Patent ID: 8559039
Filing Date: 2013-10-15
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus configured to be connected to one or more other image forming apparatuses through a network, comprising: a user information storing unit to store local image forming apparatus user information about the image forming apparatus; an apparatus information storing unit to store information indicative of the one or more other image forming apparatuses; a user information acquiring unit to acquire remote image forming apparatus user information from the one or more other image forming apparatuses indicated by the information stored in the apparatus information storing unit; a user information integration unit to merge the local image forming apparatus user information and the remote image forming apparatus user information to generate display-purpose user information to be displayed on a screen, and to transmit the local image forming apparatus user information to the one or more other image forming apparatuses with a request to generate display-purpose user information, wherein the user information includes account information in which a user ID to log in any one of the image forming apparatus and the one or more other image forming apparatuses and a setting value settable for each function of the any one of the image forming apparatus and the one or more other image forming apparatuses are registered according to each user of the image forming apparatus and the one or more other image forming apparatuses, and an apparatus coordination unit to perform a job by utilizing a function of the image forming apparatus and a function of at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses; and a selection receiving unit to receive information indicative of the at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses and information indicative of the function of the at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses.