Patent ID: 7096280

Claim:
A data output controller that is communicably connected, via a network, to a portable terminal that is possessed by a user and that issues a data print request, and a plurality of output terminals that is distributed and installed at various locations to print data, receives a data print request from the portable terminal, and outputs data regarding the data print request to the output terminals, the data output controller comprising: a storage device that stores output terminal information regarding the output terminals for each of the output terminals; a selecting device that selects one of the plurality of output terminals; a data format converting device that converts the output data into a format according to the output terminal information; and an output device that outputs the data regarding the data print request to the output terminal selected by the selecting device, the data print request including search data necessary for the selecting device to select the output terminal, and the selecting device retrieving output terminal information from the storage device on the basis of the search data contained in the data print request and on the basis of a capability of the data format converting device so as to select an output terminal considered to be the best suited for the user of the portable terminal to receive provided output data.