Patent Publication Number: US-8976379-B2

Title: Method and system to automatically convert a file format and image forming apparatus used in the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of prior application Ser. No. 11/545,456 filed on Oct. 11, 2006 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-129580, filed on Dec. 26, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present general inventive concept relates to a method and system to automatically convert a file format and to perform a task through an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus used in the same. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a method and system to automatically convert a format of a file stored in an image forming apparatus into data that is compatible with a task a user wants to execute and to execute the task, and an image forming apparatus used in the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, image forming apparatuses include a storage device having a high storage capacity, such as a hard disk, to store data relating to an image forming task. The image forming apparatuses include printers, photocopiers, facsimile machines, and combination apparatuses. The image forming apparatuses store different formats of data depending on different tasks to be executed based on the data. For example, for printing tasks, HCT compression files, Jbig compression files, and LZW compression files are stored. For facsimile tasks, MMR compression files, MR compression files, MH compression files, and Jbig compression files are stored. For e-mailing tasks, Jpeg files, Tiff files, and BMP (bitmap) files are stored. 
     For example, if a user wants to send a document received through a facsimile machine via e-mail, the user prints the document received through the facsimile machine, scans the printed document, and transmits a scanned image file via e-mail. That is, the document received through the facsimile machine can not be directly transmitted via e-mail because the formats of facsimile and e-mail data are not the same. 
     As described above, to use a specific file stored in a storage device for a different task, the specific file has to be printed, scanned, and then used for the task. However, this causes degradation of image quality because an original file is not used, and also printing paper and developer, such as ink and toner, are likely to be wasted. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present general inventive concept provides a method and system to automatically convert a format of a file stored in an image forming apparatus into data that is compatible with a task a user wants to execute and to execute the task, and an image forming apparatus used in the same. 
     Additional aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a method to automatically convert a format of a file using an image forming apparatus, including selecting a task to be executed by the image forming apparatus, and selecting a file from one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus that is an object of the selected task from the one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus, converting a format of data of the selected file into a format that is compatible with the selected task, an executing the selected task using the converted file. 
     The selected task may be one of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending, and e-mailing tasks. 
     The one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus may include files that are stored after being used in a task of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending/receiving, e-mailing, and file receiving from a host to control the image forming apparatus. 
     The method may further comprise displaying a list of tasks executable by the image forming apparatus and a list of files stored in the image forming apparatus, and the selecting of the task may include selecting a task from the displayed list of tasks and selecting a file may be selected from the displayed list of files. 
     The converting of the format of the data may include converting the format of the data of the selected file into a bitmap format, and converting the bitmap format of the data into the format that is compatible with the selected task. 
     The displaying operation may include displaying icons representing tasks of the list of tasks, and showing option information necessary to execute the tasks. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus to automatically convert a file format and execute a task, including a storage unit to store at least one file, a input unit through which a user selects a task to be executed and a file from the at least one file stored in the storage unit that is an object of the selected task, a data converter to convert a format of data of the selected file into a format that is compatible with the selected task, and a controller to control the task to be executed using the converted file. 
     The selected task may be one of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending, and e-mailing tasks. 
     The storage unit may store files that have been used in a task of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending/receiving, and file receiving from a host to control the image forming apparatus. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a display unit to display a list of tasks executable by the image forming apparatus and a list of files stored in the storage unit, and the list of tasks may be stored in the storage unit and a user may select one task from the list of tasks and one file from the list of files, which are displayed on the display unit, through the input unit. 
     The data converter may convert the format of the data of the selected file into a bitmap format and may convert the bitmap format of the data into the format that is compatible with the selected task. 
     The display unit may display icons representing tasks of the list of tasks and option information necessary to execute the tasks. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a system to automatically convert a file format using an image forming apparatus, comprising an input unit through which a user selects a task to execute using the image forming apparatus and a file from one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus that is an object of the selected task, a host having a communication interface to transmit the selected task and the selected file to the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus to convert a format of data of the transmitted file into a format that is compatible with the selected task and to execute the transmitted task using the converted file. 
     The selected task may be one of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending, and e-mailing tasks. 
     The one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus may include a file that is stored after being used in a task of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending/receiving, e-mailing, and file receiving from the host. 
     The host may further include a display unit to display a list of tasks executable by the image forming apparatus and a list of files stored in the image forming apparatus, the list of tasks and the list of files may be received from the image forming apparatus through the communication interface, and the user may select one task from the list of tasks and one file from the list of files, which are displayed on the display unit, through the input unit. 
