Image forming apparatus with status control

An information processing apparatus includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores first information therein. The controller is configured to obtain from an external apparatus second information about a status of the information processing apparatus. The second information is held in the external apparatus. The controller then determines based on the second information whether the first information should be deleted from the memory in accordance with the second information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing system, and more particularly to a cloud printing system in which a client′sends a print job to a server, and the server sends the print job to a printer so that the printer prints the print job.

2. Description of the Related Art

Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-146465 discloses a conventional cloud printing system in which a client sends a print job to a server over the Internet, the server sends the print job to a printer over the Internet, and the printer prints the print job.

With such a conventional cloud printing system, even though the user deletes the identification information of the printer from the server, the identification information in the printer is left undeleted, so the user has to delete the identification information from the printer and server individually. This is rather inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was made in view of the above-described drawbacks.

An object of the invention is to provide a user-friendly information processing apparatus and information processing system.

An information processing apparatus includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores first information therein. The controller is configured to obtain from an external apparatus second information about a status of the information processing apparatus. The second information is held in the external apparatus. The controller then determines based on the second information whether the first information should be deleted from the memory in accordance with the second information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment

{Overall Configuration of Cloud Printing System}

FIG. 1illustrates a cloud printing system1that includes an image forming apparatus, e.g., a printer2, an administrator terminal4A, and a user terminal4B, which are connected to one another via the Internet NT.FIG. 2illustrates the outline of an identification information storing section47(memory). The printer2also includes a print engine or an image forming section17. The image forming section includes a photoconductive drum, a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit, which all cooperate with one another to perform an electrophotographic process.

The cloud printing server5includes a memory in which information about the printer2(second information) has been registered previously and the printer2may be specified as the destination of a print job. The print jobs are sent from the administrator terminal4A and the user terminal4B to the printer2via the Internet NT.

The administrator terminal4A takes the form of, for example, a personal computer (PC) or a mobile terminal. The administrator has authority to set the operation of the printer2, and operates the administrator terminal4A when the administrator uses “cloud printing”. Cloud printing is a printing service in which the printer2is accessed via the Internet NT. The administrator terminal4A permits the administrator to access the printer2via the Internet, so that the administrator can set the operating conditions, such as later described services, of the printer2in the cloud printing system1.

The administrator operates the administrator terminal4A to specify the printer2that has been registered with the cloud printing server5, and sends a print job to the cloud printing server5.

The user terminal4B takes the form of, for example, a PC or a mobile terminal, and is operated by the user who has not authority to manage the settings of the printer2in the cloud printing system. The user specifies the printer2previously registered with the cloud printing server5, and sends a print job to the cloud printing server5.

The administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B are the clients of the cloud printing server5, and have substantially the same configuration. In many cases, the administrator terminal4A, user terminal4B, and the printer2are located on the same floor of a building but may be located in remote buildings.

The cloud printing server5is assigned a host name “print.cloud.com” and the printer2is, assigned a host name “printer1.example.com”.

When the cloud printing server5receives a print job from the administrator terminal4A or the user terminal4B and stores the print job held in the print job queue in the memory52, the cloud printing server5sends a print job, addition notification to the printer2, the print job addition notification indicating that the print job has been added to the cloud printing server5.

After reception of the print job addition notification, the printer2receives the print job from the cloud printing server5, and performs printing of print data of the print job.

The printer2includes a controller10that centrally controls, for example, a memory12, a communication, section14and a human interface16. The controller10includes a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown), and reads programs from the memory12. The memory12may be implemented with a hard disk drive, a flash memory or the like. The controller10executes the programs read from the memory12to control various sections of the printer2, thereby performing a variety of processes including printing.

The communication section14communicates data with the administrator terminal4A, user terminal4B, and cloud printing server5over the Internet NT.

The human interface16includes an operation panel16A and a set of keys not shown. The operation panel16A includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays a variety of setting screens under control of the controller10, and a touch screen through which the user inputs a variety of selected settings through a corresponding setting screen. The LCD and touch screen are of the integral construction. The set of keys include a copy screen display key, a print screen display key, a scan screen display key, a facsimile screen display key, a start key, a stop/clear key, a power key, and numeric keys. The human interface16outputs commands to the controller10in response to the user operating the operation panel16A or the set of keys.

