Patent ID: 8654416

Claim:
An image reader, comprising: a pixel unit in which one-dimensional pixel lines each having a plurality of pixels arranged in a horizontal direction are arranged in n rows (where n is an integer no less than 2) in a vertical direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal direction; a vertical movement unit which moves the pixel unit at a prescribed scanning speed in the vertical direction relatively to an object to be exposed; a read circuit, which is provided so as to correspond to each column of the pixel unit, is common to respective columns and reads out pixel signals from the pixels; a vertical scanning circuit which scans the pixel unit in the vertical direction; and a control unit which causes the vertical scanning circuit to cyclically select a one-dimensional pixel line of any one row from the n rows of one-dimensional pixel lines each time a prescribed horizontal read time period elapses, controls the read circuit so as to read out pixel signals of the object that has been exposed by the selected one-dimensional pixel line, and controls the vertical movement unit in such a manner that the scanning speed S satisfies S=P /( H ( n+ 1)) where P is an arrangement pitch in the vertical direction of the one-dimensional pixel lines and H is the horizontal read time period.