     The display unit may display icons representing the tasks of the list of tasks and option information necessary to execute the tasks. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus, including a control unit to determine whether a format of a selected file is compatible with a selected task, and a conversion unit to convert the format of the selected file to a compatible format compatible with the selected task using the data converter when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task, and the control unit controls the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the selected file when the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task, and controls the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the converted file when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a storage unit, and the control unit may extract the selected file from the storage unit of the image forming apparatus to determine whether the format of the extracted file is compatible with the selected task. The storage unit may be an internal storage unit internal to the image forming apparatus. The storage unit may be an external storage unit external to the image forming apparatus. 
     The conversion unit may convert the format of the selected file directly to the compatible format, and the control unit may control the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the converted file using the image forming apparatus. The conversion unit may convert the format of the selected file indirectly to the compatible format, and the control unit may control the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the converted file using the image forming apparatus. The conversion unit may convert the format of the selected file to an intermediate format and may convert the intermediate format of the selected file to the compatible format, and the image forming apparatus may perform the selected task with the file having the compatible format. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a display unit to display a list of one or more tasks and a list of one or more files, and the selected task and the selected file may be selected from the displayed list of one or more tasks and the displayed list of one or more files, respectively. The image forming apparatus may further include at least one predetermined task unit to perform the selected task with the selected file when the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task, and with the converted file when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task. The at least one predetermined task unit may be selected from a printing unit, a facsimile unit, an e-mail unit, a scanning unit, and a photocopying unit. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming system, including an image forming apparatus including a control unit to determine whether a format of a selected file is compatible with a selected task and a conversion unit to convert the format of the selected file to a compatible format compatible with the selected task using the data converter when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task in which the control unit controls the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the selected file when the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task, and controls the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the converted file when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task, and a host device including a display unit to display a list of one or more tasks and a list of one or more files in which the selected task and the selected file are selected from the displayed list of one or more tasks and the displayed list of one or more files, respectively. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of performing a selected task using a selected file and an image forming apparatus including a data converter, the method including determining whether a format of a selected file is compatible with a selected task, performing the selected task with the selected file using the image forming apparatus when the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task, and converting the format of the selected file to a compatible format compatible with the selected task using the data converter and performing the selected task with the converted file using the image forming apparatus when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task. 
     The determining of whether the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task may include extracting the selected file from an internal storage unit of the image forming apparatus, and determining whether the format of the extracted file is compatible with the selected task. The determining of whether the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task may include extracting the selected file from an external storage unit external to the image forming apparatus, and determining whether the format of the extracted file is compatible with the selected task. 
     The converting of the format of the selected file may include converting the format of the selected file directly to the compatible format using the data converter and performing the selected task with the converted file using the image forming apparatus. The converting of the format of the selected file may include converting the format of the selected file indirectly to the compatible format using the data converter and performing the selected task with the converted file using the image forming apparatus. The converting of the format of the selected file indirectly to the compatible format may include converting the format of the selected file to an intermediate format using the data converter, and converting the intermediate format of the selected file to the compatible format using the data converter and performing the selected task with the file having the compatible format using the image forming apparatus. 
     The method may further include displaying a list of one or more tasks and a list of one or more files on a display unit of the image forming apparatus, and the selected task and the selected file may be selected from the displayed list of one or more tasks and the displayed list of one or more files, respectively. The method may further include displaying a list of one or more tasks and a list of one or more files on a display unit of a host connected with the image forming apparatus, and the selected task and the selected file may be selected from the displayed list of one or more tasks and the displayed list of one or more files, respectively. 
     The method may further include selecting a predetermined task unit of the image forming apparatus to perform the selected task with the selected file when the format of the selected file is compatible with the selected task, and with the converted file when the format of the selected file is not compatible with the selected task. The predetermined task unit may be at least one of a printing unit, a facsimile unit, an e-mail unit, a scanning unit, and a photocopying unit. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of automatically converting a format of a file through an image forming apparatus, including receiving a request to perform a task among a plurality of tasks that can be performed together with a file among one or more stored files to be associated with the task, converting the file data to a format compatible with the task, and executing the task using the converted file. 
