Patent ID: 7389414

Claim:
An imaging system that forms an image represented by image data transmitted from an external device on a recording sheet, said imaging system comprising: an authentication data storage that stores a plurality of pieces of authentication data to be used for performing connection authentication with each of a plurality of communication devices, on a link layer, the plurality of pieces of authentication data being stored in relationship to user IDs respectively representing owners of the plurality of communication devices; a reading system that reads out one of the plurality of pieces of the authentication data from said authentication data storage corresponding to a user ID if the user ID is transmitted from the external device, the user ID being related to the image data; a searching system that searches for a communication device with which a connection authentication is established using the one of the plurality of pieces of the authentication data read out by said reading system within a predetermined communication area with respect to the imaging system; an image forming device that forms an image represented by the image data transmitted in relationship to the user ID from the external device when the communication device with which the connection authentication is established is detected by said searching system; a judging system that judges whether a predetermined command is transmitted from the external device in relationship to the image data, the predetermined command indicating that an authentication is required when the image data is printed; and a controller that inhibits operation of said reading system, said searching system and said image forming system when the predetermined command is not transmitted in relationship to the image data, said controller controlling said image forming system to immediately start forming an image represented by the image data on the recording sheet if the predetermined command is not transmitted in relationship to the image data.