Patent ID: 7145596

Claim:
An image input apparatus comprising: a first image pickup unit configured to optically scan a subject and thereby to acquire an image of the subject; a recording unit configured to record a series of overlapped partial images selectively acquired by the first image pickup unit; a second image pickup unit configured to continuously pick up a secondary image of the subject that corresponds with a portion of the subject being scanned by the first pickup unit; an overlapping amount calculating unit configured to calculate an amount of overlap between images corresponding to potentially recordable partial images being acquired by said first image pickup unit based upon the secondary image picked up by said second image pickup unit; an image recording determination unit configured to output a recording indicating signal when a current image obtainable from the first image pickup unit is to be recorded as one of the series of overlapped partial images based upon an amount of overlap calculated by the overlapping amount calculating unit; and a control unit configured to be responsive to the recording indicating signal to automatically cause the recording unit of the current image obtainable from the first image pickup unit recording unit.