     The task requested to be performed may be one of a printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending, and e-mailing. The one or more files stored in the image forming apparatus may include files that are stored after being used in a task of printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending/receiving, e-mailing, and file receiving from a host to control the image forming apparatus. The file data may be compatible with the requested task when the formats of the data are the same. The file data may be compatible with the requested task when the requested task and the file can be received together in a same transmission. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method to automatically convert a file format and to execute a task through the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a user interface of the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a system including a host and an image forming apparatus, according to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and 
         FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a user interface of the host of the system of  FIG. 4 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus  100 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus  100  includes an input unit  101 , a display unit  103 , a storage unit  105 , a data converter  107 , a communication interface  121 , and a controller  123 . 
     The input unit  101  may be provided with at least one manipulation button to receive various user commands. For example, the input unit  101  may be an operation panel (OPE) or a touch panel that is a small flat type panel having a pressure sensor and is substituted for a mouse. The input unit  101  may be disposed on the display unit  103 , which may be, for example, an LCD panel. When a user touches the input unit  101  with a finger or an object, such as a pen, the input unit  101  perceives the location of the finger or the object, such as the pen. 
     The input unit  101  receives a task a user wants to execute through the image forming apparatus  100  and a file that is an object of the task. The file may be a file stored in the storage unit  105 . Alternatively, the file may be input by the user. 
     A signal according to a user command input through the input unit  101  is transmitted to the controller  123 . The controller  123  controls the image forming apparatus  100  in response to the signal according to the input user command. 
     The display unit  103  displays various messages in response to the user command or under the control of the controller  123 . As discussed above, the display unit  103  may be an LCD panel. The display unit  103  may display a list of tasks executable by the image forming apparatus  100  and a list of files stored in the storage unit  105 . The list of tasks may be stored in the storage unit  105 . 
     The storage unit  105  can store a file that has been previously used for a task, such as printing, scanning, facsimile sending/receiving, e-mailing, and file receiving from a host (not illustrated) to control the image forming apparatus  100 . For example, data received via facsimile can be stored in the storage unit  105 , and the stored facsimile data may then be sent via e-mail as an attachment to the e-mail. 
     The storage unit  105  may store a list of tasks executable by the image forming apparatus  100 , such as printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending, and e-mailing. Option information necessary to perform each task can be stored together with the list of tasks. If one task has different types of option information, the storage unit  105  may store the task multiple times for each of the different types of option information. For example, a 2-UP printing task and a 4-UP printing task belong to the same “printing” task but have different option information. Therefore, the storage unit  105  may store the two tasks individually according to the two different types of option information. That is, the storage unit  105  can store the 2-UP printing task and the corresponding option information under a file name of “print  1 ” and can store the 4-UP printing task and the corresponding option information under a file name of “print  2 ”, even though the 2-UP printing task and the 4-UP printing task are both printing tasks. 
     The storage unit  105  may be an internal memory built in the image forming apparatus  100 , such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, or an HDD. Alternatively, the storage unit  105  may be an external memory, such as a removable HDD connected with the image forming apparatus  100 , a memory card (such as flash memory, including, but not limited to, M/S, xD, SD flash memory), or a USB memory. 
     The data converter  107  extracts the input file received through the input unit  101  from the storage unit  105  and converts the file into data that is compatible with the task received through the input unit  101 . The data converter  107  can convert data of the input file into bitmap data and can convert the bitmap data into data that is compatible with the task. 
     The communication interface  121  is connected with an external device via a wired or wireless network to receive and transmit data, such as print data, facsimile data, and e-mail data. 
     The image forming apparatus  100  can include one or more of a printing unit  111  to perform a printing task, a fax unit  113  to send and receive a facsimile, an e-mail unit  115  to send and receive an e-mail, a scan unit  117  to perform a scanning task, and a photocopying unit  119  to perform a photocopying task. 
     The controller  123  controls all operations of the image forming apparatus  100  such that the units of the image forming apparatus  100  perform their respective tasks as described above. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method to automatically convert a file format and to execute a desired task through the image forming apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept, and  FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a user interface  300  of the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a display unit  103  can display a list of tasks  310  executable by the image forming apparatus  100  and a list of files  320  stored in the storage unit  105  at operation S 200 . The display unit  103  can display icons representing the list of tasks  310  in order for a user to easily select a task to execute. 
     The storage unit  105  can store a file that has been previously used for a task, such as printing, scanning, photocopying, facsimile sending/receiving, e-mailing, and file receiving from a host (not illustrated) to control the image forming apparatus  100 . For example, the image forming apparatus  100  can store a file that has been received from the host (not illustrated) and printed, or can store an image file that is obtained by scanning a document. Also, the storage unit  105  may store a file that has been received via facsimile or e-mail. 
