Patent ID: 9355342
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: G06K,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus configured to be coupled to a network, comprising: a box configured to store data, wherein the box corresponds to a user identification; a display unit; a box information storage unit configured to store a box information table; a usage amount count unit configured to count a usage amount for the user identification registered in the image forming apparatus; a threshold value storage unit configured to store a first threshold value associated with the usage amount; a comparison unit configured to determine whether or not the usage amount is equal to or larger than the threshold value; a box search unit configured to acquire, if i) a user having the user identification moves to a department in which the image forming apparatus is installed to use the image forming apparatus, ii) the usage amount corresponding to the user identification within the image forming apparatus that is currently being used is equal to or larger than the first threshold value and iii) the usage amount corresponding to the user identification within another image forming apparatus now used by the user less often coupled to the network is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, a box name serving as box identification information that defines the box corresponding to the user identification within the other image forming apparatus now used by the user less often coupled to the network; a user interface unit configured to display a list of the acquired box identification information on the display unit, wherein the box identification information can be selected from the list through the display unit; and a box migration unit configured to migrate, via the network, the data on the box within the other image forming apparatus specified by the selected box identification information to the box corresponding to the user identification within the image forming apparatus, wherein, if the comparison unit determines that the usage amount of the user is equal to or larger than the first threshold value, the comparison unit queries the other image forming apparatus whether or not the usage amount of the user on the other image forming apparatus is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value, wherein, if there is a positive reply indicating that the usage amount of the user on the other image forming apparatus is equal to or smaller than the second threshold value, a control is passed to the box search unit, wherein the box search unit refers to the box information table within the image forming apparatus to display, on the display unit via the user interface unit, the list including i) an image forming apparatus name, ii) a migration source box name serving as the box name for a migration source, and iii) a migration destination box name serving as the box name for a migration destination, wherein, if the same box name as the migration source box name exists in the box information table, the box search unit sets the migration destination box name to be the same as the migration source box name, wherein, if the same box name as the migration source box name does not exist in the box information table, the box search unit sets the migration destination box name to be a blank, wherein if the migration source box name and the migration destination box name are the same, the data on the box is migrated, wherein, if the migration destination box name is blank, the box and the data on the box are migrated, wherein the usage amount includes at least one of a total number of logins, a total number of printed sheets, and a total number of pieces of in-box data that corresponds to the user identification, and wherein the data on the box is migrated from the box of the other image forming apparatus now used by the user less often to the box of the image forming apparatus that is currently being used.