Image reading device, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

To more efficiently prevent leakage of confidential information caused by transmission of image data of a read image without increasing the effort and load.SOLUTION: An image reading device sets a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data, respectively corresponding to a plurality of destinations. The image reading device reads an image of an original document to generate image data of the read image, and determines a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations according to a switching condition for switching a destination according to a data amount of the generated image data. The image reading device further transmits the image data to the destination according to the transmission method corresponding to the determined destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] By reading an image of an original document using an image reading device and generating image data of the read image, it becomes possible to electronically store image data corresponding to the image of the original document or to perform information processing using the image data. In addition, when an original reading device equipped with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) is used, it becomes possible to read images of a large number of original documents more efficiently and generate image data. In such an image reading device, it is required to prevent leakage of confidential information due to erroneous transmission of the image data of the read image to an external device.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which, if a scanned document contains confidential information, the image data is not sent, the image data is stored in a location where access is managed by a password or the like, and only the address of the storage location of the image data is sent to an operator.Whether a document contains confidential information is determined by checking the presence or absence of a specific character string such as "confidential" or a specific pattern.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a technique in which a copying machine requests permission to copy a document that the operator is not authorized to copy from a management system. The determination of whether a document is authorized to be copied is made by checking the presence or absence of a specific background pattern or barcode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-195005 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-212563 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is necessary to print a specific character string or pattern in advance on the document to be protected from information leakage. This can be time-consuming when a large number of documents are to be protected. On the other hand, if a specific character string or pattern is printed on a document that does not contain the confidential information to be protected, the document may be unnecessarily determined to contain confidential information, which may cause the user operating the image reading device to take extra time to obtain image data. In addition, the load of the determination process on the management system may increase.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a technique for more efficiently preventing leakage of confidential information due to transmission of image data of a scanned image, without increasing the effort and burden. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An image reading device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a setting means for setting multiple transmission methods for transmitting image data, each corresponding to multiple destinations; a reading means for reading an image of an original document and generating image data of the read image; a determination means for determining a destination of the image data from among the multiple destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination depending on the amount of data of the image data generated by the reading means; and a transmission means for transmitting the image data generated by the reading means to the destination in accordance with the transmission method corresponding to the destination determined by the determination means. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to more efficiently prevent leakage of confidential information due to transmission of image data of a scanned image, without increasing the effort and burden. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of an image reading device 100. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of an image reading unit 104. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image reading apparatus 100. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image reading system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image reading apparatus 100. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing sequence in the image reading system. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for reading settings displayed on the terminal 200. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a reading screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting a transmission method. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an image reading process executed in the image reading device 100. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of read image information. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a process (S1005) for determining a transmission destination of image data of a scanned image (first embodiment). [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a process (S1005) for determining a transmission destination of image data of a scanned image (second embodiment). [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a process (S1005) for determining a transmission destination of image data of a scanned image (third embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0012] [First embodiment] First, a configuration example of the image reading device (original transport device) according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0013] <Image reader> 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of an image reading device 100 according to the present embodiment. The image reading device 100 includes a platen 102 on which a document 101 to be read is placed. The document on the platen 102 is detected by a document detection sensor 110. The documents on the platen 102 are separated one by one by a paper feed roller 106 and sent to a conveying path 108. The document 101 sent to the conveying path 108 and conveyed through the conveying path 108 is detected by a registration sensor 109. When the registration sensor 109 detects the document 101, the image reading unit 104 starts reading an image of the document 101 (an image formed on the document) being conveyed through the conveying path 108.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading device 100 of this embodiment includes two image reading units 104 on both sides of a transport path 108. One image reading unit 104 is configured to read an image on a first side (front side) of an original 101, and the other image reading unit 104 is configured to read an image on a second side (back side) of the original 101. A background plate 105 is disposed at a position facing each image reading unit 104 across the transport path 108. The background plate 105 is, for example, a black member. The image reading device 100 may be configured to include only one image reading unit 104.

[0015] The original 101, whose image has been read by the image reading unit 104, is transported along the transport path 108 by transport rollers 107 toward the discharge section 103, and is finally discharged to the discharge section 103 and stacked there. An original detection sensor 111 provided in the discharge section 103 is used to detect the original 101 that has been discharged to and stacked on the discharge section 103. An original detection sensor 112 provided near the discharge opening of the transport path 108 is used to detect the original 101 remaining on the transport path 108. By using the original detection sensors 111 and 112, it is possible to detect whether the original 101 remains on the transport path 108 or has been discharged to the discharge section 103.

[0016] The image reading device 100 further includes a multi-feed detection sensor 120 at a position between the feed roller 106 and the registration sensor 109 along the conveying path 108. The multi-feed detection sensor 120 is used to detect a multi-feed when a plurality of overlapping originals (a state in which a plurality of originals are in close contact with each other due to static electricity or the like) are conveyed along the conveying path 108. The multi-feed detection sensor 120 is configured, for example, with an ultrasonic sensor including an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver. When an ultrasonic sensor is used, it is possible to detect a multi-feed based on the amount of attenuation of ultrasonic waves when the originals (original sheets) pass through the conveying path 108.

[0017] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of the image reading unit 104. The image reading unit 104 includes a housing 1041 and a glass plate 1042 provided facing the transport path 108. The inside of the image reading unit 104 is sealed by the housing 1041 and the glass plate 1042. An image sensor 1043 and a pair of light emitting units 1044a and 1044b are provided inside the image reading unit 104.

[0018] The image sensor 1043 is composed of a line image sensor, for example, a CCD line sensor or a contact image sensor, and is arranged along a direction (main scanning direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction of the original 101. The image sensor 1043 reads the image of the original 101 being conveyed line by line in the main scanning direction, and outputs an image signal.

[0019] The light emitting unit 1044a has a light source arranged upstream of the image sensor 1043 in the transport direction of the original 101. The light emitting unit 1044b has a light source arranged downstream of the image sensor 1043 in the transport direction of the original 101. The image sensor 1043 is arranged at a position sandwiched between the light emitting units 1044a and 1044b. The light emitting units 1044a and 1044b are arranged in parallel with the image sensor 1043 along the main scanning direction and are each composed of an LED array including a plurality of LEDs. As shown in FIG. 2, the image sensor 1043 reads an image on the original 101 by receiving reflected light of light irradiated onto the original 101 by the light emitting units 1044a and 1044b.

[0020] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the image reading device 100 according to this embodiment. The control unit 10 of the image reading device 100 includes a CPU 11, a RAM (random access memory) 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output I / F (interface) 14, and a communication I / F 15.

[0021] The CPU 11 is composed of one or more processors. The CPU 11 controls the entire image reading device 100 by reading out a program stored in the storage unit 13 into the RAM 12 and executing it. The RAM 12 is used as a working area by the CPU 11. The storage unit 13 is configured to store various programs (e.g., control programs) executed by the control unit 10, and various information or data used in processing by the control unit 10. For example, image data obtained by reading an image of a document by the image sensor 1043 is stored in the storage unit 13. The storage unit 13 is composed of one or more storage devices (memories), such as a RAM (random access memory), a ROM (read only memory), a HDD (hard disk drive), and an SSD (solid state drive).

[0022] A driving circuit 24 and an image processing circuit 26 are connected to the input / output I / F 14. The driving circuit 24 drives the light emitting parts 1044a and 1044b of the image reading unit 104. The image processing circuit 26 is connected to the image sensor 1043 via the ADC 25. The image sensor 1043 reads the image of the document 101 being conveyed line by line in the main scanning direction and outputs an image signal. The ADC (analog / digital converter) 25 converts the analog image signal output from the image sensor 1043 into digital image data and outputs it. The image processing circuit 26 performs image processing such as shading correction on the image data output from the ADC 25. The CPU 11 acquires the image data output from the image processing circuit 26.

[0023] The communication I / F 15 is an interface for communicating with an external device, and may be configured as a wired communication interface, a wireless communication interface for wireless LAN communication or Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, a USB interface, a SCSI interface, or the like. In the present embodiment, as an example, the communication I / F 15 is a wired communication interface connected to a wired LAN (local area network). Note that the image reading device 100 may include a plurality of communication I / Fs 15 connected to individual external devices or networks. For example, the image reading device 100 may include, as the plurality of communication I / Fs 15, a USB or SCSI interface directly connected to an external device, and a wired communication interface connected to a wired LAN.

[0024] The communication I / F 15 can communicate with an external device according to any communication protocol and can communicate with the external device via any communication path. When multiple external devices are connected, different communication protocols and communication paths may be used for each external device. For example, the communication I / F 15 may be configured to communicate with the terminal 200 (FIG. 4) using the HTTP protocol and to communicate with the terminal 300 (FIG. 4) using the FTP protocol. The image reading device 100 of this embodiment has a Web server 500 (FIG. 5) that can communicate with the external device according to the HTTP protocol. Therefore, the external device can access the Web server 500 of the image reading device 100 by a Web browser running on the external device.

[0025] The image reading device 100 includes an operation unit 130 connected to the control unit 10. The operation unit 130 includes an input unit and an output unit. The input unit includes a touch panel, hard keys, etc., and receives various operations from the user. The output unit (display unit) includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and outputs (displays) various information to the user. The input unit and the output unit may be realized as a single module, such as a touch panel display.

[0026] <Image reading process> In the image reading device 100, the control unit 10 (CPU 11), for example, upon receiving an instruction to start reading an original (reading instruction) by operating the operation unit 130 or from an external device, starts image reading processing for the original 101 set on the original table 102. In the image reading processing, the CPU 11 first drives the paper feed roller 106 to start transporting the original 101 from the original table 102. When multiple sheets of the original 101 are set on the original table 102, the originals are separated one by one and transported through the transport path 108. Thereafter, when the original 101 is detected by the registration sensor 109, the CPU 11 controls the image reading unit 104 for reading the image of the original 101 based on the timing of the detection.

[0027] Specifically, the CPU 11 controls the emission of light-emitting units 1044a and 1044b and drives the image sensor 1043 to read the image of the original 101. The image reading unit 104 reads the image of the original 101 using the image sensor 1043, generates image data of the read image, and outputs the generated image data to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 temporarily stores the obtained image data in the RAM 12 or the storage unit 13 of the image reading device 100. The image data may be stored in an external device (server device) capable of communicating with the image reading device 100.

[0028] <Image reading system configuration> 4 shows an example of the configuration of an image reading system according to this embodiment. The image reading system includes an image reading device 100 and terminal devices (terminals) 200 and 300 that can communicate with the image reading device 100 via a network. The network includes a wired LAN and a wireless LAN. In this embodiment, a communication I / F 15 of the image reading device 100 is connected to the terminals 200 and 300 via the network so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0029] The terminals 200 and 300 are configured as information processing devices such as, for example, a personal computer (PC) or a mobile terminal. For example, when the terminal 200 or 300 is configured as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the terminal may communicate with the image reading device 100 by wirelessly connecting to a wireless access point for wireless LAN communication and connecting to a wired LAN via the wireless access point.

[0030] In this embodiment, the terminal 200 is a terminal device used by a user (operating user) who operates the image reading device 100. A Web browser is pre-installed in the terminal 200. The operating user operates the image reading device 100 via the Web browser running on the terminal 200. The terminal 200 accesses a Web server 500 of the image reading device 100 via the Web browser according to an operation by the operating user. As a result, the Web browser of the terminal 200 acquires HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) data from the Web server 500 as screen data corresponding to an operation screen for operating the image reading device 100, and displays the operation screen based on the acquired HTML data. When the terminal 200 (Web browser) accepts an instruction to start reading a document (reading instruction) from the operating user via the displayed operation screen, it transmits the reading instruction to the image reading device 100.

[0031] The control unit 10 (CPU 11) of the image reading device 100 performs the image reading process as described above in accordance with the reading instruction received from the terminal 200. The CPU 11 starts conveying the document 101, reads the document, and temporarily stores image data of the read image obtained by the reading in the RAM 12 or the storage unit 13. The stored image data is then transmitted to an external device such as the terminal 200, the terminal 300, or a server device via a network.

[0032] The terminal 300 is a terminal device that can be set as a second destination among multiple destinations for transmitting image data of a read image. The second destination is a user (third party) other than the operating user who checks the read image, and for example, the boss of the operating user can be set as the second destination. The terminal 300 checks (image data of) the read image generated by the image reading device 100 according to an operation by the operating user, for example.

[0033] <Functional configuration of the image reading device> 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration (example of a software configuration) of the image reading device 100. The image reading device 100 has a Web server 500 as an application that runs on the OS. When the image reading device 100 is started, the CPU 11 starts the OS and then starts the Web server 500. The Web server 500 runs as a process that resides on the CPU 11 and waits until it receives a request via the network. In response to receiving the request, the Web server 500 returns a response according to the request.

[0034] The image reading device 100 has a UI display application (UI display application) 501, a scan application (scan application) 502, and a transmission determination application (transmission determination application) 503 as applications that operate on a Web server 500. The UI display application 501 controls the display of a screen on the operation unit 130 and the display of a screen to be displayed on an external device. When the scan application 502 receives an instruction to start an image reading process (a reading instruction), it controls the image reading process in the image reading device 100 via a scanner driver (not shown).

[0035] The transmission determination application 503 determines the destination of image data of the read image obtained by executing the image reading process (scan process) by the scan application 502. Specifically, the transmission determination application 503 performs processing to determine the destination of the image data from among a plurality of destinations according to a switching condition for switching the destination according to the data amount of the image data of the read image. The Web server 500 transmits the image data of the read image generated by the scan application 502 to the destination according to the transmission method corresponding to the destination determined by the transmission determination application 503.

[0036] <Example of image reading system operation> In the image reading system of this embodiment, an operating user operates the image reading device 100 via a web browser running on the terminal 200 to cause the image reading device 100 to execute an image reading process (scanning process) and obtain image data of a read image from the image reading device 100. Here, with reference to Fig. 6(A), an example of processing in the image reading system when a reading instruction is issued from the terminal 200 to the image reading device 100 via the web browser will be described. Fig. 6(A) shows an example of a processing sequence in the image reading system.

[0037] The operating user operates terminal 200 to start a Web browser, and inputs a URL indicating Web server 500 of image reading device 100 (in this example, "http: / / 192.168.0.10 / ") into a URL input field of the Web browser. As a result, terminal 200 (Web browser) accesses Web server 500 to establish communication with Web server 500 of image reading device 100 in S601.

[0038] Upon receiving an access from the terminal 200 (Web browser), in S602, the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) transmits screen data (HTML data) of a setting screen for reading settings to the terminal 200, thereby providing the setting screen to the terminal 200. FIG. 7(A) shows an example of a setting screen for reading settings displayed on the terminal 200. The terminal 200 (Web browser) displays a setting screen 700 as a Web browser screen on the display unit of the terminal 200 based on the HTML data acquired from the image reading device 100 (Web server 500). As an example, the setting screen 700 allows the setting of a color mode and a resolution for reading an image. The operating user inputs reading settings using an operating unit (e.g., a touch panel) of the terminal 200, and then issues an instruction to the image reading device 100 by pressing a scan button.

[0039] As a result, in S603, the terminal 200 (Web browser) transmits a read start request (read instruction) together with the read setting to the image reading device 100 (Web server 500). In response to receiving the read start request, the scan application 502 running on the Web server 500 starts execution of the scan process according to the received read setting and read start request (read instruction). When the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) starts the scan process, in S604, it transmits status information related to the scan process as a response to the terminal 200. Specifically, when the scan process is normally started, the image reading device 100 transmits a response including the character string "Status: 0" as the status information. On the other hand, when the image reading device 100 cannot start the scan process due to the occurrence of an error, it transmits a response including the character string "Status: (error number)" including a predefined error number as the status information.

[0040] In S605, if the response received from image reading device 100 indicates that the scan process has started normally, terminal 200 (Web browser) requests a reading (scanning) screen from image reading device 100 (Web server 500). Upon receiving the request for the reading screen, image reading device 100 (Web server 500) transmits screen data of the reading screen to terminal 200 (Web browser). As a result, terminal 200 (Web browser) notifies the operating user that the scan process has started by displaying a reading screen 800, an example of which is shown in FIG. 8, based on the received screen data.

[0041] Thereafter, in S607, the terminal 200 (Web browser) transmits a status acquisition request to the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) to check the status of the scan process. Upon receiving the status acquisition request, the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) transmits a response including the character string "Status:1" as status information if the scan process is being executed. The terminal 200 (Web browser) determines the status of the scan process based on the response received from the image reading device 100, and repeatedly transmits the status acquisition request (S607) at predetermined time intervals while the scan process continues.

[0042] In S609, the terminal 200 (Web browser) transmits a status obtainment request to the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) in the same manner as in S607. At this timing, it is assumed that the scan process by the scan application 502 in the image reading device 100 has ended. In this case, in S610, the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) transmits image data of the read image obtained by the scan process to the terminal 200 (Web browser).

[0043] In this manner, the terminal 200 (Web browser) acquires image data of the read image from the image reading device 100. After acquiring the image data, the terminal 200 (Web browser) returns the process to S601 and displays the setting screen 700 for reading settings as the Web browser screen.

[0044] In this example, the terminal 200 of the operating user is set as a first transmission destination described later, and image data of the read image is transmitted to the first transmission destination. In this example, the image data of the read image is transmitted to the terminal 200 as a response to the status acquisition request (S609), but the image data may be acquired by a method different from this. For example, an operation screen (Web page) for downloading image data from the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) may be provided to the terminal 200 (Web browser) in S610. In this case, the operating user acquires the image data by performing an operation to download the image data from the image reading device 100 on the operation screen displayed by the Web browser on the terminal 200.

[0045] <Send method settings> In this embodiment, the image reading device 100 performs in advance a setting of a transmission method for transmitting image data of a read image obtained by reading an image of a document. The setting of the transmission method can be performed in advance by a user (administrative user) who manages the operation settings of the image reading device 100. The administrative user can log in to the image reading device 100 using the operation unit 130 and perform setting operations for the image reading device 100.

[0046] The transmission method may be set at any timing before acquiring (transmitting) image data obtained by the image reading process, for example, during execution of the image reading process, or after completion of the image reading process and before transmitting the image data. The transmission method may also be set by a user other than the administrative user of the image reading device 100. For example, the initial setting may be set by the administrative user, and the next and subsequent settings may be set by another user (for example, a user corresponding to the set destination). When the setting is (changed) by a user other than the administrative user, the information on who set the setting may be recorded as log information in order to prevent unauthorized setting.

[0047] 9(A) shows an example of a setting screen for setting a transmission method. In this embodiment, the setting screen 900 is displayed on the operation unit 130 by the transmission determination application 503 (CPU 11), but may be displayed on an external device (e.g., a terminal device such as a PC) that can communicate with the image reading device 100. In this case, the setting screen is displayed on the external device based on screen data (e.g., HTML data) transmitted from the image reading device 100, and the input contents on the setting screen are transmitted from the external device to the image reading device 100. The transmission determination application 503 (CPU 11) sets the setting method according to the input contents received from the external device.

