The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 08, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 08, 2007
Yukinari Sato, Kyoto, JP;
Yukinari Sato, Kyoto, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
The present invention is intended to improve the processing efficiency by shortening a time taken until completion of return processing when image processing is carried out via an external storage device such as a USB memory. There is provided an image processing apparatus including: a communication section capable of data communication with the external storage device; a detection section detecting that data communication with the external storage device is possible; an image forming section; a document reading section; and a control section performing return processing for returning the image processing section and/or the document reading section from a processing-disabled state in which image processing is impossible to a processing-enabled state in which image processing is possible, wherein if the detection section detects that data communication with the external storage device is possible, the control section determines whether the external device is an external storage device or not, and performs the return processing if it is determined that the external device is an external storage device. The time taken until completion of return processing is thus shortened to improve the processing efficiency.