Patent ID: 8023139

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for transmitting input image data to another image processing apparatus and causing said other image processing apparatus to process the image data, the image processing apparatus being connected to an information processing apparatus for managing restriction information for each user, comprising: an input unit configured to input authentication information to specify a user; a first transmission unit configured to transmit a request to acquire first restriction information about the user in using the image processing apparatus in accordance with input by said input unit, wherein the first transmission unit transmits the request to acquire the first restriction information to the information processing apparatus; a second transmission unit configured to transmit a request to acquire second restriction information about the user in using said other image processing apparatus in accordance with input by said input unit, wherein the second transmission unit transmits the request to acquire the second restriction information to the other image processing apparatus; a control unit configured to complete login of the user to the image processing apparatus in accordance with acquisition of the first restriction information regardless of acquisition of the second restriction information; a first reception unit configured to receive the first restriction information from the information processing apparatus; a second reception unit configured to receive the second restriction information from the other image processing apparatus; a determination unit configured to determine whether the image processing apparatus holds the first restriction information; a unit configured to increment a value representing a reference count of the first restriction information by one when said determination unit determines that the image processing apparatus holds the first restriction information, or when the first reception unit receives the first restriction information; a unit configured to decrement the value representing the reference count by one when a logout instruction is received from the user; a second determination unit configured to determine, upon receiving the logout instruction from the user, whether the value representing the reference count is 0; and a deletion unit configured to delete the held first restriction information or the first restriction information received by the first reception unit when the second determination unit determines that the value representing the reference count is 0.