Image Scanner and Image Scanning System

• US 20100079797A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: OHARA, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,553,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00405 Output means output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An image scanning system comprising an image scanner and a terminal, wherein the image scanner comprises an image storing unit to store the image data; a terminal designation unit to designate the terminal as a transmission target; a terminal storing unit to record correspondence data to associate the image data with the terminal; an information notification unit to transmit a notification of information concerning image data to the designated terminal; a request receiving unit to receive a request for image data; and an image transmission unit to transmit the image data associated with the designated terminal for which the request has been received, and the terminal comprises: an indication unit to make an indication in response to receipt of the notification; and a request transmission unit to transmit the request to the image scanner when a user operation for requesting image data is received.

Claims

1. An image scanning system, comprising:

an image scanner that scans an image in accordance with a command directly inputted by a user and generates image data based on the scanned image; and

a terminal device that displays an image corresponding to the image data generated by the image scanner,

the image scanner comprising;

an image storing unit configured to store the generated image data ;

a terminal designation unit configured to allow the user to designate the terminal device as a transmission target of the image data;

a terminal storing unit configured to record correspondence data in which the image data is associated with the designated terminal device;

an information notification unit configured to transmit a notification of information concerning the image data to the designated terminal device;

a request receiving unit configured to receive a request for image data from the designated terminal device; and

an image transmission unit configured to transmit the image data which has been stored in the image storing unit and which is associated, by the correspondence data, with the designated terminal device for which the request has been received through the request receiving unit, to the designated terminal device, in response to reception of the request through the request receiving unit,

the terminal device comprising;

an indication unit configured to make an indication to the user in response receipt of the notification from the information notification unit; and

a request transmission unit configured to transmit the request for image data to the image scanner in response to reception of a user operation for requesting the image data conducted in response to the indication by the indication unit.

2. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein:

the indication unit of the terminal device displays a notification image on a display on which an image based on the image data can also be displayed, in response to receipt of the notification; and

the request transmission unit transmits the request to the designated terminal device by assuming that the user operation for requesting the image data is received when the notification image is selected by the user on the display.

3. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein:

the indication unit of the terminal device displays a notification image on a display on which an image based on the image data can also be displayed, in response to receipt of the notification; and

the request transmission unit transmits the request to the designated terminal device by assuming that the user operation for requesting the image data is received when the notification image is clicked by the user on the display.

4. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein the image scanner further comprises:

a first deletion unit configured to delete the image data stored in the image storing unit; and

a deletion notification unit configured to transmit a deletion notification of information concerning image data to be deleted, to the designated terminal device corresponding to the image data to be deleted by the first deletion unit,

wherein the terminal device comprises;

an information storing unit configured to store the information concerning the image data notified by the information notification unit of the image scanner; and

a second deletion unit configured to delete the information concerning the image data for which the deletion notification is received, from the information concerning the image data stored by the information storing unit, in response to receipt of the deletion notification of the information concerning the image data to be deleted from the image scanner,

wherein the indication unit makes an indication to the user in response to a fact that at least a piece of information concerning image data is stored in the information storing unit.

5. An image scanner, comprising:

a scan unit configured to scan an image in accordance with a command directly inputted by a user and to generate image data based on the scanned image;

an image storing unit configured to store the generated image data;

a terminal designation unit configured to allow a user to designate a terminal device as a transmission target of the image data;

a terminal storing unit configured to record correspondence data in which the image data is associated with the designated terminal device;

an information notification unit configured to transmit a notification of information concerning the image data to the designated terminal device;

a request receiving unit configured to receive a request for image data from the designated terminal device; and

an image transmission unit configured to transmit the image data which has been stored in the image storing unit and which is associated, by the correspondence data, with the designated terminal device for which the request has been received through the request receiving unit;

to the designated terminal device, in response to reception of the request through the request receiving unit.