Patent ID: 7773272

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: a document delivering unit that delivers a first document over which an image reading operation is to be carried out along a document delivery path linked to a document discharging portion via a reading position from a document mounting portion; a switchback delivering unit that pulls the document into a switchback delivery path extended to an opening formed on an external surface of an apparatus housing from a predetermined position of the document delivery path, thereby returning the document from a downstream side of the image reading position to an upstream side of the image reading position with a leading and a trailing end in the document inverted; an image reading unit that reads an image of the document delivered to the reading position of the document delivery path; and a control unit that delivers a second document which is different from the first document inserted from the external surface of the apparatus housing into the opening of the switchback delivery path to the reading position by the switchback delivering unit and the document delivering unit, thereby reading an image in a second image reading operation based on the second document to be carried out by temporarily stopping a first image reading operation based on the first document.