Patent ID: 8274697

Claim:
A multifunction system having plural processing functions, comprising: a printing apparatus having a printing unit that prints a combined image on a prescribed recording medium, the combined image being formed by combining an image based on image information with an output-restriction image selected from a group of output-restriction images having different shapes, each of the output-restriction images being assigned permission/prohibition information with regard to each of the plural processing functions and one of the output-restriction images having a particular shape; an image reading unit that reads, according to a reading instruction, the combined image printed on said prescribed recording medium; an image analyzer unit that analyzes the output-restriction image included in the combined image read out by said image reading unit; and an output determination unit that determines, on the basis of an analyzed result generated by said image analyzer unit, whether the image based on the image information can be output with respect to each of the plural processing functions, and a storage unit for storing output-restriction images in correspondence with permission/prohibition indicators of an output-restriction schedule, wherein each of the plural processing functions is selectively restricted based on the output-restriction image included in the combined image, and wherein the output determination unit obtains the permission/prohibition indicator corresponding to the analyzed output-restriction image to determine whether output is permitted and, if the analyzed output-restriction image has the particular shape, the output determination unit also obtains the current time and date for comparison with an output-restriction time and date included in the permission/prohibition indicators corresponding to the output-restriction image having the particular shape.