Patent ID: 8295482

Claim:
An image scanning system comprising: an image scanner: and a terminal device connected communicably with the image scanner, wherein the terminal device comprises: a storage unit configured to store an image encryption key for encrypting image data; a first communication unit configured to receive encrypted image data from the image scanner; and a controller configured to: accept a password; encrypt the image encryption key, stored in the storage unit, with the password; send the encrypted image encryption key to the image scanner; and decrypt the encrypted image data, received from the image scanner, using one of the image encryption key stored in the storage unit and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key, and wherein the image scanner comprises: a second communication unit configured to receive the encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device; a storage unit configured to store the encrypted image encryption key, received from the terminal device, in association with identification data for identifying the terminal device; an input unit configured to receive a password; a scanner unit configured to perform document scanning to create image data; and a processor configured to: decrypt the encrypted image encryption key with the password inputted through the input unit of the image scanner; encrypt the image data created by the scanner unit, using the decrypted image encryption key; and send the encrypted image data to the terminal device; wherein the processor of the image scanner is further configured to decrypt the encrypted image encryption key stored in the storage unit in association with the identification data before sending the encrypted image data to the terminal device.