The memory12holds sources of web pages (referred to as apparatus web page) in the format of hyper markup language (HTML) to display a variety of settings for the printer2on the display units of the printer terminal4A and the user terminal4B. The memory12holds the apparatus webs that are to be displayed when accessed by the administrator terminal4A or the user terminal4B. The contents of the apparatus webs, are different for the administrator terminal4A and the user terminal4B, which have different levels of authority in setting the printer2.

The memory12has an identification information area47. The identification information area47holds a printer ID (first information) received from the cloud printing server5, the printer ID being a unique identification information indicative of the printer2in the cloud printing service. The printer2obtains the printer ID from the cloud printing server5, the printer ID being used when the printer2is used to print the cloud printing service. In the embodiment, the identification information area47holds the printer ID expressed by a string of characters, e.g., “printer1_example_com”, which is representative of the printer2.

The controller10includes a printing controller18, a print job receiving controller22, an identification information registering controller42, an identification information deleting controller44, and a monitor48(controller).

The printing controller18(image forming section) receives a print job from the cloud printing server5over the Internet NT, and prints the print data, which is contained in the print job, on a sheet-like print medium.

The print job receiving controller22obtains the print job from the cloud printing server5. The print job receiving controller22sends the received print job to the printing controller18, which in turn prints the print data.

Prior to using the cloud printing service, the identification information registering controller42sends an identification information registration request to the cloud printing server5when the operator operates the operation panel16A or the administrator operates the administrator terminal4A through the apparatus web page, thereby registering the printing ID with the cloud printing server5.

When logging off the cloud printing service, the identification information deleting controller44sends an identification information deletion request to the cloud printing server5in response to the user operation at the operation panel16A or the administrator's operation at the administrator terminal4A through the apparatus web page, thereby deleting the printer ID from the cloud printing server5.

The monitor48checks the cloud printing server5to determine whether the cloud printing server5holds the printer ID indicative of the printer2, thereby ensuring that the printer ID held in the identification information area47is currently valid.

{Configuration of Cloud Printing Server}

FIG. 3illustrates the configuration of the cloud server5. A controller50of the cloud printing server5centrally controls various sections including a memory52, a human interface56, a communication section54, and a display unit58. The controller50is implemented mainly with a CPU (not shown), which reads out programs from the memory52implemented with a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive or a flash memory, and executes the programs to control corresponding sections for performing a variety of processes.

The communication section54communicates the data with the printer2, the administrator terminal4A, and the user terminal4B over the Internet NT.

Upon reception of the identification information registration request from the printer2through the communication section54, the controller50issues the printer ID and sends the issued the printer ID to the printer2through the communication section54.

The controller50registers the printer ID with a cloud printer list held in the memory52, the printer ID being associated with the account of the administrator of the printer2to which the printer ID is assigned. The cloud printer list holds printer IDs available in the cloud printing system1, different printer IDs being associated with different administrator accounts, a single printer ID for each account. For example, the administrator may perform a process in which the administrator and a user share the printer2, thereby authorizing the user to use the shared printer2.

Upon reception of the identification information deletion request from the printer2via the communication section54, the controller50deletes the printer ID indicative of the printer2from the cloud printer list.

The memory52holds a print job queue in which print jobs to be printed are queued for each printer to which a printer ID registered with the cloud printer list is assigned.

The human interface56includes, for example, a key board and a mouse, and receives commands from the operator. The display unit58includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and displays the image data received from the controller50.

{Configuration of Administrator Terminal and User Terminal}

FIGS. 4A and 4Billustrate the configuration of the administrator terminal.4A and user terminal4B, respectively. The administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B are substantially identical and therefore only the administrator terminal4A will be described below.

As shown inFIG. 4A, the controller60A of the administrator terminal4A centrally controls the respective sections including a memory62A, a human interface66A, a communication section64A, and a display unit68A. The controller60A is implemented primarily with a central processing unit (CPU), which reads respective programs from the memory62A. The memory62A takes the form of a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, or a flash memory, to perform various processes.

