A communication device includes a first holding unit which holds a disk-like first recording medium capable of storing information and a second holding unit which holds a second recording medium which is different from the first recording medium. The communication device further includes a request reception unit configured to receive a request for information indicating a recording medium which is usable by the communication device from a terminal device, and a transmission unit configured to transmit information indicating the first recording medium and information indicating the second recording medium held by the second holding unit to the terminal device when the request is received.

An information processing apparatus which is capable of, when hang-up occurs, eliminating the hang-up state and restoring to a normal state without bothering a user. A first power supply unit supplies power to predetermined devices among a plurality of devices, and a second power supply unit supplies power to the plurality of devices. When startup is done with power being supplied to the predetermined devices, software is started by supplying power to all of the plurality of devices. When the second power supply unit is turned on during the startup, whether or not the software has been normally started is determined. When the software has not been normally started, the software is restarted by carrying out an off-on process in which the plurality of devices are reset, the second power supply unit is turned off, and then the second power supply unit is turned on again.

An image forming apparatus includes a display device that displays an input screen image and a touch-panel arranged on the display device, and has a trial copy function of producing, when instructed to produce multiple copies of a document, a copy or a copies to allow the user to confirm that the copy or copies are well. When the trial copy function is designated and a copy start key displayed on the input screen image is pressed, the image forming apparatus produces one copy or copies of the document, erases the copy start key from the input screen image, and displays a trial copy key, a trial end key and a balloon including help information. Since keys related to the trial copy are displayed in place of normally displayed keys, operation errors can be reduced and the user can easily execute the trial copy function.

A printing apparatus includes a printer to form an image on a printing medium by using a color material and to output the printing medium on which the image is formed, a printing controller to control the printer and to store data relating to the printer, a power controller to control supply of power to the printer and the printing controller, and a main controller connected with the printing controller so as to be capable of communication. In accordance with a predetermined request, the power controller performs control so as to suspend supply of power to the printer, the main controller starts acquisition of the data stored by the printing controller, and the power controller performs control so as to suspend supply of power to the printing controller after the main controller completes acquisition of the data.

In one example of the disclosure, for each of a plurality of printers of a printer fleet, identification data indicative of marking agent cartridges installed is obtained via a network. The identification data is caused to be stored in association with a fleet identifier for the printer fleet. A request for fleet installation information with respect to a first marking agent cartridge is received from a computing device. It is determined, based upon the identification data, whether a first marking agent cartridge was previously installed at a printer of the printer fleet. Determination data indicative of the determination is sent to the computing device.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that when a mobile terminal and image forming apparatus are used in combination, causes an operation to be performed by operating only one side. The image forming apparatus is used by being connected to a mobile terminal provided with a terminal side touch panel display. The communicating unit communicates with the mobile terminal and exchanges data. The apparatus side touch panel display is used for self operation of the image forming apparatus. The control unit, via the communicating unit, receives terminal side image data as content that is displayed on the terminal side touch panel display of the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal side, transmits apparatus side operation data corresponding to the content operated by a user on the apparatus side touch panel display to the mobile terminal side, and causes an application in the mobile terminal to be executed using the apparatus side operation data.

An image display operation device includes a function selecting portion to correlate with a plurality of functions so as to be executable, a display portion to display the function selecting portion, and a display control portion that causes the display portion to display the function selecting portion. The function selecting portion includes a first function selecting portion in which selectable function items are displayed, and a second function selecting portion in which other function items that are selectable in conjunction with functions included in the first function selecting portion are displayed. When one or more functions included in the first function selecting portion are selected, the display control portion changes function items to be displayed on the second function selecting portion, based on contents of the one or more functions selected on the first function selecting portion.

An image forming method and apparatus, and a host in which the image forming method includes setting a processing order of a plurality of operations of a same image data and detailed setup information of the plurality of operations, and executing the plurality of operations using the detailed setup information according to the set processing order.

An information processing apparatus includes a calculation unit that calculates a charge for a service used by a user based on a charge schedule, and a changing unit that, when a period starts, changes the charge schedule from a first charge schedule to a second charge schedule of at least one second charge schedule, and that, when the period ends, changes the charge schedule from the second charge schedule to the first charge schedule.

A control unit includes a touch panel display capable of presenting preview display of multiple pages of document images in a scrollable manner on the display panel. The touch panel display controller includes: a commanded position detecting controller that detects a commanded position relative to one of document images being a reference in the preview image displayed on a display panel; a preview layout direction switching controller that switches the layout direction in the preview image in accordance with the commanded position; and a scroll direction switching controller that switches the scrolling direction in the preview image in accordance with the detected commanded position.