Patent ID: 8817302
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: G06F,G06K

Abstract:
1. A printing system including an image forming apparatus and a print server, said print server comprising: a registration portion configured to register said image forming apparatus; a spool portion configured to, in the case where a set of print data and user identification information is received from the outside, store said received set of print data and user identification information into a server-side storing portion; a virtual data transmitting portion configured to, in response to an event that said set of print data and user identification information is stored into said server-side storing portion, transmit virtual data to said registered image forming apparatus, the virtual data including at least print data identification information for identifying said stored print data and said user identification information making a pair with said stored print data; and a print data transmitting portion configured to, in response to an event that an acquisition request including said print data identification information is received from said registered image forming apparatus, in the case where print data specified by said print data identification information is stored in said server-side storing portion, transmit the print data to said image forming apparatus that issued said acquisition request, said registered image forming apparatus comprising: an authentication portion configured to authenticate a user; a print data receiving portion configured to receive print data from the outside; an image forming portion configured to form an image of print data received from the outside; a distribution control portion configured to, in the case where print data is received from the outside, cause said image forming portion to form an image of said received print data, and, in the case where a set of print data and user identification information is received from the outside, store said received set of print data and user identification information into an authenticated printing data storing portion, while prohibiting said image forming portion from forming an image of said received print data, and further, in the case where said virtual data is received from said print server, store the received virtual data into said authenticated printing data storing portion; an authenticated printing portion configured to, in response to an event that a user is authenticated by said authentication portion, cause said image forming portion to form an image of print data that is stored in said authenticated printing data storing portion at the time of the authentication of the user by said authentication portion and that makes a pair with the user identification information of said authenticated user; and an acquisition request transmitting portion configured to, in the case where said virtual data including the user identification information of said authenticated user is stored in said authenticated printing data storing portion at the time of the authentication of the user by said authentication portion, transmit an acquisition request including the print data identification information included in the virtual data to said print server.