Patent ID: 7796307

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: a circulating transport path configured to transport original documents with recirculation, wherein the original documents are transported along a surface of the circulating transport path; a first reading device to read an image of an original document at a first reading position on the circulating transport path; a second reading device to read an image of the original document at a second reading position which is located on the circulating transport path downstream of the first reading position in a transporting direction of the original document wherein the first reading position and the second reading position are located at the same side of the surface of the circulating transport path; a first switchback section, for conveying the original document with switchback transportation, provided downstream of the first reading position and upstream of the second reading position in the transporting direction of the original document; a second switchback section, for conveying the original document with switchback transportation, provided downstream of the second reading position and upstream of the first reading position in the transporting direction of the original document; a first gate to switch a transporting direction of the original document, the first gate being provided at a branching point of the circulating transport path and the first switchback section; a second gate to switch a transporting direction of the original document, the second gate being provided at a branching point of the circulating transport path and the second switchback section; a sheet exit path provided downstream of the second reading position in the transporting direction of the original document; a third gate to switch a transporting direction of the original document, the third gate being provided at a branching point of the circulating transport path and the sheet exit path; and a controller, wherein the controller controls the first gate, the second gate and the third gate such that: in a first mode, the original document is transported through both of the first switchback section and the second switchback section, each image on both faces of the original document is respectively read by each of the first reading device and the second reading device; and in a second mode, the original document is transported through at least one of the first switchback section and the second switchback section, and images on both faces of the original document are read only by the first reading device or only by the second reading device.