[0048] In the setting screen 900, a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data of a read image corresponding to a plurality of destinations and a switching condition for switching the destination among the plurality of destinations according to the amount of image data are set. The setting of the transmission method includes, for example, the setting of a communication protocol and a communication path used for transmitting the image data. In addition, in the setting screen 900, as an example, two destinations, a first destination and a second destination, can be set. In this embodiment, the first destination is set to be the operating user who operates the image forming apparatus 100 (so that the image data is transmitted to the terminal 200 of the operating user). In addition, the second destination is set as a destination different from the first destination, so that the image data is transmitted to a user other than the operating user who checks the read image. The user who checks the read image is a third party other than the operating user, and may be, for example, the superior of the operating user.

[0049] ● Setting the first destination In the setting screen 900, it is possible to select a transmission method via a Web browser or a transmission method using e-mail as a transmission method corresponding to the first destination. The transmission method via a Web browser is the transmission method executed in S610 of Fig. 6 (a method of transmitting image data to the Web browser of the terminal 200 as a response to a status acquisition request). In the setting screen 900, for the transmission method via a Web browser, it is possible to select whether to use a standard protocol (HTTP) or to use HTTPS, which is a protocol with higher security than HTTP, as the communication protocol to be used for transmission. In addition, for the transmission method using e-mail, it is possible to set an e-mail address as the destination and a mail server as the communication path.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 9(A), the transmission method via a Web browser is selected as the setting for the transmission method corresponding to the first destination, and it is set that HTTPS is not to be used as the communication protocol (HTTP is to be used).

[0051] - Setting the second destination In the setting screen 900, as the transmission method corresponding to the second destination, it is possible to select a transmission method using e-mail or a transmission method for transmitting image data to a server device (data server). For the transmission method using e-mail, it is possible to set an e-mail address as the destination and a mail server as the communication path. Also, for the transmission method for transmitting image data to the data server, it is possible to set an address indicating the storage destination of the image data on the data server, and a communication protocol and communication path to be used for transmission. As the communication protocol, it is possible to select a standard protocol (FTP) or FTPS, which is a protocol with higher security than FTP. As the communication path, it is possible to select a path for transmitting directly to the data server or a path using a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

[0052] In the example shown in Fig. 9(A), a transmission method using e-mail is selected as the setting of the transmission method corresponding to the second destination, and an e-mail address and a mail server to be used in the transmission method are set. In this example, an e-mail address used by a third party other than the operating user (who checks the image data of the scanned image) for sending and receiving e-mails by the terminal 300 is set as the destination. By sending image data by e-mail addressed to the set e-mail address, it is possible for the terminal 300 to receive the image data (so that the third party can check the scanned image).

[0053] The above-mentioned setting items for the first and second destinations on the setting screen 900 are merely examples, and other setting items may be present alternatively or additionally. For example, a transmission method using a shared folder as the destination may be selectable. Also, other communication protocols such as SFTP or HTTPS may be selectable as the communication protocol used for the transmission method of transmitting image data to the data server. Also, a transfer server for transferring image data may be designated as the communication path. The setting screen 900 may display only the minimum setting items, and the remaining information (for example, an email address corresponding to an employee ID) may be obtained from an external database based on the input information.

[0054] ● Setting switching conditions In the setting screen 900, furthermore, a switching condition for switching from a first destination to a second destination can be set as a switching condition for the destination when transmitting image data of a read image. The switching condition is determined so that the destination of the image data is switched from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether the data amount of the image data of the read image is equal to or greater than a threshold data amount. In this embodiment, the data size of the image data or the number of scanned originals (images) can be selected as a criterion for switching the destination. In the setting screen 900, a period to be determined and a threshold data size or a threshold number of originals can be set for the switching condition for switching the destination based on the data size of the image data or the number of originals.

[0055] When the data size of the image data is used as the criterion, if the total data size of the image data acquired during the determination period exceeds a threshold data size, the destination is switched from the first destination to the second destination. When the number of original documents is used as the criterion, if the total number of original documents scanned during the determination period exceeds a threshold number of original documents, the destination is switched from the first destination to the second destination. The determination period can be set to, for example, the period of one scan process, the past hour, or the past day (that day).

[0056] The above-mentioned setting of the switching condition is merely an example, and any condition that can determine that image reading processing has been performed on a large amount of documents can be set as the switching condition. For example, the number of characters extracted from the image data of the read image by OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing may be used as the switching condition. Also, for example, the determination target period may be set based on the number of times the scan processing is performed.

[0057] 9A, a switching condition is set for switching the destination based on the data size. Specifically, the switching condition is set for switching the destination from the first destination to the second destination when it is determined that the size of the image data of the read image obtained by one scan process is equal to or larger than the threshold data size of 10 MB.

[0058] When the OK button is pressed on the setting screen 900, the transmission determination application 503 (CPU 11) stores setting data indicating the setting contents on the setting screen 900 in the storage unit 13. Note that the setting data may be stored in, for example, an external device that can communicate via the communication I / F 15. In this case, the CPU 11 acquires and uses the setting data from the external device as necessary.

[0059] <Processing Procedure> 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an image reading process executed in the image reading device 100. In this example, the image reading process is executed in accordance with a reading instruction (a reading start request) transmitted to the image reading device 100 from the terminal 200 used by an operating user.

[0060] As described above with reference to Fig. 6(A), the operating user operates the terminal 200 to start the Webu browser, and accesses the URL indicating the Web server 500 of the image reading device 100 by the Web browser. When the CPU 11 (Web server 500) accepts the access from the terminal 200 (Web browser), it starts the process according to the procedure of Fig. 10.

[0061] In S1001, the CPU 11 (Web server 500) establishes communication with the terminal 200 in response to an access from the terminal 200. The communication between the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) and the terminal 200 is performed using, for example, the HTTP protocol. The communication between the image reading device 100 and the terminal 200 may be realized using an application other than the Web server 500 of the image reading device 100 and the Web browser of the terminal 200. When the image reading device 100 and the terminal 200 are connected by USB, the CPU 11 may establish communication with the terminal 200 by transmitting a predetermined command via the USB connection. Furthermore, when the Web browser of the terminal 200 is not used to establish communication between the image reading device 100 and the terminal 200, only a transmission method using an e-mail can be used as a transmission method corresponding to the above-mentioned first destination.

