Patent ID: 7894088

Claim:
An image-inputting apparatus into which an image is inputted, comprising: an information receiving section that receives a first item of information; a decision section that makes a determination as to whether the first item of information should be permitted to use the image-inputting apparatus, the determination being made based on the first item of information inputted into the image-inputting apparatus and a second item of information that has been registered previously in the image-inputting apparatus; an operation mode storing section that holds a selected operation mode; a determination storing section that holds information on whether said decision section has made the determination; and a transmitter that transmits the first item of information to an image-outputting apparatus; wherein the image-inputting apparatus outputs the image to the image-outputting apparatus in accordance with the determination made by said decision section and a reply received from the image-outputting apparatus in response to transmission of the first item of information; wherein the image-inputting apparatus outputs the image to the image-outputting apparatus in accordance with the determination and the selected operation and a reply received from the image-outputting apparatus in response to transmission of the first item of information; wherein only when the information held in the determination storing section indicates that said decision section has not made the determination yet, said image-inputting apparatus prompts inputting of the first item of information for said decision section to make the determination; wherein when said decision section has made the determination, the determination storing section holds information indicative that said decision section has made the determination; and wherein when the image-inputting apparatus receives a reply from the image-outputting apparatus in response to transmission of the first item of information, the determination storing section is cleared prior to selection of another operation mode.