Patent ID: 8587843

Claim:
An image reading apparatus, comprising: a light source configured to irradiate a light to an original document when the power of the light source is in an on state; an imaging device configured to convert a light reflected from the original document to an image signal when an image reading start signal is output; an operation controller coupled to the imaging device and configured to change the power of the light source from an off state to the on state when the image reading start signal is output; a light source controller coupled to the light source and configured to change the power of the light source from the off state to the on state when a user activity signal having a first state is output, the user activity signal having the first state being assumed to be output when a user activity, other than an instruction to begin scanning, that is assumed to ultimately cause output of the image reading start signal has been performed on the image reading apparatus; and an operation input device coupled to the operation controller and configured to receive a first user input providing information related to image reading, and output a first user input signal having the information related to image reading provided by the first user input, wherein the light source controller is configured to interpret the first user input signal as the user activity signal having the first state, the operation input device is further configured to receive a user input instructing the image reading apparatus to start image reading, and output the image reading start signal, and the power of the light source is changed from the off state to the on state when the light source controller determines that the first user input signal is output before the image reading start signal is output.