Patent ID: 8351059

Claim:
An image processing apparatus configured to connect to an image input apparatus through a network, the apparatus comprising: an image data obtaining device configured to store image data sent from the image input apparatus through the network in a specific storage area and to store sender identification information for identifying the image input apparatus in association with the obtained image data; an authorization management data storage device configured to store authorization management data that associates registered sender identification information for identifying a registered image input apparatus and authorization information indicating whether the registered image input apparatus is an authorized sender; an entry controller device configured to monitor the specific storage area to detect whether the image data is stored in the specific storage area, to determine whether the image input apparatus is the authorized sender by referring to the authorization information of the registered image input apparatus that matches the sender identification information of the image input apparatus to generate a determination result when storing of the image data in the specific storage area is detected, and to enter the image data for further processing according to the determination result indicating that the image input apparatus is the authorized sender; and a flow controller device configured to obtain flow data defining a sequence of one or more processes, and to apply the sequence of one or more processes to the entered image data according to the flow data.