Patent ID: 7495811

Claim:
An image reading apparatus that reads image information from an external device that is external to the image reading apparatus, the image reading apparatus comprising: a communication means for receiving the image information being communicated from the external device; a display means for optically displaying images therefrom, the images being displayed by application of a voltage and/or an electric field thereto; wherein the display means is flexible along at least one axis thereof, where the images being optically displayed are displayed from the display means; writing means, operably coupled to the communication means, for writing the image information transmitted by the external device into the display means; and reading means for optically reading the images being displayed by the display means; and wherein the image information communicated from the external device is read by the image reading apparatus when the reading means reads the images being displayed by the display means wherein the display means is configured so as to include at least two display regions each display region being capable of selectively displaying images therefrom; and in a case where plural sets of image information from the external device are to be read, the reading means reads one set of image information being displayed on one of the at least two display regions, while the writing means writes another set of image information into another one of the at least two display regions.