Image reading device

Abstract

To simply achieve set information with a simple configuration in an image reading device.SOLUTION: An image reading device 1 includes a line sensor 41 (an example of a reading unit) that reads an image of a paper P (an example of a document) placed on a document table 30, and a control unit 61 that controls the line sensor 41 to perform a first reading operation for reading a part of an image of the paper P in a sub-scanning direction, and a second reading operation for reading the entire image of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction after the first reading operation. A setting card C (an example of an information medium) appended with a barcode Ca (an example of encoded information) is placed on the document table 30 in line with the paper P in a main scanning direction. The control unit 61 detects the barcode Ca based on the image read out by the first reading operation of the line sensor 41, and performs at least one of control of the second reading operation of the line sensor 41 and control of the processing on the read-out image based on the barcode Ca.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reading device that reads an image of a document placed on a document table. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a scanner has been proposed in which an optical sensor for acquiring image data of an object to be read and an RF reader for acquiring information in an IC chip contained in the object to be read are arranged in a scanner head (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-024845 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it is troublesome for the user to input the setting information of the image reading device, such as login information, image reading resolution, image storage destination, etc., on the operation panel of the image reading device, etc. In addition, when the image reading device is integrated with the printing device, it is also troublesome for the user to input the setting information of the printing device, such as the number of copies to be printed and the print size.

[0005] On the other hand, if an additional device such as the RF reader described above for acquiring the setting information is provided to the image reading device, the structure of the image reading device becomes complicated and the cost becomes high. Also, if the IC chip storing the setting information is included in a document such as paper or the setting information is added to the contents of the document, it takes time for the user to prepare the document even if input on an operation panel or the like is eliminated.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device that has a simple configuration and is capable of easily acquiring setting information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect, an image reading device includes a platen on which an original is placed, a reading unit that reads an image of the original placed on the platen, and a control unit that controls the reading unit to perform a first reading operation that reads a portion of an image of the original in a sub-scanning direction and a second reading operation that reads the entire image of the original in the sub-scanning direction after the first reading operation, wherein an information medium to which coded information is attached is placed on the platen alongside the original in the main scanning direction, and the control unit detects the coded information based on the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit, and performs at least one of controlling the second reading operation of the reading unit and controlling processing of the image read by the second reading operation based on the coded information. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above aspect, it is possible to easily obtain setting information with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing an image reading device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view showing an apparatus main body (an image reading apparatus with a document cover omitted) according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a first reading operation, part 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and show (a) a luminance diagram and (b) a left side view of an image reading device. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a luminance diagram and a left side view of an image reading device, respectively, for explaining a first reading operation part 2 in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the difference in luminance between the first reading operation No. 2 and the first reading operation No. 1 according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An image reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 and 2 are a left side view and a block diagram showing a control configuration of an image reading device 1 according to an embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the device body 10 (the image reading device 1 with the document cover 20 omitted).

[0013] 1 and 3 and Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 6(b) are examples in which the main scanning direction is the forward direction and the sub-scanning direction is the rightward direction. For example, the up-down direction is the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0014] 1 and 3, the image reading device 1 includes a device body 10, a document cover 20, a document table 30, a carriage 40, and sub-scanning size detection sensors 51 and 52 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 1 further includes a control unit 61, a storage unit 62, an interface unit 63, a carriage drive unit 70, an operation panel 80, and a cover angle sensor 90.

[0015] The image reading device 1 may be used alone, or may be disposed, for example, on top of a printing device as part of the printing device that performs printing based on an image read by the image reading device 1.

[0016] The device body 10 holds the document table 30 at its upper portion, and houses the carriage 40, sub-scanning size detection sensors 51, 52, and the like.

[0017] The document cover 20 opens and closes between a position where the document table 30 is open (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) and a position where the document table 30 is covered (position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). The document cover 20 is preferably supported by a hinge extending in the left-right direction provided at the rear of the device body 10. A white pressure plate (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the document cover 20.

[0018] On the manuscript table 30, a paper P, which is an example of a manuscript, and a setting card C, which is an example of an information medium, are placed. The manuscript table 30 is a transparent rectangular flat plate, and is made of, for example, glass. As described above, the manuscript table 30 is held on the upper part of the device body 10. In order to enable the paper P on the manuscript table 30 to be butted against the manuscript table 30, the manuscript table 30 may be disposed at a position slightly recessed from the upper surface of the device body 10, or a protrusion may be provided around the manuscript table 30 on the upper surface of the device body 10. As shown in FIG. 3, a barcode Ca, which is an example of encoded information, is attached to the setting card C. Note that the manuscript is not limited to the paper P, and may be other objects to be read, such as books and magazines. Also, it is preferable that guide marks (such as lines indicating paper placement areas for each paper size and placement area for the setting card C) are provided around the front, rear, left, and other sides of the document table 30 on the upper surface of the device main body 10 so that the paper P is butted against the left rear portion of the document table 30 in Fig. 3 and the setting card C is butted against the left front portion of the document table 30 in Fig. 3. As a result, the paper P and the setting card C are placed on the document table 30, for example, spaced apart and lined up in the main scanning direction.

