A setting system for setting an operation screen in an electronic device has layout management information that manages a layout of the operation screen of the electronic device in association with information on the electronic device, and, according to a request for the layout by the electronic device, specifies the layout to be transmitted to the electronic device on the basis of the layout management information and transmits the layout to the electronic device.

A technique that guarantees update of a program of a finisher unit while preventing a malfunction thereof from being caused by erroneous attachment thereof to a printing apparatus. Hardware identification information is acquired from the finisher unit. When it is determined based on the acquired hardware identification information that the finisher unit is compatible with a program of the apparatus, program identification information is acquired from the optional unit, for determining based thereon whether a program of the finisher unit program is associated with the program of the printing apparatus. If the programs are associated with each other, the versions there are compared. If the versions are not compatible, the program of the finisher unit is updated to a version compatible with the version of the program of the printing apparatus.

An information processing apparatus includes a setting value input unit, a first memory, and a second memory. The setting value input unit displays a setting item selection screen for selecting a setting item for which a setting value is to be input, displays, in response to selection of a setting item on the setting item selection screen, a setting value input screen for inputting a setting value of the setting item, and receives a setting value. The first memory stores an additional program for implementing a newly added additional function. The second memory stores a plug-in program which is configured to be able to dynamically cooperate with a system program that controls the entire information processing apparatus and which contains information for inputting a setting value necessary to implement the additional function.

A device includes: a main body unit; and an operating unit configured to control operations of the main body unit, the operating unit including an acquirer configured to acquire first model information about a model of the device from the main body unit, a model information manager configured to manage the acquired first model information in a manner that maintains integrity thereof, a software information manager configured to manage software information that indicates a model for which software installed on the device is intended, a determiner configured to determine, prior to startup of the software, whether or not the software is intended for the model of the device based on the first model information and the software information, and a controller configured to perform a control operation that inhibits utilization of a function related to the software when the software is not intended for the model of the device.

A system and method for operating a printing device is disclosed. A connection is provided between a computing device and the printing device, wherein the printing device is configured with a software application. Instructions are executed on the computing device, which provide the software application on the computing device. The computing device receives at least one input in the software application on the computing device, and transmits to the printing device at least one command associated with the at least one input. The printing device operates in response to the at least one command substantially in the same manner as it operates in response to at least one second input received in the software application provided on the printing device. The at least one first input in the software application on the computing device corresponds to the at least one second input in the software application on the printing device.

In an image forming device, in a case where a storage medium is connected to an input output interface, and a storage medium stores import instruction information including a plurality of setting values, a controller imports a target value from the storage medium to a memory. The plurality of setting values is associated with respective ones of a plurality of pieces of device-specific information. The target value is a setting value selected from the plurality of setting values and is associated with a piece of device-specific information unique to the image forming device. Each of the plurality of setting values associated with respective ones of a plurality of pieces of device-specific information is for setting a prescribed parameter of a corresponding device. After the target value is imported, the controller operates according to the target value set for the prescribed parameter.

A print device may include a refill interface, a processor, and a computer readable medium. The refill interface may have an electrical interface for transmission and reception of signals between the print device and a refill container. And the computer-readable medium may have instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor are to cause the processor to fetch signals, via the electrical interface of the refill interface, from the refill container indicative of a licensed print functionality of the print device. The instructions may also be to enable the licensed print functionality on the print device responsive to the fetched signals and to maintain the licensed print functionality enabled subsequent to detachment of the refill container.

A control method of controlling an information processing apparatus includes displaying an image corresponding to one section of a plurality of sections of a predetermined operation for another apparatus, which is different from the information processing apparatus, in a predetermined display area, displaying a plurality of thumbnails corresponding to the plurality of sections, and in a case where a user selects a thumbnail from the plurality of thumbnails, controlling in such a manner that an image corresponding to a section of the plurality of sections corresponding to the selected thumbnail is displayed in the predetermined display area, wherein information that represents a section number of a corresponding section of the plurality of sections is added to the plurality of thumbnails.

An image processing apparatus includes a receiving unit, an executing unit, a log information generating unit, a holding unit, and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives and installs one or more program information items for executing a preset process. The executing unit executes the preset process on the basis of at least one of the installed one or more program information items. The log information generating unit generates log information regarding the preset process based on the one or more program information items executed by the executing unit. The holding unit holds a transmission destination of the log information in association with each of the one or more program information items. The transmitting unit transmits the log information to the transmission destination associated with the executed one or more program information items.

The image forming apparatus according aspects of the present disclosure includes an image processor, a storage, a network interface and a controller. The controller is configured to update, at the setting update time, setting data and update the setting update time in response to completion of update of the setting data. Further, the controller is configured to determine, at a connection start time when a connection between the network interface and a server is established, whether the connection start time is later than the setting update time, and, when the connection start time is later than the setting update time, update the setting data, otherwise not update the setting data.