Patent ID: 8054477

Claim:
An image reading apparatus that is connectable with more than one image forming apparatuses and able to configure a copy system together with the image forming apparatuses connected thereto; the image reading apparatus comprising: an image reading unit that reads an original document to generate image data, an acquiring unit that acquires information about the image forming apparatuses; an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction to shift to a copy mode or to a scan mode; an instruction transmitting unit that transmits a releasing instruction to release a power saving state to each of a plurality of selectable image forming apparatuses based on the acquired information, when the instruction receiving unit receives the instruction to shift to the copy mode wherein the plurality of selectable image forming apparatuses include all currently inactive printers having sufficient physical capabilities to support the generated image data; and a selecting unit that selects an image forming apparatus to be used in the copy mode, to which the image data generated by the image reading unit is to be transmitted, after the releasing instruction has been transmitted, wherein the instruction transmitting unit transmits a power saving instruction to each of the image forming apparatuses other than the selected image forming apparatus from among the image forming apparatuses to which the releasing instruction to release the power saving state has been transmitted by the instruction transmitting unit, to cause the image forming apparatuses to shift to the power saving state, the power saving instruction being transmitted at the time the selected image forming apparatus is selected, and when the instructing receiving unit receives the instruction to shift from the copy mode to the scan mode, the instruction transmitting unit transmits the power saving instruction to the image forming apparatus to which the releasing instruction has been transmitted during the copy mode, to instruct to shift to the power saving state.