Image reading system, image reading setting determination apparatus, reading setting determination method, recording medium, and program

A setting determination apparatus comprising:

• a storage unit having a finite capacity and capable of reading and writing data;
• a reading setting selection unit capable of selecting a reading setting in said reading apparatus;
• a setting changing unit for checking a size of an available area in said storage unit when reading is started in said reading apparatus, comparing the size of the available area with a size of image data read by said reading apparatus, and changing the reading setting in said reading setting selection unit if the size of the image data is larger;
• a change content notification unit for notifying a user of change contents before said setting changing unit changes the reading setting;
• and
• a selection unit for choosing between continuing processing and not continuing the processing after a notification is provided from said change content notification unit,
• wherein said setting changing unit changes the reading setting in accordance with the contents from said change content notification unit if said selection unit chooses to continue the processing, and holds the reading setting without changing the setting if said selection unit does not choose to continue the processing.

A setting determination method comprising:

• (a) the step of selecting a reading setting in a reading apparatus;
• (b) the step of checking a size of an available area in a storage unit when the reading apparatus starts reading, comparing the size of the available area with a size of image data read by the reading apparatus, and changing the reading setting if the size of the image data is larger;
• (c) the step of notifying a user of a change content before the reading setting is changed in the setting changing step;
• (d) the step of choosing between continuing processing and not continuing the processing after notification in the change content notification step;
• and
• (e) the step of changing the reading setting in accordance with the content in the change content notification step if continuation of the processing is selected in the selection step, and holding the reading setting without changing if continuation of the processing is not selected in the selection step.

A computer-readable recording medium on which a program is recorded, the program causing a computer to execute

• (a) the step of selecting a reading setting in a reading apparatus;
• (b) the step of checking a size of an available area in a storage unit when the reading apparatus starts reading, comparing the size of the available area with a size of image data read by the reading apparatus, and changing the reading setting if the size of the image data is larger;
• (c) the step of notifying a user of a change content before the reading setting is changed in the setting changing step;
• (d) the step of choosing between continuing processing and not continuing the processing after notification in the change content notification step;
• and
• (e) the step of changing the reading setting in accordance with the content in the change content notification step if continuation of the processing is selected in the selection step, and holding the reading setting without changing if continuation of the processing is not selected in the selection step.

A program for causing a computer to execute

• (a) the step of selecting a reading setting in a reading apparatus;
• (b) the step of checking a size of an available area in a storage unit when the reading apparatus starts reading, comparing the size of the available area with a size of image data read by the reading apparatus, and changing the reading setting if the size of the image data is larger;
• (c) the step of notifying a user of a change content before the reading setting is changed in the setting changing step;
• (d) the step of choosing between continuing processing and not continuing the processing after notification in the change content notification step;
• and
• (e) the step of changing the reading setting in accordance with the content in the change content notification step if continuation of the processing is selected in the selection step, and holding the reading setting without changing if continuation of the processing is not selected in the selection step.

An image reading apparatus which can be used by being connected to an external controller through an interface capable of two-way communication, wherein

• said external controller including:
• a storage unit having a finite capacity and capable of reading and writing data;
• a reading setting selection unit capable of selecting a reading setting in said reading apparatus;
• a setting changing unit for changing the reading setting in said reading setting selection unit;
• and
• a change content notification unit for providing a notification of a content of a change made by said setting changing unit,
• wherein when reading is started, a size of an available area in said storage unit is checked, the size of the available area is compared with a size of image data to be read, and if the size of the image data is larger, a change content is notified by said change content notification unit, and said setting changing unit changes the reading setting and continues reading operation.

An image reading method comprising:

• the check step of checking a size of an available area in a storage unit having a finite capacity when an image reading apparatus starts reading;
• the comparison step of comparing the size of the available area with a size of image data read by said image reading apparatus;
• the changing step of changing a reading setting in the image reading apparatus if the size of the image data is larger;
• the notification step of providing a notification of a change content in the changing step;
• and
• the reading continuation step of continuing reading operation in the image reading apparatus after the notification is provided.