Patent ID: 8264718

Claim:
An image-processing apparatus connected to a plurality of image-processing apparatuses through a network, said image-processing apparatus comprising: a user data storing unit to store user data associating user identification information for identifying each of a plurality of users with apparatus identification information for identifying at least one of said plurality of image-processing apparatuses; a storing device to store image data; a designation unit to receive a designation of an arbitrary destination user as a receiver of data; a job attribute information generating unit to generate job attribute information including, at least, apparatus identification information of an apparatus from among said plurality of image-processing apparatuses, in which apparatus, image data for said destination user is stored, and user identification information for said destination user; a job attribute information storing unit to cause an image-processing apparatus specified by apparatus identification information associated by said user data with user identification information for said destination user designated by said designation unit to store said job attribute information; a storing unit to store the data in said storing device so as to enable reading of the data by an operation by said destination user designated by said designation unit; and a control unit to execute a predetermined action with respect to said destination user designated by said designation unit when no reading operation for the data is executed by said destination user after a predetermined elapse of time from storing the data in said storing device said predetermined action including one of: (a) an action to transmit the data stored in said storing device to said destination user designated by said designation unit; (b) an action to transmit, to said destination user designated by said designation unit, demand information for demanding a reading operation for the data; and (c) an output action using an image-processing apparatus to which said destination user designated by said unit belongs.