Patent ID: 7792927

Claim:
An output requesting apparatus that is connected via a network to an output apparatus and a position-management server that manages user-position information indicating a detected position of a user and apparatus-position information indicating a detected position of the output apparatus, the output requesting apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores therein data; a receiving unit that receives, from the position-management server, the user-position information, the apparatus-position information, and a map image that indicates an area where the output apparatus is installable; a display control unit that arranges on said map image a user symbol corresponding to the user and indicating the detected position of the user, an output device symbol corresponding to the output apparatus and indicating the detected position of the output apparatus, and a data symbol indicating the data in the map image, based on the user-position information and the apparatus-position information, and displays the map image on a display unit, wherein the display control unit causes the user symbol and the output device symbol to be displayed on the map image on said display unit, so that the relative positions of the user and the output apparatus become clear to a viewer; an input unit that receives selection input to select the user symbol, the output device symbol, and the data symbol in the map image; a transmitting unit that transmits, to the output apparatus corresponding to the output device symbol, an output command to output the data corresponding to the data symbol, and notification-destination information including identification information of the user corresponding to the user symbol, based on said selection input; and a reserving unit configured to generate reservation information indicating a reservation of the output command, wherein the reservation information includes identification information of the output apparatus and time information indicating a time to execute the output command, and the transmitting unit transmits reservation information indicating a reservation of the output command to the output apparatus.