Optical reading apparatus

Claim 2

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electric signals and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, wherein both of said electric signals and said further electric signals are analog signals, and wherein said further optical reading unit has attenuating means for attenuating the level of said electric signals.

Claim 3

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electric signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, wherein both of said electric signals and said further electric signals are analog signals, wherein said further optical reading unit has amplifying means for amplifying said further electric signals, and wherein the level of said amplified further electric signals is greater than the level of said electric signals.

Claim 4

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electric signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, wherein both of said electric signals and said further electric signals are analog signals, wherein said further optical reading unit has amplifying means for amplifying said further electric signals, and wherein the level of said amplified further electric signals is greater than the level of said electric signals.

Claim 5

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electrical signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, wherein both of said electric signals and said further electric signals are analog signals, and wherein said optical reading unit has amplifying means and said further optical reading unit has further amplifying means, the degree of amplification of said amplifying means being equal to that of said further amplifying means.

Claim 6

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electrical signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, wherein both of said electric signals and said further electric signals are analog signals, and wherein said optical reading unit has amplifying means and said further optical reading unit has further amplifying means, the degree of amplification of said amplifying means being equal to that of said further amplifying means.

Claim 7

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electric signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, and wherein said further optical reading unit is detachably mounted.

Claim 8

In an optical reading apparatus comprising: a transparent plate having an upper face for supporting an original thereon from which information is to be read; a light source disposed below said plate; an optical reading unit disposed below said plate, said optical reading unit having means for converting information read from the original into electric signals; and process means for processing said signals, said reading apparatus further comprises: a further optical reading unit disposed above said upper face of said plate, and having means for converting information read from the original into further electric signals; and switch means for selecting either of said electric signals and said further electric signals to be supplied to said process means, and wherein said further optical reading unit is detachably mounted.

Claim 9

An optical reading apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said switch means is controlled to select said further electric signals to be supplied to said processing means when said further optical reading unit is mounted.