[0062] As described above, the operating user can configure settings related to image reading using the setting screen 700 (FIG. 7(A)) provided from the image reading device 100 to the terminal 200. When the operating user presses the scan button on the setting screen 700, the Web browser of the terminal 200 transmits the reading settings and a reading instruction to the image reading device 100 (Web server 500). As a result, in S1002, the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) receives the reading settings and the reading instruction from the terminal 200.

[0063] Next, in S1003, the CPU 11 (scan application 502 running on the Web server 500) starts executing image reading processing (scan processing) according to the received reading settings and reading instructions. The CPU 11 controls the image reading processing so that the documents set on the document table 102 are conveyed one by one in order and the image reading unit 104 reads the images of the documents. The image reading processing continues until all the documents set on the document table 102 are read. Note that a set number of documents may be set as the reading target, or the number of documents to be read may be set in the reading settings received from the terminal 200. The CPU 11 saves the image data generated by the image reading unit 104 in the storage unit 13, which is set in advance as the saving destination. When the image reading processing is completed, the CPU 11 advances the processing to S1004.

[0064] In S1004, the CPU 11 (scan application 502) stores information (scanned image information) on the image data of the scanned image in the storage unit 13 for a destination determination process described later. FIG. 11 shows an example of the scanned image information stored in S1004. The scanned image information includes, for example, the date and time when the scan process was performed, the size of the image data obtained by the scan process, and the number of documents scanned (the number of obtained scanned images). Each time a scan process is performed, the scanned image information is stored (added) to a list held in the storage unit 13. Note that old information that is out of the determination target period set using the setting screen 900 may be deleted from the list. Alternatively, the timing of deletion from the list (for example, one month or one year after storage) may be determined regardless of the determination target period.

[0065] Next, in S1005, the CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) refers to setting data indicating settings of a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data and settings of destination switching conditions, which are stored in the storage unit 13. This setting data is generated in advance by settings using the setting screen 900 and is stored in the storage unit 13. The CPU 11 performs processing to determine the destination (transmission method) of the image data of the scanned image using the settings indicated by the setting data, in the procedure shown in FIG.

[0066] When the destination of the image data is determined, in S1006, the CPU 11 (Web server 500) transmits the image data to the determined destination by transmitting the image data according to the setting of the transmission method corresponding to the determined destination.

[0067] In this embodiment, when transmitting image data to a first destination, the CPU 11 transmits the image data according to the setting of the transmission method corresponding to the first destination on the setting screen 900. For example, when the use of the transmission method via a Web browser is set, the CPU 11 transmits the image data to the Web browser of the terminal 200 using the set communication protocol out of HTTP and HTTPS. The image data may be transmitted as a response to a status acquisition request (S609 to S610), as described with reference to FIG. 6(A). In the case of the transmission method using e-mail, the CPU 11 transmits the image data by attaching the image data to an e-mail addressed to a set e-mail address via a set mail server.

[0068] When transmitting image data to a second destination, the CPU 11 transmits the image data according to the setting of the transmission method corresponding to the second destination on the setting screen 900. For example, in the case of a transmission method using e-mail, the CPU 11 transmits the image data by attaching the image data to an e-mail addressed to a set e-mail address via a set mail server. In the case of a transmission method for transmitting image data to a server device (data server), the image data is transmitted to the address of the set data server. At that time, the CPU 11 transmits the image data using a communication protocol set among FTP and FTPS. In addition, when a route using a VPN is set as a communication route, the image data is transmitted via the VPN. Note that setting information such as a VPN server address required for transmission via the VPN is stored in the storage unit 13 in advance.

[0069] Here, Fig. 6(B) shows an example of a processing sequence in the image reading system when image data is transmitted to the second destination. This example corresponds to an example in which image data of a scanned image is transmitted to the second destination. The processes of S601 to S609 are the same as the example of Fig. 6(A) in which image data is transmitted to the first destination.

[0070] In this example, when the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) receives a status acquisition request (S609) from the terminal 200 (Web browser) after transmitting the image data to the second destination, the image reading device 100 (Web server 500) transmits a response including the character string "Status: 2" as status information. This status information indicates that the image data has been transmitted to the second destination (a destination other than the first destination). In this case, the terminal 200 (Web browser) understands that the image data has been transmitted to the second destination, returns the process to S601, and displays the setting screen 700 for reading settings as a Web browser screen. Alternatively, it displays a screen (not shown) indicating that the image data has been transmitted to the second destination as a Web browser screen.

[0071] When the transmission of the image data of the scanned image (S1006) is completed, the CPU 11 ends the process according to the procedure of FIG.

[0072] <Destination Determination Process (S1005)> FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the process (S1005) for determining the transmission destination of the image data of the scanned image.

[0073] First, in S1201, the CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) acquires a period (determination period) to be determined for the set switching condition from the setting data stored in the storage unit 13. Furthermore, in S1202, the CPU 11 determines whether or not to use the data size of the image data of the read image in determining the switching condition. If it is set to use the data size, the CPU 11 advances the process to S1203, and if it is set not to use the data size (to use the number of scanned originals), the CPU 11 advances the process to S1205.

[0074] (When making a judgment based on data size) In S1203, the CPU 11 calculates the total data size of the image data acquired during the determination period based on the determination period acquired in S1201 and the read image information stored in the storage unit 13 in S1004. For example, if the determination period is set to the period of one scan process, the size of the image data acquired in the most recent scan process is acquired. Next, in S1204, the CPU 11 acquires the set threshold data size (10 MB in the example of FIG. 9A) as a threshold used for determining the switching condition, and proceeds to S1207.

[0075] In S1207, CPU 11 determines whether the total data size (calculated value) corresponding to the determination target period is equal to or larger than the threshold data size. If the total data size is equal to or larger than the threshold data size, CPU 11 advances the process to S1208, determines the second destination as the destination of the image data of the read image, and ends the process. On the other hand, if the total data size is not equal to or larger than the threshold data size, CPU 11 advances the process to S1209, determines the first destination as the destination of the image data of the read image, and ends the process.

[0076] 9A and 11, the size of the image data acquired in the most recent scan process is 13.5 MB, and the threshold data size is 10 MB, so it is determined that the total data size (calculated value) is equal to or larger than the threshold data size. As a result, the second destination is determined as the destination of the image data of the scanned image.

