Patent ID: 8804144

Claim:
A method to create a data file in a controller device connected to an image reading apparatus which reads an image formed on a recording medium and generates image data representing the image on basis of an instruction inputted in the image reading apparatus by a user, the data file containing the image data, comprising: receiving an event signal generated in the image reading apparatus based on the instruction inputted in the image reading apparatus; obtaining the image data generated in the image reading apparatus in accordance with the receipt of the event signal; judging whether the received event signal is a first event signal in the controller device; setting the controller device to operate in a predetermined operation mode, in which the controller device stands by for a sequential event signal, when judgment is made that the received event signal is a first event signal from the image reading apparatus, the sequential event signal being an event signal sequentially obtained from the first event signal and sequentially generated in the image reading apparatus, the sequential event signal including identifying information to identify the image reading apparatus which is an origin of the sequential event signal; storing the image data obtained from the image reading apparatus in accordance with the receipt of the first event signal in a storage area; creating a data file containing the image data stored in the storage area; judging, when the received event signal is a non-first event signal received from the image reading apparatus in the controller device operating in the predetermined operation mode, whether the received non-first event signal is the sequential event signal based on the identifying information included in the received first event signal and the identifying information included in the received non-first event signal; adding, when judgment is made that the received non-first event signal is the sequential event signal from the image reading apparatus, the image data obtained from the image reading apparatus in accordance with the receipt of the non-first event signal to the image data contained in the created data file and updating the created data file as a single multiple-paged data file containing the image data obtained in accordance with the receipt of the first event signal and the image data obtained in accordance with the receipt of the non-first event signal; activating a timer to measure a predetermined time period at a predetermined time point after the receipt of the event signal, the timer located in the controller device; and releasing the controller device from the predetermined operation mode when a terminating event occurs, wherein the terminating event occurs when the predetermined time period elapses whilst the controller device operates in the predetermined operation mode without receiving a new event signal.