[0019] The encoded information is, for example, information in which identification information for calling up setting information (for example, setting information determined for each user or each document type such as a license in a national language) previously stored in the image reading device 1 is encoded, or information in which the setting information itself is encoded. This setting information includes information set in the image reading device 1 or the printing device, such as the resolution (reading speed according to the resolution) of the second reading operation of the line sensor 41 that reads the entire image in the sub-scanning direction of the paper P described later, login information (user information for logging in to the image reading device 1, etc.), storage destination information of the read image, printing information of the read image (number of prints, print size, etc.), information on characters and images inserted in the header and footer parts of the read image, and limit information on the reading area (for example, when reading A4 paper in B5 size). The encoded information is not limited to barcode Ca (one-dimensional code), but may be encoded into two-dimensional code, character string, image, etc. However, by using the barcode Ca as the encoded information, it becomes possible to detect the encoded information in a narrow reading area in the sub-scanning direction, so that the barcode Ca is particularly preferable as the encoded information.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 3, carriage 40 has a line sensor 41 and two light sources 42. Carriage 40 is disposed inside device body 10, and moves in the sub-scanning direction by driving of carriage drive unit 70 described later. Note that in Fig. 3, because manuscript table 30 is transparent, the portion of carriage 40 that is hidden by paper P and the like is shown by a dashed line (hidden line), and the other portion located below manuscript table 30 is shown by a solid line.

[0021] The line sensor 41 has a plurality of reading elements arranged along the main scanning direction, and reads an image on the back side of the paper P placed on the platen 30. The line sensor 41 is longer in the front-to-rear direction than the platen 30 in the main scanning direction. The reading elements are, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The line sensor 41 is an example of a reading unit that reads an image of the paper P (original) placed on the platen 30.

[0022] The two light sources 42 are disposed on both sides of the line sensor 41 in the left-right direction (sub-scanning direction), and emit light toward the platen 30. Like the line sensor 41, the light sources 42 are also longer in the front-rear direction than the platen 30 in the main scanning direction.

[0023] The sub-scanning size detection sensors 51, 52 detect the presence or absence of paper P on the document table 30 at a predetermined position below the document table 30 so that the control unit 61 can detect the length of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning size detection sensors 51, 52 are, for example, optical reflection sensors having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, or infrared sensors. In Fig. 3, the sub-scanning size detection sensor 51, which is hidden by the paper P and cannot be seen, is shown by a dashed line (hidden line), and the sub-scanning size detection sensor 52, which is located below the document table 30 and is not hidden by the paper P, is shown by a solid line.

[0024] 2 has a processor (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) that functions as an arithmetic processing device that controls the operation of the entire image reading device 1. This processor controls each part of the image reading device 1 by, for example, reading and executing a predetermined program from the memory unit 62 or from a storage medium (non-transient computer-readable recording medium) that is detachable from the image reading device 1. In this way, the control unit 61 or the image reading device 1 (the control unit 61 and the memory unit 62) functions as a computer that executes a program. Note that when the image reading device 1 is disposed as a part of a printing device, the control unit of the printing device may also function as the control unit 61 of the image reading device 1.

[0025] The storage unit 62 has memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which a specific control program is pre-recorded, and a RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a semiconductor memory that can be written to and read at any time and is used as a working memory area as needed when the processor executes various control programs.

[0026] The interface unit 63 transmits and receives various information to and from external devices. For example, the interface unit 63 transmits an image read by the line sensor 41 to a printing device or a user terminal.

[0027] The carriage drive unit 70 is an actuator such as a motor that moves the carriage 40 in the sub-scanning direction.

[0028] The operation panel 80 has a display unit 81 and an input unit 82. The display unit 81 is a display that displays various information. The input unit 82 is operation keys that accept input of various information. If the display unit 81 has a touch panel, the touch panel functions as the input unit 82.

