Patent ID: 8164781

Claim:
An output system, comprising a requesting device that requests output based on output data, and an output device that performs output based on the output data in accordance with a request from the requesting device, wherein the requesting device comprises: a first communication unit for transmitting the output data to the output device, the output device comprises: reception means for receiving the output data and index information on the received output data; a format information database in which format information showing an output format of the output data has been recorded when the output data is transmitted to the output device, corresponding to index information, wherein the index information is information showing an event relating to the output data; index extraction means for extracting at least one piece of index information from the format information database; a second communication unit for transmitting the pieces of index information thus extracted to the requesting device, format extraction means for extracting the format information corresponding to the received index information, from the format information database; and output execution means for performing output based on the output data, in an output format shown by the extracted format information; the requesting device further comprises: an output unit for outputting the at least one piece of index information thus received; and an entry unit for receiving a designation of a piece of index information from the at least one piece of index information thus outputted, wherein; the first communication unit transmits the piece of index information that has received designation, to the output device, and wherein the reception means included in the output device receives the piece of index information that receives designation, as the index information.