Patent ID: 7228339

Claim:
An information output method for outputting predetermined data through a network, the network comprising: a storage server for storing predetermined data, the storage server having a first authentication section which permits first registered users to use the storage server; a portable output request terminal for a user to transmit an output request via the network of the predetermined data stored in the storage server; a remote print server for supplying print data relating to the predetermined data stored in the storage server when the user of the portable output request terminal transmits the output request to the storage server, the remote print server having a second authentication section which permits second registered users to use the remote print server; and a plurality of remote output terminals for outputting the predetermined data based on the print data from the remote print server; wherein the storage server is coupled to the remote print server via the network; wherein the storage server and the remote print server cooperate in sharing information relating to the first registered users and the second registered users, wherein the storage server and the remote print server maintain relation of association for a user identity of the user registered as the first registered user with a different user identity of the user registered as the second registered user; and the method comprising: performing a first authenticating, by the first authenticating section, which authenticates if the user is one of the first registered users after receiving the output request from the user via the portable output request terminal; permitting the user authenticated by the first authenticating section to access the remote print server without performing a second authenticating; sending the predetermined data that is requested by the user to the remote print server; performing the second authenticating, by the second authenticating section, which authenticates if the user is one of the second registered users; permitting the user authenticated by the second authenticating section to access the storage server without performing the first authenticating; and permitting the user authenticated by the second authenticating section to print the predetermined data sent as the print data from the remote print server through the one of the remote output terminals.