The communication section64A communicates data with the printer2and the user terminal4B over the Internet NT. The memory62A holds a variety of print jobs. The controller60reads a print job from the memory62A, and specifies a printer before sending the print job to the cloud printing server5.

The human interface66A is implemented with, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and receives the commands from the administrator. The display unit68A is implemented with, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and display image data of an apparatus web page of the printer2received from the controller60A.

Just like the administrator terminal4A, the controller60B of the user terminal4B centrally controls the respective sections including a memory62B, a human interface66B, a communication section64B, an a display Unit68B.

Assume that the administrator wants to print a document.FIG. 5Ais a block diagram illustrating the flow of a print job and the signals associated with the print job.FIG. 5Bis a flowchart illustrating the specific printing process of the print job. With reference toFIGS. 5A and 5B, a description will be given of the printing process performed by the printer2.

Referring toFIG. 5A, the administrator operates the operation panel16A or the apparatus web page displayed on the display unit68A to send the identification information registration request to the cloud printing server5, thereby registering the printer2with the cloud printing server5. The administrator actually sends a printer ID. The administrator also sends a print job to the cloud printing server5. The controller50of the cloud printing server5then registers the printer ID with the cloud printer list held in the memory52. The controller50also adds the print job to the print job queue. The cloud printing server5then sends the print job, the print job addition notification, and the printer ID of the printer2(i.e., a command to register the printer ID) to the printer2. Upon reception of the print job and the command to register the printer ID, the controller10of the printer2reads the printing program from the memory12, and executes the printing program to perform a printing process RT1shown inFIG. 5B.

At S1, the identification information registering controller42of the controller10obtains the printer ID for the printer2from the cloud printing server5, and stores the printer ID in the identification information area47.

At S2, the print job receiving controller22of the controller10makes a decision to determine whether a print job to be printed by the printer2is present in the print job queue in the cloud printing server5. If the answer is NO, it follows that no print job is present in the print job queue.

At S2, if the answer is YES, it follows that a print job is present in the print job queue. The process proceeds to S3where the controller10obtains the print job from the print job queue.

At S4, the controller10drives the printing controller18to print the obtained print job, and then completes the printing process RT1.

FIG. 6is a sequence chart illustrating a printing sequence process RT2. With reference to the sequence chart shown inFIG. 6, a description will be given of the printing sequence process RT2performed by the cloud printing system1. The sequence will be described in terms of the communication between the printer2and the cloud printing server5.

At SP11, the controller10of the printer2drives the identification information registering controller42to send an identification information registration request to the cloud printing server5. Specifically, the identification information registering controller42sends a GET command to “http://print.cloud.com/register”, which is the universal resource locator (URL) of the cloud printing server5connected on the Internet NT.

Upon reception of the identification information registration request, the controller50issues at SP12a printer ID for the printer2, “printer1_example_com,” and registers the printer ID with the cloud printer list held in the memory52. At SP13, the controller50sends an identification information registration response. Specifically, the controller50sends out “200 OK” indicative of the normal response and the printer ID “printer1_example_com” to the printer2.

Upon reception of the identification information registration response through the identification information registering controller42, the controller10of the printer2stores the obtained printer ID into the identification information area47at SP14. At SP15, the print job receiving controller22sends a print job confirmation request (second information request) to the cloud printing server5. Specifically, the identification information registering controller42sends a GET command to “http://print.cloud.com/fetch?id=printer1_example_com” which is a URL of the print job queue for the printer2held in the cloud printing server5connected on the Internet NT.

At S15, the print job receiving controller22of the controller10sends out the print job confirmation request to inquire of the cloud printing server5, whether a print job is present in the print job queue, the print job confirmation request being sent until the print job receiving controller22obtains a print job from the cloud printing server5. In other words, SP11-SP14are performed only when the printer2is registered with the cloud printing server5, and thereafter the print job confirmation request is sent out at regular intervals or when the user commands so that steps15-19are performed.

Upon reception of the print job confirmation request, the controller50of the cloud printing server5sends the print job confirmation response to the printer2at SP16if a print job is present in the print job queue for the printer held in the memory52. Specifically, the controller50sends “200 OK” indicative of a normal response and “http://print.cloud.com/printer1_example_com/image.pdf” to the printer2. If no print job is present in the print job queue, the controller50sends “200 OK” and a “null” indicating that no print job is present to the printer2.