[0077] (When judging based on the number of pages of the manuscript) In S1205, the CPU 11 calculates the total number of documents scanned during the determination period (the number of obtained read images) based on the determination period acquired in S1201 and the read image information stored in the storage unit 13 in S1004. Next, in S1204, the CPU 11 acquires a set threshold number of documents (100 in the example of FIG. 9A) as a threshold used for determining the switching condition, and proceeds to S1207.

[0078] In S1207, CPU 11 determines whether the total number of documents corresponding to the determination target period (calculated value) is equal to or greater than the threshold number of documents. If the total number of documents is equal to or greater than the threshold number of documents, CPU 11 advances the process to S1208, determines the second destination as the destination of the image data of the read image, and ends the process. On the other hand, if the total number of documents is not equal to or greater than the threshold number of documents, CPU 11 advances the process to S1209, determines the first destination as the destination of the image data of the read image, and ends the process.

[0079] As described above, in the image reading device 100 of the present embodiment, the CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) sets a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data corresponding to a plurality of destinations, respectively. The image reading unit 104 reads an image of a document and generates image data of the read image. The CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) determines a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination depending on the amount of image data generated by the image reading unit 104. Furthermore, the CPU 11 (Web server 500) transmits the image data generated by the image reading unit 104 to the destination in accordance with the transmission method corresponding to the determined destination.

[0080] In this embodiment, the multiple transmission destinations may include a first transmission destination and a second transmission destination. The first transmission destination is (a terminal device accessible by) an operating user who operates the image reading device 100. The second transmission destination is (a terminal device accessible by) a user other than the operating user who checks the read image. The switching condition is determined as a condition for switching the transmission destination of the image data from the first transmission destination to the second transmission destination depending on the amount of image data of the read image.

[0081] For example, if the boss of the operating user (set as the first destination) is set as the second destination, the image data of the scanned image will be sent to the boss as necessary according to the destination switching conditions. In this case, the boss can check the scanned image and, if there is no problem, transfer the image data to the operating user, or, if there is a problem, discard the image data without transferring it. In this way, it is possible to efficiently prevent the leakage of confidential information due to the transmission of image data of the scanned image.

[0082] In the above example, the scanned image is directly checked by the superior. In this case, compared to the case where the image data of the scanned image is checked mechanically (for example, by a predetermined image processing), it is possible to more accurately identify confidential information and prevent the identified confidential information from leaking. Furthermore, by setting the switching conditions, it is possible to control so that image data is sent to the superior only when a large amount of documents are scanned. In this way, when it is expected that a large amount of confidential information will not be leaked, the image data is not sent to the superior, and it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in the effort of checking the scanned image.

[0083] It should be noted that the setting of the first destination is not necessarily required, and a destination and a corresponding transmission method (e.g., a transmission method via a Web browser) that are predetermined as the first destination may be used in a fixed manner. In this case, the input field for the transmission method corresponding to the first destination may not be displayed on the setting screen 900.

[0084] In addition, a plurality of destinations (e.g., a second destination and a third destination) may be set as destinations other than the first destination corresponding to the operating user. For example, when the data size of the image data of the scanned image is used to determine the switching condition, a plurality of threshold data sizes may be set so that the second destination and the third destination are switched depending on the data size. As a result, for example, the third destination may be determined as the destination of the image data when the total data size of the image data is 50 MB or more, and the second destination may be determined when the total data size is less than 50 MB and 10 MB or more. In this case, as an example, when a larger amount of image data is transmitted, control that requires confirmation of the scanned image by a person of a higher rank is possible.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, a link for accessing the image data (a link to the URL of the location where the image data is stored) may be sent to the second destination so that the image data can be obtained (viewed) from the second destination without sending the image data to the second destination.

[0086] In addition, in the present embodiment, the image data is directly transmitted from the image reading device 100 to the first destination and the second destination, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image data may be transmitted from the image reading device 100 to a predetermined external storage such as a cloud server, and the image data may be transmitted from there to the first destination or the second destination. In this case, as described above, only a link for the second destination to access the image data may be transmitted from the image reading device 100.

[0087] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, when a specific image processing is enabled as image processing for image data of a scanned image, an example of transmitting the image data to a second destination regardless of a switching condition will be described.

[0088] For example, when a background pattern removal function for removing background patterns from a document is enabled, the image data is sent to the destination regardless of the switching condition. A special background pattern may be printed on a confidential document to indicate that the document has been illegally copied. Therefore, when the background pattern removal function is enabled, there is a high possibility that the document to be read is a confidential document.

[0089] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a specific image processing such as a background pattern removal function is enabled as the image processing for the image data of the read image, the image data is transmitted to a second destination so that a third party other than the operating user can confirm the image data. The following mainly describes the parts that are different from the first embodiment.

[0090] Fig. 7(B) shows an example of a setting screen for reading settings displayed on the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. A setting screen 710 has an additional setting item (check box) for enabling a background pattern removal function, as compared to the setting screen 700 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 7(A). When the background pattern removal function is set to be enabled, image processing for removing the background pattern from the read image is performed on the image data obtained by the image reading process (scanning process).

[0091] <Processing Procedure> In the image reading device 100 of this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, processing is performed according to the procedure in Fig. 10. However, in S1005, the CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) performs processing to determine the transmission destination (transmission method) of the image data of the read image in the procedure shown in Fig. 13. The procedure shown in Fig. 13 differs from the procedure shown in Fig. 12 in the first embodiment in that S1301 is added.

[0092] In the process of determining the transmission destination (S1005), first, in S1301, the CPU 11 determines whether or not to transmit the image data of the scanned image to the second transmission destination based on the background pattern removal setting. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, a check box "always transmit to the second transmission destination when background pattern removal is enabled" is displayed as a destination switching condition on the transmission method setting screen 910, and indicates a checked state. The CPU 11 refers to this setting data stored in the storage unit 13, and when the background pattern removal function is enabled, determines to transmit the image data of the scanned image to the second transmission destination based on the background pattern removal setting, and proceeds to the process of S1208. In S1208, the CPU 11 determines the second transmission destination as the transmission destination of the image data of the scanned image regardless of the switching condition (switches the transmission destination from the first transmission destination to the second transmission destination), and ends the process.

[0093] On the other hand, if the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern removal function is not enabled, the CPU 11 advances the process from S1301 to S1201. In this case, in S1201 to S1209, the same process as in the first embodiment is performed to determine the destination of the image data of the read image.

