Scanner-driven push operation realized by image forming apparatus having no auxiliary storage device

An image forming apparatus coupled to an information processing apparatus and a network, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a button, a memory device, a scanner, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to

• store, in the memory, an information processing apparatus identifier that is assigned to the button,
• transmit, to the information processing apparatus, press-down information, wherein the press-down information includes including the information processing apparatus identifier corresponding to the button, in response to a request for the press-down information of the button that is received from the information processing apparatus via the network,
• read a document image set in the scanner in response to a scan execution request that is received via a TWAIN driver as a scanner driver in the information processing apparatus via the network, if, in the information processing apparatus, it is determined that the information processing apparatus identifier in the press-down information matches an information processing apparatus identifier stored within the information processing apparatus,
• transmit image data of the document image to the information processing apparatus via the network, and
• reset the press-down information.

A transmission method for image data performed by an image forming system, wherein the image forming system includes an image forming apparatus coupled to a network and an information processing apparatus coupled to the network, wherein the transmission method comprises:

• via the image forming apparatus,
• storing, in a memory device, an information processing apparatus identifier that is assigned to a button of the image forming apparatus,
• transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, press-down information, wherein the press-down information includes the information processing apparatus identifier corresponding to the button, in response to a request for the press-down information of the button that is received from the information processing apparatus via the network,
• reading a document image set in a scanner, in response to a scan execution request that is received from the information processing apparatus via the network,
• transmitting image data of the document image to the information processing apparatus via the network, and
• resetting the press-down information;
• and
• via the information processing apparatus,
• storing, in an auxiliary storage device, a transmission destination address corresponding to the button,
• periodically transmitting the request for press-down information to the image forming apparatus via the network,
• determining whether or not the information processing apparatus identifier in the press-down information received from the image forming apparatus matches the information processing apparatus as a destination,
• transmitting the scan execution request to the image forming apparatus via a TWAIN driver as a scanner driver if the information processing apparatus identifier in the press-down information received from the image forming apparatus matches an information processing apparatus identifier stored within the information processing apparatus,
• storing, in the auxiliary storage device, image data that is received from the image forming apparatus via the scanner driver,
• acquiring the transmission destination address from the auxiliary storage device, and
• transmitting, to the transmission destination address, the image data that is stored in the auxiliary storage device.