Upon reception of the print job confirmation request, the print job receiving controller22of the controller10of the printer2sends a print job obtaining request to the cloud printing server5at SP17. Specifically, the print job receiving controller22sends a GET command to http://print.cloud.com/printer1_example_com/image.pdf”, which is the URL from which the print job is obtained.

Upon reception of the print job obtaining request, the controller50of the loud printing server5sends a print job obtaining response to the printer2at SP18. Specifically, when the print job receiving controller22of the printer2receives the print job obtaining request, the controller50sends to the printer2“200 OK” indicative of the normal response and “image.pdf”, which is the data of the print job. At SP19, the printing controller18drives the image forming section17to print the print job.

FIG. 7is a flowchart illustrating an identification information confirming process RT3. With reference toFIG. 7, a description will be given of the specific identification information confirming process RT3performed by the printer2. Upon power-up of of the printer2, the controller10reads an identification information confirming program from the memory12, and executes the program, thereby starting an identification information confirming process RT3.

At S21, the controller10drives the monitor48to inquire whether the cloud printer list of the cloud printing server5holds the printer ID for the printer2.

At S21, if the answer is YES, it follows that the cloud printer list of the cloud printing server5still holds the printer ID indicative of the printer2. Thus, the process ends.

At S21, if the answer is NO, it follows that the cloud printer list does not hold the printer ID for the printer2. Thus, the process proceeds to S22where the controller10waits a predetermined period of time, and then proceeds to S23.

At S23, the controller10again makes a decision as to whether the cloud printer list in the cloud printing server5holds the printer ID for the printer2.

At S23, if the answer is YES, it follows that the cloud printer list holds the printer ID at S23though the cloud printer list did not hold the printer ID at S21. Thus, the identification information confirming, process RT3ends.

At S23, if the answer is NO, it follows that the cloud printer list does not hold the printer ID at both S21and S23. Thus, the process proceeds to S24.

At S24, the controller10drives the monitor48to delete the “printer1_example_com,” which is the printer ID for the printer2, from the identification information area47. The process RT3then ends.

{When Server holds Printer ID}

FIG. 8illustrates an identification information confirming process RT4in which the printer2successfully confirms through a single inquiry that the printer ID for the printer2has been registered with the cloud printing server5. With reference to the sequence chart inFIG. 8, a description will be given of the identification information confirming process RT4when the identification information can be confirmed.

At SP31, the controller10of the printer2drives the monitor48to send an identification information registration confirming request to the cloud printing server5. Specifically, the monitor48sends a GET command to http://print.cloud.com/printer?id=printer1_example_com,” which is a URL in which the printer ID for the printer2is associated with the URL of the cloud printer list held in the cloud printing server5connected to the Internet NT.

Upon reception of the identification information registration confirming request, the controller50of the cloud printing server5checks the cloud printer list held in the memory52, thereby determining that the printer ID for the printer2has been registered with the cloud printer list. The controller50then sends an identification information registration confirming response to the printer2at SP32. Specifically, the controller50sends “200 OK” indicative of the normal response and “printer1_example_com” which is the printer ID for the printer2. Thus, the controller10of the printer2does not drive the monitor48to delete the printer ID from the identification information area47.

{When Server Holds No Printer ID}

FIG. 9is a sequence chart illustrating an identification information confirming process RT5in which the printer2does not successfully confirm through a single inquiry that the printer ID for the printer2has been registered with the cloud printing server5. With reference toFIG. 9, a description will be given of the identification information confirming process RT5when the identification information cannot be confirmed.

At SP41, the controller10of the printer2drives the monitor48to send an identification information registration confirming request to the cloud printing server5. Specifically, the monitor48sends a GET command to http://print.cloud.com/printer?id=printer1_example_com,” which is a URL in which the printer ID for the printer2is associated with the URL of the cloud printer list held in the cloud printing server5connected to the Internet NT.

Upon reception of the identification information registration confirming request, the controller50of the cloud printing server5checks the cloud printer list held in the memory52, thereby determining that the printer ID for the printer2has not been registered with the cloud printer list. At SP42, the controller50sends an identification information non-registration confirming response to the printer2. Specifically, the controller50sends to the printer “400 ERROR” indicating that the identification information has not been registered with the cloud printing list.

