Patent ID: 8023137

Claim:
A document scanning method, comprising the steps of: (a) connecting an extended user interface device to an image forming apparatus, the extended user interface device having an extended operation panel, the image forming apparatus having an operation panel and a scanner with an auto sheet feeder; (b) sending a scan request to the image forming apparatus by the extended user interface device, the scan request corresponding to an instruction received by the extended operation panel; (c) generating respective pieces of image data corresponding to document images scanned by the scanner according to either the scan request or respective first instructions received by the operation panel of the image forming apparatus after the scan request, and sending the pieces of the image data and scan end information to the extended user interface device, the scan end information corresponding to a second instruction received by the operation panel of the image forming apparatus; and (d) receiving the pieces of image data and the scan end information by the extended user interface device, and determining that pieces of the image data received until the scan end information is received are image data of one scan job.