Patent ID: 8314976

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: an automatic document feeding apparatus which conveys a document that has a part written by pigment that becomes colorless when heated and is loaded in a document tray to a sheet discharge location via a conveying path that passes through a prescribed reading out position; a reading section for obtaining an image information by reading out optically from the document which is conveyed by the automatic document feeding apparatus at the reading out position; a storage section for storing the image information obtained by reading the document in the reading section; a heating unit for heating the document to a temperature at which the pigment becomes colorless on a downstream side of the reading out position while the document passes through the conveying path; a control section which performs a heating and erasing operation which heats the document by the heating unit so that the pigment becomes colorless in sequence with a operation of reading out by the reading section; and a selection section for receiving a selection of a normal reading out mode for the operation of reading out of the document without the heating and erasing operation, and a reading and erasing mode for the heating and erasing operation in sequence with the operation of reading out the document, wherein the control section executes, when the selection of the reading and erasing mode has been received via the selection section, the heating and erasing operation in sequence with the operation of reading out the document which is conveyed by the automatic document feeding apparatus by the reading section, and stops, when the selection of the normal reading out mode has been received via the selection section, the heating and erasing operation at the time of the operation of reading out of the document by the reading section conveyed by the automatic document feeding apparatus.