Image forming apparatus, file delivery system, and file delivery method that may easily associate a meta data file with an image data file in units of a page, easily confirm the final page in the image data file, and rapidly deliver the image data files

A file delivery system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus configured to transmit an image data file created by an image scanning unit to a file delivery apparatus via a network;
• the file delivery apparatus configured to receive the image data file via the network and deliver the image data file to a terminal apparatus;
• and
• the terminal apparatus configured to receive the image data file via the network,
• wherein the image forming apparatus includes
• a meta data file creating unit configured to create a first meta data file and a second meta data file;
• a transmission file name creating unit configured to create a transmission file name including a common part among the first meta data file, the image data file, and the second meta data file;
• and
• a control unit configured to (1) provide the transmission file name including the common part to the first meta data file corresponding to the image data file, (2) transmit the first meta data file to the file delivery apparatus, (3) provide the transmission file name including the common part to the image data file, (4) transmit the image data file to the file delivery apparatus, (5) provide a transmission file name including the common part to the second meta data file corresponding to the image data file, and (6) transmit the second meta data file to the file delivery apparatus.

A file delivery method comprising:

• via an image forming apparatus connected to a network,
• creating a first meta data file, an image data file, and a second meta data file,
• creating a transmission file name including a common part among the first meta data file, the image data file and the second meta data file,
• providing the transmission file name including the common part to the first meta data file corresponding to the image data file,
• transmitting the first meta data file to a file delivery apparatus connected to the network,
• providing the transmission file name including common part to the image data file,
• transmitting the image data file to the file delivery apparatus,
• providing the transmission file name including the common part to the second meta data file corresponding to the image data file, and
• transmitting the second meta data file to the file delivery apparatus;
• and
• via the file delivery apparatus,
• receiving the first meta data file, the image data file, and the second meta data file from the image forming apparatus, and
• transmitting the image data file to a terminal apparatus connected the network.