Patent ID: 7051281

Claim:
A remote control method for controlling a remotely controllable apparatus from an external device connected to the remotely controllable apparatus, wherein the apparatus has a control panel for specifying a processing operation and a reader for reading an image of a document, and which is operated in accordance with an indication from the control panel and/or an externally supplied command, said method comprising the steps of: detecting that the document has been set to the reader before said reader starts a reading operation of the document; in response to detecting the document, causing the external device to display a virtual control panel without any user's instruction after the detecting of the document, the virtual control panel for user interaction to cause the user to instruct the reader to perform a reading operation of the document, with the virtual control panel having an appearance identical with or similar to at least part of the control panel; generating a command of the remotely controllable apparatus corresponding to an operation of the virtual control panel by the user; and supplying the generated command to the remotely controllable apparatus for causing to start the reading operation of the detected document based on the instruction through the virtual control panel by the user.