[0094] As described above, the image reading device 100 of this embodiment is configured to switch the destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination regardless of the switching condition when a specific image processing (for example, image processing to remove a background pattern) is performed on the image data generated by the image reading unit 104. This makes it possible to efficiently prevent leakage of confidential information due to transmission of the image data of the read image according to not only the amount of image data of the read image but also the reading settings.

[0095] In this embodiment, the destination of the image data is determined to be the second destination based on whether the background pattern removal function is enabled, regardless of the switching condition, but such a determination may be made based on whether the background pattern has actually been removed from the scanned image. Also, the specific image processing may be an image processing other than the background pattern removal processing.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, when a specific image processing is enabled or when the amount of image data of the read image is equal to or greater than a threshold amount of data, a process is performed to determine the second destination as the destination of the image data. This process may be changed to determine the second destination as the destination of the image data when a specific image processing is enabled and the amount of image data of the read image is equal to or greater than a threshold amount of data. This can reduce the amount of image data sent to the second destination, and can reduce the effort required of a user (e.g., the boss of the operating user) who is the second destination to check the read image. At this time, the threshold (first threshold) of the amount of image data to be sent to the second destination when the specific image processing is enabled and the threshold (second threshold) of the amount of image data to be sent to the second destination when the specific image processing is not enabled may be different values.

[0097] Furthermore, a process may be performed in which the destination of image data is determined to be the second destination regardless of the switching condition, based on whether the specific image processing is disabled, instead of whether the specific image processing is enabled. According to this process, for example, when a function for displaying (adding on) that an image contains confidential information is disabled and image data of a scanned image is generated without such display, the image data can be transmitted to the second destination.

[0098] [Third embodiment] The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In the image reading device 100 of this embodiment, when a specific user instructs execution of a reading process (scanning process) for reading an image of a document, the image reading device 100 performs a process of determining the destination of image data to be the first destination, regardless of the switching condition.

[0099] Specifically, since the administrative user of the image reading device 100 can change the setting of the second destination to a destination of his / her own choice, when a scan process is performed at the instruction of the administrative user, switching the destination of the image data based on the switching condition is meaningless. Therefore, the image reading device 100 of this embodiment is configured to determine the destination of the image data to be the first destination regardless of the switching condition when the administrative user logs in and issues a scan instruction. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in convenience due to switching the destination of the image data to the second destination. The following mainly describes the parts that are different from the first embodiment.

[0100] <Processing Procedure> In the image reading device 100 of this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, processing is performed according to the procedure in Fig. 10. However, in S1005, the CPU 11 (transmission determination application 503) performs processing to determine the transmission destination (transmission method) of the image data of the read image in the procedure shown in Fig. 14. The procedure shown in Fig. 14 differs from the procedure shown in Fig. 12 in the first embodiment in that S1401 is added.

[0101] In the process of determining the transmission destination (S1005), first in S1401, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the user who logged in to the image reading device 100 and issued the reading instruction is an administrative user. If the logged-in user is an administrative user, the CPU 11 advances the process to S1209. In S1209, the CPU 11 determines the first transmission destination as the transmission destination of the image data of the read image, regardless of the switching condition, and ends the process.

[0102] On the other hand, if the login user is not an administrative user, the CPU 11 advances the process from S1401 to S1201. In this case, in S1201 to S1209, the same process as in the first embodiment is performed to determine the destination of the image data of the scanned image.

[0103] As described above, the image reading device 100 of this embodiment is configured to determine the destination of image data to be the first destination regardless of the switching condition when an administrative user of the image reading device instructs the execution of a reading process for reading an image of a document. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in convenience for the administrative user who can change the setting of the second destination by himself / herself. Note that the same process may also be performed when a specific user other than the administrative user (e.g., the boss of the operating user) logs in to the image reading device 100 and issues a reading instruction.

[0104] The disclosure of this specification includes the following image reading apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program. (Item 1) An image reading device, A setting means for setting a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data corresponding to a plurality of destinations, respectively; a reading means for reading an image of a document and generating image data of the read image; a determination means for determining a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination in accordance with a data amount of the image data generated by the reading means; a transmitting means for transmitting the image data generated by the reading means to the destination according to a transmission method corresponding to the destination determined by the determining means; An image reading device comprising: (Item 2) The transmission method includes a communication protocol used for transmitting image data. 2. The image reading device according to item 1, (Item 3) The sending method includes a destination address used to send image data. 3. The image reading device according to item 1 or 2. (Item 4) The transmission method includes a communication path used for transmitting image data. 4. The image reading device according to item 3, (Item 5) the transmission method is a method of transmitting image data by email, The destination address is an email address. 5. The image reading device according to item 3 or 4. (Item 6) The destination address is a URL of a server device in which image data is stored. 5. The image reading device according to item 3 or 4. (Item 7) the setting means sets the plurality of transmission methods and the switching condition in accordance with a user's operation; 7. The image reading device according to any one of items 1 to 6, (Item 8) the transmitting means transmits to the destination a link for accessing a storage location of the image data; 8. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein: (Item 9) the plurality of destinations include a first destination and a second destination, the first destination is an operator who operates the image reading device, the second transmission destination is a user other than the operating user who checks the scanned image, the switching condition is a condition for switching a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination in accordance with an amount of the image data; 9. The image reading device according to any one of items 1 to 8, (Item 10) the switching condition is determined such that a destination of the image data is switched from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether a data amount of the image data is equal to or larger than a threshold data amount. 10. The image reading device according to item 9, (Item 11) the switching condition is determined so as to switch a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether a total data size of the image data generated by the reading means during a target period is equal to or larger than a threshold data size; 11. The image reading device according to item 9 or 10, (Item 12) the switching condition is determined so as to switch the destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether or not a total number of documents read by the reading unit during a target period is equal to or greater than a threshold number of documents; 11. The image reading device according to item 9 or 10, (Item 13) The target period is determined in units of the number of times a reading process for reading an image of a document by the reading unit is performed. 13. The image reading device according to item 11 or 12, (Item 14) the determining means, when a specific image processing is performed on the image data generated by the reading means, switches a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination regardless of the switching condition. 14. The image reading device according to any one of items 9 to 13, (Item 15) the specific image processing is image processing for removing a background pattern from the read image; 15. The image reading device according to item 14, (Item 16) the determining unit determines, when an administrative user of the image reading device issues an instruction to execute a reading process for reading an image of a document, that the first destination is the destination of the image data, regardless of the switching condition. 16. The image reading device according to any one of items 9 to 15, (Item 17) and when the transmitting means receives a response from the second destination indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved after transmitting the image data to the second destination in accordance with the switching condition, the transmitting means further transmits the image data to the first destination. 17. The image reading device according to claim 9, wherein the image reading device is a digital camera. (Item 18) the setting means further sets, in accordance with a user's operation, whether or not to further transmit the image data to the first destination when a response indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved is received after switching of the destination to the second destination; and when the transmitting means receives a response from the second destination indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved after transmitting the image data to the second destination in accordance with the switching condition, the transmitting means further transmits the image data to the first destination in accordance with the setting made by the setting means. 17. The image reading device according to claim 9, wherein the image reading device is a digital camera. (Item 19) A method for controlling an image reading device, comprising: a setting step of setting a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data corresponding to a plurality of destinations, respectively; a reading step of reading an image of a document and generating image data of the read image; a determination step of determining a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination in accordance with a data amount of the image data generated in the reading step; a transmitting step of transmitting the image data generated in the reading step to the destination according to a transmission method corresponding to the destination determined in the determination step; 2. A method for controlling an image reading apparatus comprising: (Item 20) 20. A program for causing a computer of an image reading device to execute the control method according to item 19.

