Patent ID: 8299890

Claim:
A power management system comprising: an entry control apparatus for controlling a user's access to at least one particular area; an image forming apparatus placed in said particular area; a usage management apparatus for managing use permission of each user for said image forming apparatus, and a server apparatus for storing a location state of the each user input by the user, the location state indicating whether the user's leaving the at least one particular area is temporary, wherein said entry control apparatus includes: a first reader unit placed near an entrance of said particular area to read identification information of the user; and a state management unit to retain a presence state of each user in said particular area and to update said presence state of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said first reader unit, said image forming apparatus includes: a second reader unit to read said identification information of the user; an inquiry unit to inquire of said usage management apparatus for the use permission of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said second reader unit; and a manipulation enabling unit to enable acceptance of user manipulation when said usage management apparatus permits the user to use, and said usage management apparatus includes: a state obtaining unit to obtain said presence state of each user, permitted to use said image forming apparatus, from said entry control apparatus; a location obtaining unit to obtain, from said server apparatus, said location state of the each user; and a transition unit to cause said image forming apparatus to make a transition to a lower power consumption mode in which power consumption becomes less, when, with respect to all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus, the obtained presence state indicates that all of the users exist outside said particular area and the obtained location state indicates that all of the users' leaving is not temporary.