Upon reception of “400 ERROR” or the identification information non-registration confirming response, the controller10of the printer2waits a predetermined period of time. At SP43, the controller10again sends the identification information registration confirming request to the cloud printing server5. In other words, the controller10sends the identification information registration confirming request if the controller10does not receive within a prior of time the identification information registration confirming request.

Upon reception of the identification information registration confirming request, the controller50of the cloud printing server5checks the cloud printer list held in the memory52, thereby determining that the cloud printer list does not hold the printer ID for the printer2. At SP44, the controller50again sends “400 ERROR.”

Upon reception of the “400 ERROR”, the controller10of the printer2drives the monitor48to delete “printer1_example_com,” which is the printer ID for the printer2, from the identification information area47.

As described above, upon reception of the identification information non-registration confirming response indicating that the identification information has not been registered, the controller10of the printer2waits a predetermined period of time, and again inquires of the cloud printing server5whether the printer ID has been registered. In other words, when the controller10receives the identification information non-registration confirming response two consecutive times, the controller10determines that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID. In this way, the printer2can confirm with improved reliability that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID for the printer2.

With the configuration described above, the printer2inquires of the cloud printing server5whether the printer ID has been registered with the cloud printing server5. If it is determined that the printer ID has not been registered, the printer ID is deleted from the identification information area47.

In this manner, the cloud printing system1is configured such that once the user deletes the printer ID held in the cloud printing server5, the printer ID held in the printer2is automatically deleted without intervention of the user, thereby relieving the user of the problem of deleting the printer ID from the printer2explicitly.

Conventionally, when the administrator operates the administrator terminal4A to delete the printer ID for the printer2from the cloud printing server5, the cloud printing server5does not notify the printer2of the deletion of the printer ID. Therefore, the printer2may inquire of the cloud printing server5despite the fact that a print job cannot be received from the cloud printing server5due to the deletion of the printer ID from the cloud printer list.

In contrast, the embodiment enables the printer2to inquire of the Cloud printer list whether the printer ID has been deleted from the cloud printer list. Therefore, when the printer ID has been deleted from the cloud printer list, the printer2is prevented from making unnecessary inquiries of the cloud printing server5. This prevents the printer2from performing unnecessary operations.

The above-described configuration includes the following.

(1) The printer2has the memory12that stores the printer ID (first information), which is received from the cloud printer server5and is the same printer ID stored in the cloud printing server5.

(2) The controller10of the printer2drives the monitor48to send the identification information registration confirming request to the cloud printing server5, inquiring whether the printer ID has been registered with the cloud printing server5. In accordance with whether the printer ID for the printer2is present or absent in the cloud printing server5, the monitor48of the printer2decides whether the printer ID should be deleted from the memory12.

(3) The memory52of the cloud printing server5stores the status of the printer2.

(4) The cloud printing server5includes the controller50that sends a response to the printer2, the response indicating the status of the printer2held in the memory52.

This configuration prevents the printer ID from being left in the printer2when the printer ID is deleted from the cloud printing server5.

The present invention prevents a problem of a cloud printing system that someone who bought such an old, used printer or a secondhand printer may maliciously use the ID left in the printer.

Modifications

The above embodiment has been described in the context of the printer2that receives the identification information non-registration confirming response two consecutive times from the cloud printing server5, the identification information non-registration confirming response indicating that the identification information has not been registered with the cloud printing server5, two consecutive times. Alternatively, it may be determined that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID when the printer2receives identification information non-registration confirming response only one time or three consecutive times or more.

If the printer2receives the identification information non-registration confirming response a predetermined period of time or longer after the printer2has sent out the identification information non-registration confirming request, the identification information non-registration confirming response may be less reliable due to errors occurred in the network. Thus, the identification information registration confirming request may be sent again.