[0029] The cover angle sensor 90 detects the opening and closing angle of the document cover 20. For example, the cover angle sensor 90 may detect that the document cover 20 is at an angle corresponding to each of the open state, the partially closed state, and the closed state. As one example, the cover angle sensor 90 is composed of a plurality of sensors that detect the position of a rod-shaped member (not shown) protruding downward from the rear part of the document cover 20 at different heights.

[0030] Next, the operation of the image reading device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image reading device 1.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the first reading operation (part 1), in which (a) is a diagram showing luminance and (b) is a left side view of the image reading device 1.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the first reading operation part 2, in which (a) is a diagram showing luminance and (b) is a left side view of the image reading device 1.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the difference in luminance between the first reading operation No. 2 and No. 1. In FIG.

[0035] The control unit 61 executes the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 at any timing, such as when the power is turned on. First, the control unit 61 determines whether the document cover 20 is open or not until the document cover 20 is opened (step S1). The control unit 61 can determine whether the document cover 20 is open or closed, based on the angle of the document cover 20 detected by the cover angle sensor 90 described above.

[0036] When the document cover 20 is opened (step S1), the control unit 61 controls the carriage drive unit 70 to move the carriage 40 to the reading position shown in Fig. 3 (step S2). Before the document cover 20 is opened, the carriage 40 is waiting at an initial position, for example, to the left of the document table 30.

[0037] Next, the control unit 61 judges whether the document cover 20 is partially closed or not until the document cover 20 is partially closed (step S3). Here, the document cover 20 being partially closed corresponds to a state in which the paper P and the setting card C are placed side by side in the main scanning direction on the document table 30 and the user is about to perform a reading operation.

[0038] When the manuscript cover 20 is partially closed as shown in FIG. 5(b) (step S3: YES), the control unit 61 causes the two light sources 42 to emit light and controls the line sensor 41 to read an image of a portion of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction (for example, one to several lines of the line sensor 41) over the entire main scanning direction of the manuscript table 30 (step S4: first reading operation part 1).

[0039] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(a), if the beginning portion of the paper P (the left end portion in FIG. 3) is white, the luminance of the image acquired by the line sensor 41 will be high in the paper area corresponding to the paper P due to the reflected light of the light irradiated by the light source 42 (for example, the luminance is close to 255), and will be low (for example, the luminance is close to 0) because no reflected light is received between the paper P and the setting card C. Also, the luminance acquired by the line sensor 41 will be low in the bar portion (black portion) in the barcode area corresponding to the barcode Ca of the setting card C (for example, the area other than the bar portion of the barcode Ca is white), because no reflected light is received, and will be high in the gap portion (white portion) between the bar portions due to the reflected light. The luminance acquired by the line sensor 41 will also be high in the area other than the barcode area of ​​the setting card C due to the reflected light.

[0040] Next, the control unit 61 determines whether the document cover 20 is closed or not until the document cover 20 is closed (step S5). Note that the angle at which the document cover 20 is closed varies depending on the thickness of the document, so the document cover 20 (pressure plate) does not have to be horizontal.

[0041] When the document cover 20 is closed as shown in FIG. 6(b) (step S5: YES), the control unit 61 again causes the two light sources 42 to emit light and controls the line sensor 41 to read a portion of the image in the sub-scanning direction of the paper P, for example, across the entire main scanning direction of the document table 30 (step S6: first reading operation part 2).

[0042] As a result, as shown in Figure 6(a), the brightness acquired by the line sensor 41 is low in the bar portion of the barcode area corresponding to the barcode Ca of the setting card C as no reflected light is received, as in the example shown in Figure 5(a) above, and is high in other portions due to reflected light from the paper P, the white pressure plate of the manuscript cover 20, or the setting card C (other than the bar portion).

[0043] Next, the control unit 61 detects the barcode Ca from the brightness of the barcode area shown in FIG. 6(a) when the document cover 20 is closed and not affected by external light (step S7). Then, the control unit 61 decodes the barcode Ca to obtain the identification information and the setting information itself. Since coded information such as the barcode Ca cannot be decoded due to misreading, the control unit 61 may detect the barcode Ca in the area (barcode area) where the coded information is located in the image read by the line sensor 41 using an algorithm (for example, a known barcode decoding algorithm) different from that used in at least some other areas of the image. For example, when the coded information is the barcode Ca, the control unit 61 determines that the part of the image read by the line sensor 41 where the brightness repeatedly changes high and low is the barcode area. The control unit 61 may use an algorithm to change the brightness of an image read by the line sensor 41 in a barcode region, where the brightness is different from a relatively low first value (bar portion) and a relatively high second value (gap portion between bar portions), to the first value or the second value, whichever is closer. The control unit 61 may also use a known barcode decoding algorithm to correct the inclination of the barcode Ca before decoding the barcode Ca. If the barcode Ca is not detected, the process of step S7 described above may be omitted.

