Example implementations relate to print zone coordination. For example, a system for print zone coordination may include a plurality of printing zones, and a plurality of fibers, each fiber among the plurality of fibers assigned to a different printing zone among the plurality of printing zones. The system may further include a threading coordination system to coordinate a print job through the plurality of printing zones using the plurality of fibers.

An image forming apparatus used for an image forming system that outputs a job in a plurality of image forming apparatuses in a distributed manner, the image forming apparatus including: a communication unit that communicates with other image forming apparatuses; and a control unit that controls the communication and a distributed output of the job and includes state information on the plurality of the image forming apparatuses. The control unit determines, according to the states of each of the image forming apparatuses, the image forming apparatus for printing of a reference test chart on a transfer medium, the test chart being used as a reference for an image formation adjustment in each of the image forming apparatuses.

A network system including a customer replaceable unit (CRU) having an excellent security function for operation information which system can realize improvement of the use efficiency of operation information for making the CRU operate, and reduction in costs, is provided. An apparatus main body of a multifunction printer, a server, a personal computer, etc. are connected to a network of a network system, and a CRU is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be detachable. Operation information necessary for making the CRU operate is stored in the server. The apparatus main body obtains operation information of the CRU from the server via the network and stores the obtained operation information into a buffer memory, and causes the CRU to operate based on the operation information. The operation information stored in the buffer memory is erased when communication between the apparatus main body and the CRU ends.

Example implementations relate to print zone coordination. For example, a system for print zone coordination may include a plurality of printing zones, and a plurality of fibers, each fiber among the plurality of fibers assigned to a different printing zone among the plurality of printing zones. The system may further include a threading coordination system to coordinate a print job through the plurality of printing zones using the plurality of fibers.

An image forming apparatus includes: a print processing portion that executes print jobs transmitted from a plurality of information processing apparatuses, according to a predetermined execution order; a human detecting portion that detects a presence of a human within a predetermined specific range from the image forming apparatus; a job identifying portion that identifies, from the print jobs, a first print job that corresponds to the human detected by the human detecting portion; a job detecting portion that detects, from the print jobs, a presence of a second print job that was transmitted from any of one or more second information processing apparatuses that have been grouped into the same group as a first information processing apparatus that is a transmission source of the first print job identified by the job identifying portion; and a notification processing portion that notifies the presence of the detected second print job.

When a first image forming apparatus 1 cannot perform printing based on a print instruction from a user, the first image forming apparatus 1 (a1) makes a substitution printing request to a second image forming apparatus 2 and (a2) receives a temporary authentication ID from this second image forming apparatus 2 and notifies the user of it if the user is not managed by an authentication server 4 that manages this second image forming apparatus 2. If the user is not managed by the authentication server 4 and not authenticated when receiving the substitution printing request, the second image forming apparatus 2 (b1) requests the authentication server 4 to issue the authentication ID, (b2) receives the authentication ID and notifies the apparatus 1 of it, and (b3) receives a user inputted authentication ID and performs the printing if the inputted authentication ID is identical to the received one.

A network system including a customer replaceable unit (CRU) having an excellent security function for operation information which system can realize improvement of the use efficiency of operation information for making the CRU operate, and reduction in costs, is provided. An apparatus main body of a multifunction printer, a server, a personal computer, etc. are connected to a network of a network system, and a CRU is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be detachable. Operation information necessary for making the CRU operate is stored in the server. The apparatus main body obtains operation information of the CRU from the server via the network and stores the obtained operation information into a buffer memory, and causes the CRU to operate based on the operation information. The operation information stored in the buffer memory is erased when communication between the apparatus main body and the CRU ends.

A network system including a customer replaceable unit (CRU) having an excellent security function for operation information which system can realize improvement of the use efficiency of operation information for making the CRU operate, and reduction in costs, is provided. An apparatus main body of a multifunction printer, a server, a personal computer, etc. are connected to a network of a network system, and a CRU is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be detachable. Operation information necessary for making the CRU operate is stored in the server. The apparatus main body obtains operation information of the CRU from the server via the network and stores the obtained operation information into a buffer memory, and causes the CRU to operate based on the operation information. The operation information stored in the buffer memory is erased when communication between the apparatus main body and the CRU ends.

A remote maintenance system includes: one or more image forming apparatuses; a server; and a terminal, the one or more image forming apparatuses each notify, when the image forming apparatus itself executes printing, the server of print information, the print information at least including print start time, print end time, and the number of printed sheets, the server stores, when being notified of the print information, the print information in a management database, analyzes a usage status of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the print information, and stores the analysis result in the management database, and acquires the analysis result of the usage status of the image forming apparatus to be maintained at the time of scheduled maintenance and failure of any of the one or more image forming apparatuses, attaches the analysis result to the notification, and sends the notification to the terminal.

An image forming apparatus includes: a print processing portion that executes print jobs transmitted from a plurality of information processing apparatuses, according to a predetermined execution order; a human detecting portion that detects a presence of a human within a predetermined specific range from the image forming apparatus; a job identifying portion that identifies, from the print jobs, a first print job that corresponds to the human detected by the human detecting portion; a job detecting portion that detects, from the print jobs, a presence of a second print job that was transmitted from any of one or more second information processing apparatuses that have been grouped into the same group as a first information processing apparatus that is a transmission source of the first print job identified by the job identifying portion; and a notification processing portion that notifies the presence of the detected second print job.