Patent ID: 8125673

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a connection part for enabling an external memory apparatus to be connected thereto; a data retrieval part for retrieving output target data stored in the external memory apparatus connected to the connection part; an output part for outputting output target data retrieved from the external memory apparatus; a data writing part for writing saving target data into the external memory apparatus connected to the connection part; a document scanning part for scanning a document; a document detector for detecting whether or not the document is set on a document loading portion of the document scanning part; an external memory apparatus detector for detecting whether or not the external memory apparatus is connected to the connection part; a determination part which automatically determines that a mode of a job intended for execution is a first mode in which output target data stored in the external memory apparatus is retrieved and outputted in a case that the document detector detects no document on the document loading portion and that the external memory apparatus detector detects that the external memory apparatus is connected to the connection part, and automatically determines that the mode of the job intended for execution is a second mode in which saving target data is written and saved into the external memory apparatus in a case that the document detector detects a document on the document loading portion and that the external memory apparatus detector detects that the external memory apparatus is connected to the connection part; and a mode setting part for, based on a result of the determination made by the determination part, setting either one of the first mode and the second mode as the mode of the job intended for execution.