The cloud printing system1may also be configured as follows: Assume that the cloud printing system1is configured such that the printer2determines that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID if the printer2receives the identification information non-registration confirming response two consecutive times. When the printer2has, received the identification information non-registration confirming response a predetermined period of time or longer after the printer2has sent out the identification information registration confirming request, the printer2determines that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID, only after the identification information non-registration confirming response has been received three or four consecutive times. In other words, the cloud printing system1may be configured such that the user is allowed to preset the number of times the identification information non-registration confirming response should be received before it is determined that the cloud printing server5does not hold the printer ID.

The above embodiment has been described in terms of an exemplary case in which when the printer2is turned on, the printer2makes an inquiry as to whether the printer ID for the printer2is present in the cloud printing server5(FIG. 7). The present invention is not limited to this configuration, and may be modified such that the printer2makes inquiries at regular intervals.

In response to the user's operation at the user terminal4B, the printer2may inquire of the cloud printing server5as to whether the cloud printing server5holds the printer ID. The configuration enables the user to check whether the printer ID is actually present in the cloud printing server5, if the printer2does not print the print job despite the fact that the user has registered the print job to be printed by the printer2with the cloud printing server5. Alternatively, the system may be configured to determine that the printer ID has been registered in the cloud printing server5if the printer2receives the identification information non-registration confirming response from the cloud printing server5a predetermined number of consecutive times.

The present invention may be modified such that when the printer ID is deleted from the cloud printing server5, the display panel16A displays the deletion of the printer ID to the user.

The embodiment has been described in the context of deletion of the printer ID identifying the printer2from the identification information area47. The invention is not limited to this and may be applied to deletion of a variety of items of information including the URL of the cloud printing server5and information required for authenticating the cloud printing server5when the printer2is connected to the cloud printing system1.

The printing system1may also be configured such that the administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B inquire of the cloud printing server5as to whether information about the administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B are held in the cloud printing server5. If the information about the administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B has been deleted, the information held in the administrator terminal4A and user terminal4B is also deleted.

The present invention may be applied to an exemplary case in which an information processing apparatus inquires of an external apparatus and the information is then deleted from the information processing apparatus if the response from the external apparatus indicates that the information has been deleted from the external apparatus.

The embodiment has been described with respect to a single printer connected to the Internet NT. The invention is not limited to this and more than one printer may be connected to the Internet NT, in which case different printers are assigned different printer IDs, which are registered with the cloud printer list held in the memory52in the cloud printing server5.

The embodiment has been described in terms of a single administrator terminal4A and a single user terminal4B which are connected to the Internet NT. The invention is not limited to this and a predetermined number of user terminals4B and administrator terminals4A may be connected to the Internet NT.

The embodiment has been described in terms of the administrator terminal4A separate from the user terminal4B. Instead, the administrator terminal4A and the user terminal4B may be implemented with a single terminal so that different apparatus web pages appear on a display unit for the administrator and the user.

The embodiment has been described with respect to an exemplary case in which the printer2, user terminal4B, administrator terminal4A, and cloud printing server5are connected on the Internet NT. The present invention is not limited to this. The printer2, user terminal4B, administrator terminal4A, and cloud printing server5may also be connected via a variety of communication means including USB cables, cable LAN, or wireless LANs that conform to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) 802. 3u/ab or IEEE802.11a/b/g/n.

The embodiment has been described with respect to the cloud printing system1in which the printer2prints the print jobs received from the clients, i.e., the administrator terminal4aor the user terminal4B over the Internet NT. The invention may also be applicable to a system in which a server receives a variety of content data over the internet NT from the clients and a predetermined piece of equipment downloads the data from the server.

The embodiment has been described in terms of a printer. The present invention may also be applicable to various types of equipment including copying machines, multi-function peripherals, and FAX machines.

In the embodiment, the printer as an information processing apparatus includes the memory12and the monitor48. Instead, the information processing apparatus may be configured using another type of memory means and the monitoring means.

In the embodiment, the cloud printing system1as an information processing system includes the printer2as an information processing apparatus that includes the memory12and monitor48, and a cloud printing server5as a server that includes the memory52and the controller50. The present invention may be applied to an image forming system that includes an information processing apparatus that includes a memory and a monitor of various types and a server that includes a server memory and a controller.

The present invention may be applied to a variety of types of electronic equipment including computers that sends printing jobs to printers, image scanners, facsimile machines, and copying machines that perform various processes on image data.