[0044] The control unit 61 can also determine that the lower brightness area at the rear in the main scanning direction is the paper area based on the difference in brightness between the first reading operation part 2 (see FIG. 6(a)) and the first reading operation part 1 (see FIG. 5(a)) shown in FIG. 7. This allows the control unit 61 to detect the size (length) of the paper P in the main scanning direction based on the paper area (step S8). The control unit 61 can also determine that the higher brightness area in FIG. 7 is the gap area between the paper P and the setting card C, and the lower brightness area at the front in the main scanning direction is the area of ​​the setting card C.

[0045] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the first reading operation for reading a part of an image in the sub-scanning direction of the paper P is performed twice, with the first reading operation No. 1 in a state where the document cover 20 is partially closed and the first reading operation No. 2 in a state where the document cover 20 is closed, but only one of the first reading operation No. 1 and the first reading operation No. 2 may be performed. By performing the first reading operation with at least one of the first reading operation No. 1 and the first reading operation No. 2, the first reading operation can be performed automatically before the second reading operation described later is performed. However, the first reading operation may be performed based on a user's operation on the input unit 82, for example, before the document cover 20 starts to close.

[0046] Next, the control unit 61 causes the line sensor 41 to read the entire image of the paper P, for example, based on the user's input of a reading operation at the input unit 82. That is, the control unit 61 causes the two light sources 42 to emit light, and controls the line sensor 41 to read the entire image of the paper P in the sub-scanning direction, for example, across the entire main scanning direction of the platen 30 (Step S9: second reading operation).

[0047] Here, the control unit 61 may control the reading operation (second reading operation) of the line sensor 41 by adjusting the reading speed of the line sensor 41, i.e., the moving speed of the carriage 40 by the carriage driving unit 70, based on the setting information such as the resolution decoded from the above-mentioned barcode Ca. Furthermore, when the setting information is login information, the control unit 61 may control the reading operation (second reading operation) of the line sensor 41 so that the line sensor 41 performs the reading operation if the user is a previously permitted user, and does not perform the reading operation if the user is not permitted user. Note that, when the setting information is information restricting the reading area, the control unit 61 may restrict the reading area of ​​the line sensor 41, and the control content of the reading operation (second reading operation) of the line sensor 41 based on the encoded information is not particularly limited.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 61 may control the processing of the image read by the reading operation (second reading operation) of the line sensor 41 by saving the image, editing the image, etc., based on the identification information and setting information decoded from the barcode Ca (information on the image saving destination, character and image information to be inserted in the header and footer parts of the read image, information limiting the reading area, etc.) Furthermore, if the setting information is printing information for the read image, the control unit 61 may control the processing of sending the image together with the printing information to a printing device (image processing).

[0049] Furthermore, if the encoded information is identification information for calling up setting information previously stored in the image reading device 1 (memory unit 62), the control unit 61 may call up information corresponding to this identification information from the memory unit 62, and, as described above, control the reading operation (second reading operation) of the line sensor 41, or control the processing of the image read by this second reading operation.

[0050] In this way, when the control unit 61 controls the second reading operation (step S9) of the line sensor 41 or controls the processing of the image read by the second reading operation based on the setting information decoded from the barcode Ca or the setting information corresponding to the decoded identification information, the control unit 61 may display the setting information in advance on the display unit 81 to notify the user, or may accept changes to the setting information by the user from the input unit 82.

[0051] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the carriage 40 is disposed below the platen 30 and the reading unit (line sensor 41) reads an image on the back side (the surface facing the platen 30) of the paper P (original), but a configuration in which the carriage 40 is disposed above the platen 30 and the reading unit reads an image on the front side of the paper P (the surface other than the platen 30) may also be adopted.

[0052] In the present embodiment described above, the image reading device 1 includes a manuscript table 30, a line sensor 41, and a control unit 61. A sheet of paper P (an example of a manuscript) is placed on the manuscript table 30. The line sensor 41 reads an image of the sheet of paper P placed on the manuscript table 30. The control unit 61 controls the line sensor 41 to perform a first reading operation (steps S4 and S6) for reading a part of the image of the sheet of paper P in the sub-scanning direction, and a second reading operation (step S9) for reading the entire image of the sheet of paper P in the sub-scanning direction after the first reading operation. A setting card C (an example of an information medium) with a barcode Ca (an example of encoded information) attached thereto is placed on the manuscript table 30, aligned with the sheet of paper P in the main scanning direction. The control unit 61 detects (step S7) a barcode Ca based on the image read by the first reading operation (steps S4, S6) of the line sensor 41, and based on this barcode Ca, performs at least one of controlling the second reading operation (step S9) of the line sensor 41 and controlling the processing of the image read by the second reading operation.

[0053] This can save the user the trouble of inputting setting information such as login information, image reading resolution, and image storage destination through the input unit 82. In addition, since the encoded information can be acquired using the line sensor 41 that reads the image of the paper P, it is possible to avoid additionally disposing a device (for example, an RF reader) for acquiring the encoded information. This can simplify the structure of the image reading device 1 and reduce costs. In addition, compared to a mode in which encoded information such as a barcode Ca is attached to the paper P itself, it is also possible to save the effort required for creating the paper P (preparing the document). As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image reading device 1 can easily acquire the setting information with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the encoded information is detected by the first reading operation before the second reading operation, it is also possible to control the second reading operation with the setting information corresponding to the encoded information. In addition, it is also possible to save the effort of constantly monitoring the encoded information with an LED light, so that it is possible to reduce power consumption and prevent the user from feeling dazzled. Furthermore, by replacing only the paper P while the setting card C is placed on the platen 30, it is possible to apply the same setting information to a plurality of sheets of paper P in succession.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 61 detects the size of the paper P in the main scanning direction and the barcode Ca (encoded information) based on the image read by the first reading operation of the line sensor 41 (steps S4 and S6) (step S7).

[0055] This makes it possible to detect the coded information as well as the size of the paper P in the main scanning direction in the first reading operation, thereby avoiding an additional reading operation by the line sensor 41 just for detecting the coded information. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the setting information even more easily.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 61 detects the barcode Ca (encoded information) in the area of ​​the image read by the first reading operation (steps S4, S6) of the line sensor 41 using an algorithm different from that used in at least some other areas of the image.

[0057] This makes it possible to detect the coded information using an algorithm suited to the coded information such as the barcode Ca, thereby making it possible to acquire the setting information more reliably.

[0058] In this embodiment, the encoded information is a barcode Ca.

[0059] This makes it possible to detect the barcode Ca even if the range in the sub-scanning direction read by the line sensor 41 in the first reading operation is a narrow range of, for example, one to several lines. This makes it possible to obtain the setting information more easily.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of the multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, all the components shown in the embodiment may be appropriately combined. Of course, various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention described in the claims at the time of filing of this application is appended below.

[0061] [Appendix 1] a manuscript table on which a manuscript is placed; a reading unit that reads an image of the document placed on the document table; a control unit that controls the reading unit to perform a first reading operation of reading a part of an image in a sub-scanning direction of the document, and a second reading operation of reading an entire image in the sub-scanning direction of the document after the first reading operation, an information medium having encoded information attached thereto is placed on the document table, aligned with the document in a main scanning direction; The control unit detects the coded information based on the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit, and performs at least one of controlling the second reading operation of the reading unit and controlling processing of the image read by the second reading operation based on the coded information. 1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

[0062] [Appendix 2] The control unit detects the size of the document in the main scanning direction and the coded information based on an image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit. 2. The image reading device according to claim 1,

[0063] [Appendix 3] The control unit detects the coded information in a region of the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit, where the coded information is located, using an algorithm different from an algorithm used in at least a portion of other regions of the image. 3. The image reading device according to claim 1 or 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Image reader 10. Device body 20 Manuscript Cover 30 Manuscript holder 40 Carriage 41 Line Sensor 42 Light source 51, 52 Sub-scanning size detection sensor 61 Control section 62 Storage section 63 Interface section 70 Carriage drive unit 80 Operation Panel 81 Display section 82 Input section 90 Cover angle sensor C Setting card Ca barcode P paper

Claims

1. a manuscript table on which a manuscript is placed; a reading unit that reads an image of the document placed on the document table; a control unit that controls the reading unit to perform a first reading operation for reading a part of an image in a sub-scanning direction of the document, and a second reading operation for reading an entire image in the sub-scanning direction of the document after the first reading operation, an information medium having encoded information attached thereto is placed on the document table, aligned with the document in a main scanning direction; The control unit detects the coded information based on the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit, and performs at least one of controlling the second reading operation of the reading unit and controlling processing of the image read by the second reading operation based on the coded information.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

2. The control unit detects the size of the document in the main scanning direction and the coded information based on the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The control unit detects the coded information in a region of the image read by the first reading operation of the reading unit, where the coded information is located, using an algorithm different from an algorithm used in at least a portion of other regions of the image.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is a digital camera.

Images