Patent ID: 7246147

Claim:
A method of uploading image data, representing an image of a document, generated by scanning a hard copy of the document by an image scanning device in response to a request by a user at the image scanning device, the image data being uploaded to a file server connected to the image scanning device over a network, the method comprising: scanning a hard copy of the document by the image scanning device, and generating image data by the image scanning device based on the scanned document; the image scanning device obtaining user information, before the image scanning device scans the document, for identifying a user who manipulates the image scanning device from the user at the image scanning device; uploading, by the image scanning device, the generated image data from the image scanning device to an area in the file server corresponding to the obtained user information via the network; searching a Web server in the image scanning device for a Web page corresponding to the obtained user information; in a case where the searching step determines that a Web page corresponding to the obtained user information exists in the Web server of the image scanning device, the image scanning device retrieving the Web page and modifying the Web page by generating markup language data containing link information for accessing the image data uploaded to the file server and adding the generated markup language to the retrieved Web page; and in a case where the searching step determines that a Web page corresponding to the obtained user information does not exist in the Web server of the image scanning device, the image scanning device generating a Web page corresponding to the obtained user information, generating markup language data containing link information for accessing the image data uploaded to the file server, adding the generated markup language to the generated Web page, and storing the Web page in the Web server in correspondence to the obtained user information, wherein the uploaded image data is accessible via the network at a network computer, by using a Web browser, in response to re-entry of the obtained user information and to designation of the link information in the markup language data.