Patent ID: 8102573

Claim:
An image-reading apparatus for reading image data from an original source and outputting the image data to a destination comprising: an image reading unit operable to read the image data from the original source; an image-data storing unit operable to store the read image data in a predetermined file format; a history storing unit storing an output history table, the output history table operable to indicate for each image data a plurality of destination addresses and a particular file format, from among a plurality of different file formats, corresponding to each of the destination addresses; an output-instruction receiving unit operable to receive an output instruction including specification information specifying a particular file format from among a plurality of different available file formats that is to be used for outputting the stored image data; a deciding unit operable to decide which file format from among the plurality of different available file formats will be used for outputting the stored image data by referring to the particular file format associated with a destination address in the output history table; a converting unit operable to convert the stored image data in the image-data storing unit into any of the available file formats decided by the deciding unit; and an output unit operable to output the converted image data to the destination, wherein the read image data stored in the image-data storing unit is configured to be repeatedly converted into any of the available file formats without the image reading unit reading the image data again from the original source.