Data communication apparatus, control method therefor, and program for implementing the method

1. A data communication apparatus comprising:

an acquiring device that acquires a key to be used for encryption;

a searching device that searches at least one encryption scheme corresponding to the key acquired by said acquiring device;

a setting device that sets a threshold value of a period of time required for the encryption;

a calculating device that calculates, based on a data size of a scanned image file to be transmitted, a period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file to be transmitted, the encryption of the scanned image file being performed by the encryption scheme searched out by said searching device;

a first determining device that determines whether or not the period of time calculated by said calculating device is shorter than the threshold value set by said setting device;

a display device that displays the encryption scheme together with the period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file as a selectable candidate when the period of time calculated by said calculating device is determined to be shorter than the threshold value;

a second determining device that determines the encryption scheme as the encryption scheme for encryption of the scanned image file to be transmitted when the selectable candidate is selected by a user; and

a transmission device that transmits the image file encrypted by the determined encryption scheme to the outside of the data communication apparatus, by using the key acquired by the acquiring device,

wherein the data communication apparatus is a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine that performs at least two functions selected from the group consisting of copying, printing, scanning, and faxing.

2. The data communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said acquiring device acquires a plurality of keys from a storage medium detachably attached to the data communication apparatus.

3. The data communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said searching device searches the encryption scheme corresponding to the acquired key from a group of encryption schemes including encryption schemes implemented by hardware.

4. The data communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said display device displays information including the encryption scheme, the period of time required for encryption, a size of the scanned image file, and cipher strength of the encryption scheme.

5. The data communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said display device displays at least the period of time required for encryption by one encryption scheme on one display screen and displays at least the period of time required for encryption by a next encryption scheme when no selecting operation is made on the information that is displayed.

6. The data communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said display device displays at least a list of periods of time required for encryption by a plurality of encryption schemes on one display screen.

7. A data communication method executed by a data communication apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring a key to be used for encryption with an acquiring device;

searching at least one encryption scheme corresponding to the key acquired by said acquiring device with a searching device;

setting a threshold value of a period of time required for the encryption with a setting device;

calculating, based on a data size of a scanned image file to be transmitted, a period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file to be transmitted, the encryption of the scanned image file being performed by the encryption scheme searched out by said searching device with a calculating device;

determining whether or not the period of time calculated by said calculating device is shorter than the threshold value set by said setting device;

displaying the encryption scheme together with the period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file as a selectable candidate on a display device when the period of time calculated by said calculating device is determined to be shorter than the threshold value;

determining the encryption scheme as the encryption scheme for encryption of the scanned image file when the selectable candidate is selected by a user; and

transmitting the image file encrypted by the determined encryption scheme to the outside of the data communication apparatus, by using the key acquired by the acquiring device,

wherein the data communication apparatus is a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine that performs at least two functions selected from the group consisting of copying, printing, scanning, and faxing.

8. The data communication method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said a plurality of keys are acquitted from a storage medium.

9. The data communication method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said the encryption scheme corresponding to the acquired key is searched from a group of encryption schemes including encryption schemes implemented by hardware.

10. The data communication method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein information including the encryption scheme, the period of time required for encryption, a size of the data to be transmitted, and cipher strength of the encryption scheme is displayed on the display device.

11. The data communication method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least a list of periods of time required for encryption by a plurality of encryption schemes are displayed on the display device.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, that when executed by a computer in a data communication apparatus causes the data communication apparatus to perform a data communication method, the data communication method comprising:

acquiring a key to be used for encryption with an acquiring device;

searching at least one encryption scheme corresponding to the key acquired by said acquiring device with a searching device;

setting a threshold value of a period of time required for the encryption with a setting device;

calculating, based on a data size of a scanned image file to be transmitted, a period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file to be transmitted, the encryption of the scanned image file being performed by the encryption scheme searched out by said searching device with a calculating device;

determining whether or not the period of time calculated by said calculating device is shorter than the threshold value set by said setting device;

displaying the encryption scheme together with the period of time required for encryption of the scanned image file as a selectable candidate on a display device when the period of time calculated by said calculating device is determined to be shorter than the threshold value; and

determining the encryption scheme as the encryption scheme for encryption of scanned image file to be transmitted when the selectable candidate is selected by a user,

wherein the data communication apparatus is a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine that performs at least two functions selected from the group consisting of copying, printing, scanning, and faxing.

13. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said a plurality of keys are acquitted from a storage medium.

14. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said the encryption scheme corresponding to the acquired key is searched from a group of encryption schemes including encryption schemes implemented by hardware.

15. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 , wherein information including the encryption scheme, the period of time required for encryption, a size of the scanned image file to be transmitted, and cipher strength of the encryption scheme is displayed on the display device.

16. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 , wherein at least a list of periods of time required for encryption by a plurality of encryption schemes are displayed on the display device.