Image forming apparatus providing scan data along with advertisement data
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a scanner scanning a document to obtain scan data;
an insertion unit inserting advertisement data into said scan data;
a specification unit specifying a forwarding destination of said scan data;
a transfer unit transferring said scan data to said forwarding destination;
a determination unit determining whether said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data;
a selection unit accepting a selection of whether insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed or not from the user, when said determination unit determines that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data; and
a controller controlling insertion of said advertisement data by said insertion unit and transfer by said transfer unit, whereinsaid controller causes said insertion unit to perform a processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer said scan data inserted with said advertisement data to said forwarding destination, when a forwarding destination that does not allow a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, or when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed by the user, andsaid controller causes said insertion unit not to perform the processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data was not allowed by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When a user selects not to insert advertisement data into scan data when transferring the scan data from an MFP to a Web server, the MFP converts the advertisement data into an HTML format to transfer to the Web server in association with the scan data. Accordingly, a PC accessing the Web server displays a Web page showing contents of the advertisement and information including an icon functioning as means for requesting download of the scan data. The scan data inserted with no advertisement data is downloaded to the PC by operating the icon.
4 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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a scanner scanning a document to obtain scan data; an insertion unit inserting advertisement data into said scan data; a specification unit specifying a forwarding destination of said scan data; a transfer unit transferring said scan data to said forwarding destination; a determination unit determining whether said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data; a selection unit accepting a selection of whether insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed or not from the user, when said determination unit determines that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data; and a controller controlling insertion of said advertisement data by said insertion unit and transfer by said transfer unit, wherein said controller causes said insertion unit to perform a processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer said scan data inserted with said advertisement data to said forwarding destination, when a forwarding destination that does not allow a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, or when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed by the user, and said controller causes said insertion unit not to perform the processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data was not allowed by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing image information from an image forming apparatus to another apparatus, said image forming apparatus including an image scanner, the method comprising:
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a step of scanning a document by using said image scanner to obtain scan data; a specifying step of accepting specification of a forwarding destination of said scan data; a determining step of determining whether said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether advertisement data can be inserted into scan data; an acceptance step of accepting a selection of whether insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed or not from the user, when said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data, a first transfer step of inserting advertisement data into said scan data, and transferring to said forwarding destination said scan data having said advertisement data inserted, when determined in said determining step that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that does not allow a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data, or when determined that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data and a selection that allows insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data by the user is accepted at said acceptance step; and a second transferring step of not inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and transferring to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when determined in said determining step that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data and a selection that does not allow insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data by the user is accepted at said acceptance step. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. An image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus, a Web server, and a user terminal, connected with one another through an electronic communication line, wherein said image forming apparatus includes
a scanner scanning a document to obtain scan data; -
an insertion unit inserting advertisement data into said scan data; a specification unit specifying a forwarding destination of said scan data; a transfer unit transferring said scan data to said forwarding destination; a determination unit determining whether said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data; a selection unit accepting a selection of whether insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed or not from the user, when said determination unit determines that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data; and a controller controlling insertion of said advertisement data at said insertion unit and transfer at said transfer unit, wherein said controller causes said insertion unit to perform a processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer said scan data inserted with said advertisement data to said forwarding destination, when a forwarding destination that does not allow a user to select whether advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, or when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed by the user, and said controller causes said insertion unit not to perform the processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and causes said transfer unit to transfer to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data is specified, and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data was not allowed by the user, wherein said controller causes said insertion unit not to perform the processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data, and causes said transfer unit to transfer to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when a Web server or a user terminal is specified, and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data was not allowed by the user.
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11. A method for providing image information from an image forming apparatus to another apparatus, said image forming apparatus including an image scanner, the method comprising:
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a step of scanning said document by using said image scanner to obtain scan data; a specifying step of accepting specification of a forwarding destination of said scan data; a determination step of determining whether said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination allowing a user to select whether advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data, an acceptance step of accepting a selection of whether insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data is allowed or not from the user, when said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data, a first transfer step of inserting advertisement data into said scan data, and transferring to said forwarding destination said scan data having said advertisement data inserted, when determined in said determination step that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that does not allow a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data, or when determined that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data and a selection that allows insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data by the user is accepted at said acceptance step, and a second transfer step of not inserting said advertisement data into said scan data and transferring to said forwarding destination said scan data and said advertisement data in association with each other, when determined in said determining step that said specified forwarding destination is a forwarding destination that allows a user to select whether said advertisement data can be inserted into said scan data and a selection that does not allow insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data by the user is accepted at said acceptance step, wherein, in said second transfer step, the processing for inserting said advertisement data into said scan data is not performed, and said scan data and said advertisement data are transferred in association with each other to said forwarding destination, when a Web server or a user terminal is specified, and insertion of said advertisement data into said scan data was not allowed by the user.
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Specification