Patent ID: 8861001

Claim:
An output control system comprising: an output apparatus; and an output control apparatus connected to the output apparatus through a network, wherein the output apparatus includes an output unit configured to output target data; and a state transmitting unit configured to transmit a use state of the output apparatus to the output control apparatus, the output control apparatus includes a state information storage unit configured to store therein state information in which unique apparatus identification information about the output apparatus and the use state are associated with each other; a data storage unit configured to store therein the target data; a use state management unit configured to receive the use state from the output apparatus and store the state information in which the received use state and the apparatus identification information are associated with each other in the state information storage unit; a data receiving unit configured to receive the target data, a designation of the output apparatus that is an output destination, and a request to output the target data to the designated output apparatus from a terminal apparatus; an output control unit configured to determine whether to store the target data received by the data receiving unit in the data storage unit or transmit the target data received by the data receiving unit to the designated output apparatus in response to the request, on the basis of whether or not the use state corresponding to the apparatus identification information about the designated output apparatus with reference to the state information is a state in which use authority is already given; and a data transmitting unit configured to transmit the target data and the request to the designated output apparatus when it is determined that the target data is to be transmitted to the designated output apparatus, and the output control unit stores the target data in the data storage unit when it is determined that the target data is to be stored in the data storage unit.