     The list of tasks  310  executable by the image forming apparatus  100  with respect to the files stored in the storage unit  105  can include “Printing”  311 , facsimile sending, such as “FAX  1 ”  313  and “FAX  2 ”  315 , and “E-mailing”  317 . The list of tasks  310  can be stored in the storage unit  105 . 
     Each task included in the list of tasks  310  includes option information necessary to execute the corresponding task. For example, the printing task “Printing”  311  may include one or more of the following option information: paper size, number of copies, printing orientation, and N-UP. The facsimile sending tasks “FAX  1 ”  313  and “FAX  2 ”  315  may include one or more of the following option information: fax number of receiving side, resolution, and sending side information. Furthermore, FAX  1 ”  313  and “FAX  2 ”  315  do not include identical option information and are thus listed individually in the list of tasks  310 . The e-mailing task “E-mailing”  317  can include option information, such as e-mail address of receiving side and sending side information. 
     As described above, the same type of task may include different option information. For example, different facsimile sending tasks may have different fax numbers, different resolution, and/or different sending side information. Accordingly, different task icons representing the different option information may be set and used. If there is frequently used option information, a task icon representing the frequently used option information is set such that a user is not required to input the option information for each use thereof. Accordingly, the user&#39;s convenience of performing different tasks is improved. For example, in  FIG. 3  the facsimile sending task is divided into the icon “FAX  1 ”  313  and the icon “FAX  2 ”  315  because “FAX  1 ”  313  and “FAX  2 ”  315  have different option information. Each icon may be named such that a user easily perceives the option information. For example, icons such as “Fax (receiver Hong kildong/200 dpi)”, “Fax (receiver Kim chulsoo/300 dpi)”, “Print (2-UP)”, “Print (4-UP)” may be displayed such that different users can easily perceive desired option information. 
     According to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept, if a user selects one task from the list of tasks  310 , for example, the printing task  311 , the user is enabled to input further option information or to change the option information through a user interface, such as the user interface  300  illustrate in  FIG. 3 . 
     At operation S 210 , the user selects a task to execute from the list of tasks  310  displayed at operation S 200  through the input unit  101 , and selects one file from the list of files displayed at operation S 200  that is an object of the task. For example, if a user wants to attach a file “Image  5 ,” which has been received through facsimile and stored, to an e-mail and send the file “Image  5 ” via e-mail, the user selects the “E-mailing” task  317  and file “Image  5 ”  321 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1-3 , the controller  123  determines whether the selected file  321  is compatible with the selected task  317  at operation S 220 . 
     If the selected file  321  is compatible with the selected task  317  (operation S 220 : Y), the controller  123  controls one of the printing unit  111 , the fax unit  113 , the e-mail unit  115 , the scan unit  117 , and the photocopying unit  119  to execute the selected task  317  with respect to the selected file  321  at operation S 250 . 
     If the selected file  321  is not compatible with the selected task  317  (operation S 220 : N), the date converter  107  converts data of the selected file  321  into data that is compatible with the selected task  317 . For example, the data converter  107  can convert the data of the selected file  321  into bitmap data at operation S 230  and can convert the bitmap data into data that is compatible with the selected task  317  at operation S 240 . The file “Image  5 ”  321  is received via facsimile and can be stored in an MMR compression format, an MR compression format, or an MH compression format. However, since the selected “E-mailing” task  317  requires a different format, such as a Jpeg format, a Tiff format, or a BMP format, the “E-mailing” task  317  cannot be directly executed with respect to the file “Image  5 ”  321 . Therefore, the data convert  107  converts the file “Image  5 ”  321  into bitmap data at operation S 230  and converts the bitmap data into data that is compatible with the “E-mailing” task  317  at operation S 240 . 
     Alternatively, the data converter  107  can convert the data of the selected file  321  directly into data that is compatible with the selected task  317  at operation S 240 . For example, if the selected file is a bitmap file, the data convert  107  can convert the selected bitmap file into data that is compatible with the “E-mailing” task  317  at operation S 240 . 
     One of the units of the image forming apparatus  100 , such as one of the printing unit  111 , the fax unit  113 , the e-mail unit  115 , the scan unit  117 , and the photocopying unit  119  executes the selected task  317  with respect to the file converted through the operations S 230  and S 240  at operation S 250 . 
