Patent ID: 8453930

Claim:
A reader device comprising: an object placing unit ( 5 ) on which an object ( 7 ) to be read with a surface to be read ( 9 ) is placed; a light source ( 21 or 31 ) which illuminates the surface to be read placed on the object placing unit and which includes a light emitting element array ( 23 or 33 ) comprising a plurality of light emitting elements ( 25 a - 25 e or 35 a - 35 e ); and an imaging unit ( 13 ) which picks up an image of the surface to be read illuminated by the light source, wherein the light source is arranged outside a front area of the surface to be read, a light emitting element ( 25 e or 35 f ) of the plurality of light emitting elements which is positioned at an end of the light emitting element array is arranged closer to the surface to be read than the other light emitting elements ( 25 a - 25 d or 35 a - 35 d ) of the plurality of light emitting elements in a direction perpendicular to the object placing unit, and the other light emitting elements are arranged in a single line on a plane parallel to the object placing unit.