Patent ID: 7327483

Claim:
A document reading device, comprising: a reading system which reads a document and generates image data corresponding to an image formed on the document; an attachment system to which an external memory is attached detachably; a memory detection system which detects whether the external memory is attached to the attachment system; a storing system which stores the image data generated by the reading system in the external memory; and a control system which controls the operation of the reading system and the storing system based on information that is supplied from the memory detection system, wherein the control system interrupts the image data storing to the external memory by the storing system if the memory detection system detects removal of the external memory from the attachment system after the reading system starts the document reading, wherein the control system controls the storing system to carry out a predetermined operation based on information stored in the external memory if the memory detection system detected reattachment of the external memory to the attachment system, and wherein the control system controls the reading system to interrupt the document reading and the image data generation when the image data storing by the storing system is interrupted.