Patent ID: 7990551

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a communicating unit communicating with an external device; a recording unit storing an image data in a first format unavailable for browsing with the external device; an image processing unit performing image processing; a scanner unit configured to scan image data of an original; an image forming unit configured to form image on a recording medium on the basis of the image data of the original scanned by the scanner unit; and a control unit which converts the image data in the first format to a second format available for browsing with the external device in case that the control unit receives an information indicating that the image processing unit is available for performing the image processing, the control unit which transfers the image data in the first format to the external device in case the control unit receives an information indicating that the image processing unit is unavailable for performing the image processing and the control unit which converts, concerning image data stored in the recording unit after being scanned by the scanner unit to form an image in the image forming unit, the image data in the first format to the second format when a request signal for performing processing of the image data is received from the external apparatus.