[0105] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0106] For example, in each embodiment, a mode has been described in which it is determined whether to send image data to the first transmission destination or the second transmission destination, but after sending image data from the image reading device 100 to the second transmission destination in accordance with the switching condition, a process of resending the image data to the first transmission destination may be performed. Specifically, the image reading device 100 may be configured to further transmit the image data to the first transmission destination when it receives a response from the second transmission destination indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved after sending the image data to the second transmission destination in accordance with the switching condition.

[0107] 9(A) may be further set as a setting of the switching condition on the setting screen 900 whether or not to further transmit the image data to the first destination (i.e., whether to resend the image data to the first destination and end the process, or to end the process only by transmitting the image data to the second destination) when the acquisition of the image data is approved (when a response indicating approval is received) after switching the destination to the second destination. In this case, the image reading device 100 is configured to further transmit the image data to the first destination in accordance with the setting via the setting screen 900 when a response indicating that the acquisition of the image data is approved is received from the second destination after transmitting the image data to the second destination in accordance with the switching condition.

[0108] This process makes it possible to automatically transmit image data to the operating user according to the approval of the user checking the scanned image (for example, the user of the terminal 300). This can save the user checking the scanned image the trouble of transferring the image data to the operating user, and can also save the operating user the trouble of performing an operation to download the image data, thereby improving convenience for each user.

[0109] In these cases, the second image data transmitted to a user (e.g., the user of the terminal 300) who checks the read image from the first image data read by the image reading unit 104 may not be the first image data itself, but may be processed to reduce the resolution, etc. This processing includes various processes for reducing the data size of the image data to be transmitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 100: image reading device, 104: image reading unit, 10: control unit, 11: CPU, 13: storage unit, 130: operation unit

Claims

1. An image reading device, A setting means for setting a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data corresponding to a plurality of destinations, respectively; a reading means for reading an image of a document and generating image data of the read image; a determination means for determining a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination in accordance with a data amount of the image data generated by the reading means; a transmitting means for transmitting the image data generated by the reading means to the destination according to a transmission method corresponding to the destination determined by the determining means; An image reading device comprising:

2. The transmission method includes a communication protocol used for transmitting image data.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

3. The sending method includes a destination address used to send image data.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

4. The transmission method includes a communication path used for transmitting image data.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

5. the transmission method is a method of transmitting image data by email, The destination address is an email address.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

6. The destination address is a URL of a server device in which image data is stored.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

7. the setting means sets the plurality of transmission methods and the switching condition in accordance with a user's operation; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

8. the transmitting means transmits to the destination a link for accessing a storage location of the image data; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

9. the plurality of destinations include a first destination and a second destination, the first destination is an operator who operates the image reading device, the second transmission destination is a user other than the operating user who checks the scanned image, the switching condition is a condition for switching a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination in accordance with an amount of the image data; 9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is a scanning apparatus.

10. the switching condition is determined such that a destination of the image data is switched from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether a data amount of the image data is equal to or larger than a threshold data amount.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

11. the switching condition is determined so as to switch a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether a total data size of the image data generated by the reading means during a target period is equal to or larger than a threshold data size; 10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

12. the switching condition is determined so as to switch the destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination depending on whether or not a total number of documents read by the reading unit during a target period is equal to or greater than a threshold number of documents; 10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

13. The target period is determined in units of the number of times a reading process for reading an image of a document by the reading unit is performed.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11,

14. the determining means, when a specific image processing is performed on the image data generated by the reading means, switches a destination of the image data from the first destination to the second destination regardless of the switching condition.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

15. the specific image processing is image processing for removing a background pattern from the read image; 15. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14,

16. the determining unit determines, when an administrative user of the image reading device issues an instruction to execute a reading process for reading an image of a document, that the first destination is the destination of the image data, regardless of the switching condition.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

17. and when the transmitting means receives a response from the second destination indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved after transmitting the image data to the second destination in accordance with the switching condition, the transmitting means further transmits the image data to the first destination.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

18. the setting means further sets, in accordance with a user's operation, whether or not to further transmit the image data to the first destination when a response indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved is received after switching of the destination to the second destination; and when the transmitting means receives a response from the second destination indicating that acquisition of the image data has been approved after transmitting the image data to the second destination in accordance with the switching condition, the transmitting means further transmits the image data to the first destination in accordance with the setting made by the setting means.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9,

19. A method for controlling an image reading device, comprising: a setting step of setting a plurality of transmission methods for transmitting image data corresponding to a plurality of destinations, respectively; a reading step of reading an image of a document and generating image data of the read image; a determination step of determining a destination of the image data from among the plurality of destinations in accordance with a switching condition for switching the destination in accordance with a data amount of the image data generated in the reading step; a transmitting step of transmitting the image data generated in the reading step to the destination according to a transmission method corresponding to the destination determined in the determination step; 2. A method for controlling an image reading apparatus comprising:

20. 20. A program for causing a computer of an image reading device to execute the method for controlling an image reading device according to claim 19.

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