     In another example, referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , if a user wants to print a file “Image  3 ” (see  FIG. 3 ) that has been created by scanning a certain document and stored in the storage unit  105 , the user selects the “Printing” task  311  and the file “Image  3 ” from the lists displayed on the user interface  300  at operation S 210 . The file “Image  3 ” is a scanned image file and may be a Jpeg, Tiff, or BMP file. However, the printing task  311  may require files compressed in a HCT format, a Jbig format, and an LZW format, which are not identical to the format of the file “Image  3 ” (operation S 220 : N). Therefore, the data converter  107  converts the data of the file “Image  3 ” into bitmap data at operation S 230  (unless the file “Image  3 ” is already a bitmap file) and converts the bitmap data into data that is compatible with the “Printing” task  311  at operation S 240 . The printing unit  111  executes the “Printing” task  311  with respect to the converted file “Image  3 ” under the control of the controller  123  at operation S 250 . 
     In still another example, referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a user may want to send a file “Image  7 ” by facsimile that has been created by scanning a certain document and stored in the storage unit  105 . The icon “FAX  1 ”  313  can include a fax number ‘xxxx-xxxx-xxxx’ and a resolution of 200 dpi, and the icon “FAX  2 ”  315  can include a fax number ‘yyyy-yyyy-yyyy’ and a resolution 300 dpi. The user may select the facsimile sending task “FAX  2 ”  315  and the file “Image  7 ” from the lists displayed on the user interface  300  at operation S 210 . The file “Image  7 ” is a scanned image file, and thus is typically stored in a Jpeg format, a Tiff format, or a BMP format. However, the facsimile sending task may require files stored in an MMR compression format, an MR compression format, an MH compression format, or a Jbig compression format, none of which are identical to the format of the file “Image  7 ” (operation S 220 : N). Therefore, the data converter  107  converts the data of the file “‘Image  7 ” into bitmap data at operation S 230  (unless the data of the file “‘Image  7 ” is already bitmap data) and converts the bitmap data into data that is compatible with the facsimile sending task at operation S 240 . The fax unit  113  executes the facsimile sending task with respect to the converted file “Image  7 ” under the control of the controller  123  at operation S 250 . 
     In another embodiment of the present general inventive concept, a host to control the image forming apparatus  100  may perform the operations S 200  and S 210 . Embodiments in which a host performs operations S 200  and S 210  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a system including a host  400  and an image forming apparatus  100 , according to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept, and  FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a user interface of the host  400  of  FIG. 4 , according to another embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     The host  400  to control the image forming apparatus  100  may include an input unit  410 , a display unit  420 , a storage unit  430 , a communication interface  440 , and a controller  450 . 
     The display unit  420  displays a user interface, such as the user interface illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     A user selects an image forming apparatus  500  to execute a task, such as printing, facsimile sending, and e-mailing, using the input unit  410 . The selected image forming apparatus  500  may be the image forming apparatus  100  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     The host  400  requests the image forming apparatus  100  to send a list of tasks  510  and a list of files  520  through the communication interface  440  under the control of the controller  450 . 
     The display unit  420  displays the list of tasks  510  received from the image forming apparatus  100  through the communication interface  440  and executable by the image forming apparatus  100  and the list of files  520  stored in the image forming apparatus  100  under the control of the controller  450 . The display unit  420  can display icons representing the list of tasks  510  such that a user can easily select a task to be executed. 
     The user selects the task to be executed from the list of tasks  510  and selects a file from the list of files  520  that is an object of the selected task, using the input unit  410 . For example, if a user wants to send the file “Image  5 ”, which has been received via facsimile and stored, via e-mail as an attachment thereto, the user selects an “E-mailing” task  511  and a file “Image  5 ”  521 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     A user may select an OK button  530 , and the controller  450  then transmits the selected task  511  and the file  521  to the image forming apparatus  100  through the communication interface  440 . 
     The image forming apparatus  100  performs the operations from S 220  to S 250  (see  FIG. 2 ) after receiving the selected task  511  and the file  521 . 
     The storage unit  430  of the host  400  may temporarily store data created during the operation of the host  400  under the control of the controller  450 . For example, the storage unit  430  may temporarily store the list of tasks  510  and the list of files  520  received from the image forming apparatus through the communication interface  440 . 
     According to embodiments of the present general inventive concept, a format of a file stored in an image forming apparatus can be automatically converted into data that is compatible with a task a user wants to execute so that the task can be directly executed. 
     Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.