Patent ID: 8508803

Claim:
An image reading apparatus comprising: an automatic document feeding unit that automatically conveys an original; a reading unit that reads the original having a plurality of pixels thereon while the original is being conveyed by the automatic document feeding unit; and an image processing unit, wherein the reading unit includes an image acquiring unit configured to obtain pixel values that are light intensity reflected from the plurality of pixels on the original and output whole image data consisting of whole of the pixel values; a storing unit configured to store therein the whole image data output from the image acquiring unit without performing image processing on the whole image data; a dividing unit configured to define, when there exists a degradation portion in image quality that has a lower pixel value than a predetermined threshold value in the whole image data stored in the storing unit, image data of the degradation portion in image quality as a first image portion data and divide the whole image data into the first image portion data and a second image portion data that is remainder of the first portion image data; a degradation image portion correcting unit configured to receive the first image portion data divided by the dividing unit from the dividing unit, and perform a correction process on the first image portion data to compensate a degradation in image quality; and the image processing unit is configured to receive the second image portion data having been divided by the dividing unit from the dividing unit and the first image portion data corrected by the degradation image portion correcting unit from the degradation image portion correcting unit, and merge the second image portion data with, the first image portion data corrected by the degradation image portion correcting unit to obtain the merged whole image data and perform image processing on the merged whole image data.