Patent ID: 8250209

Claim:
An image forming system that is to be operated on a communication network, comprising: an image forming apparatus that is coupled to the communication network; and a managing apparatus that is coupled to the communication network so as to manage the image forming apparatus; wherein a communication mode between the managing apparatus and the image forming apparatus can be set at either a bilateral communication mode, in which the managing apparatus and the image forming apparatus can bilaterally communicate with each other through the communication network, or a unilateral communication mode, in which only the image forming apparatus can unilaterally communicate with the managing apparatus through the communication network, while in an initial communication state, the communication mode is set at the bilateral communication mode; and wherein the image forming apparatus is provided with: a monitoring section to monitor whether or not it is possible to receive a request sent from the managing apparatus; and a first controlling section to conduct such controlling operations that, when the monitoring section determines that it is impossible to receive the request sent from the managing apparatus in the bilateral communication mode currently set, the first controlling section changes the communication mode from the bilateral communication mode to the unilateral communication mode and unilaterally transmits transmission data representing a predetermined content at a predetermined timing to the managing apparatus, and then, when the monitoring section determines that it becomes possible to receive the request, the first controlling section changes the communication mode from the unilateral communication mode to the bilateral communication mode so as to transmit a response to the request back to the managing apparatus; and wherein the managing apparatus is provided with: a second controlling section to conduct such controlling operations that, when it is impossible to transmit the request to the image forming apparatus, or when it is impossible to receive the response to the request, sent from the image forming apparatus, the second controlling section suspends an operation for transmitting the request, and then, when it becomes possible to receive the response to the request, the second controlling section resumes the operation for transmitting the request.