transparent member and the casing, and electrically grounded.

In an image reading apparatus, in a first process, first and second motor rotate feed and conveyance rollers with circumferential speeds of first and second speeds, respectively. In the first process, the reverse roller has a first separation performance for separating a sheet from another sheet. In a second process, after a detector detects a leading edge of the sheet, the controller stops the first motor, and decelerates the second motor, and the reverse roller has a second separation performance lower than the first separation performance. In a third process, after a trailing edge of the sheet reaches a specific position, the first motor starts rotating the feed roller with the circumferential speed of the first speed. In a fourth process, after the trailing edge of the sheet passes through a reading end position, the controller accelerates the second motor.

An image reading apparatus includes a first scanner configured to read a first image from a front side of a document, a second scanner configured to read a second image from a back side of the document, and first and second offset storage parts configured to store a first offset amount for correcting an inclination of the first image and a second offset amount for correcting an inclination of the second image, respectively. The image reading apparatus is configured to generate, when the first scanner is replaced, a new first offset amount based on the second offset amount, a first inclination amount of the first scanner, and a second inclination amount of the second scanner. The image reading apparatus is configured to correct the first image based on the new first offset amount.

An image reading apparatus having a front surface reading unit for reading a front surface of a document and a back surface reading unit for reading a back surface of the document performs adjustment processing in such a manner that start positions of the obtained image data of the front surface and the back surface are each at a position corresponding to an integer multiple of a coding block, and encodes front-and-back combined image data that is based on the adjusted image data of the front surface and the back surface. The image reading apparatus then transmits the encoded front-and-back combined image data, first position information indicating an end edge of the image data of the front surface in the front-and-back combined image data, and second position information indicating an end edge of the image data of the back surface in the front-and-back combined image data.