Patent ID: 8700849

Claim:
A storage device comprising: an input/output section configured to communicate with an electronic apparatus to which the storage device is connectable; a memory for storing data; a control section configured to access the memory based on an instruction from the electronic apparatus, the instruction being input to the input/output section; and a communication section configured to communicate with an external apparatus that is separate from the electronic apparatus, wherein, the instruction from the electronic apparatus includes an instruction that is a transmission instruction to transmit data from the memory to the external apparatus or a reception instruction to receive data into the memory from the external apparatus, based on the transmission instruction from the electronic apparatus, the control section causes data to be read from the memory and transmitted from the communication section to the external apparatus, based on the reception instruction from the electronic apparatus, the control section causes data to be received by the communication section from the external apparatus and written into the memory, and (i) upon a receipt of the transmission instruction from the electronic apparatus, the control section responsively inhibits the electronic apparatus from accessing the memory for a period during which data is read from the memory and transmitted to the external apparatus in response to the transmission instruction from the electronic apparatus, and (ii) upon a receipt of the reception instruction from the electronic apparatus, the control section responsively inhibits the electronic apparatus from accessing the memory for a period during which data is received from the external apparatus and written into the memory in response to the reception instruction from the electronic apparatus, and when the communication section receives communication data from the external apparatus without first receiving the reception instruction from the electronic apparatus to receive data into the memory from the external apparatus, the control section (i) responsively saves the communication data in the memory and transmits a notice to the electronic apparatus that notifies the electronic apparatus of the reception of the communication data from the external apparatus, and (ii) thereafter causes the received communication data to be transmitted from the input/output section to the electronic apparatus in response to a memory readout instruction received from the electronic apparatus in response to the notice.