Patent ID: 7690028
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image communication apparatus comprising: an external storage unit for storing authentication information and sender information for each of a plurality of operators; an authentication unit for verifying a password entered by an operator against authentication information stored in the external storage unit in order to authenticate the operator; a reader for reading sender information corresponding to the operator from the external storage unit when the authentication unit authenticates the operator, wherein the external storage unit is capable of storing the sender information corresponding to the operator before the operator is authenticated by the authentication unit; a transmitting unit for transmitting image data to an external apparatus; a determining unit for determining whether the reader has read, from the external storage unit, appropriate sender information to be set for the image data transmitted by the transmitting unit; and a control unit for controlling the transmitting unit to transmit to the external apparatus the image data for which the appropriate sender information is set if the determining unit determines that the reader has read the appropriate sender information, and controlling the transmitting unit to restrict the transmission of the image data to the external apparatus if the determining unit determines that the reader has not read the appropriate sender information.