Provided is an image forming system that simply and securely protects printed matter that is not so important, but that the user does not wish others to view. An external apparatus receives a simple-security setting for image data for which there is a printing instruction, includes the simple-security setting in the printing instruction, and transmits the printing instruction to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus, when a simple-security setting is included, adds a mark image to the image data for which there is a printing instruction, and prints the image data. A projector, by an imaging unit, captures an image of the discharge tray, and when a mark image is detected, generates a projection image on which a security image is arranged, and projects the projection image toward the discharge tray.

An instruction position specifying unit which specifies a position of an indicator, a target detecting unit which detects a mark of a medium, an instruction reception unit which receives an instruction corresponding to a position which is indicated by a user using the indicator based on the detected mark, and a processing unit which performs a process corresponding to the received instruction are included.

An information processing apparatus for processing an image includes circuitry unit and a communication interface. The circuitry acquires identification information to identify a set of one or more objects to be imaged by an imaging device according to a predetermined imaging sequence. The communication interface transmits at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device in association with the identification information, to a management device.

An image forming apparatus prints a template sheet. The template sheet includes a graphical code and operation boxes. The graphical code includes information corresponding to a storage location address that stores information about settings for one or more image forming apparatuses. A user indicates what information is desired or to be changed on the image forming apparatus, marks it on the template sheet and scans the template sheet. Based on the instructions on the template sheet, information for settings is retrieved for an apparatus in a network. Maintenance information for the image forming apparatus also is retrieved using the template sheet and operation boxes.

Various approaches for providing textual information to an application, system, or service are disclosed. In particular, various embodiments enable a user to capture an image with a camera of a portable computing device. The computing device is capable of taking the image and processing it to recognize, identify, and/or isolate the text in order to forward the text to an application or function. The application or function can then utilize the text to perform an action in substantially real-time. The text may include an email, phone number, URL, an address, and the like and the application or function may be dialing the phone number, navigating to the URL, opening an address book to save contact information, displaying a map to show the address, and so on.

An image forming apparatus prints a template sheet. The template sheet includes a graphical code and operation boxes. The graphical code includes information corresponding to a storage location address that stores information about settings for one or more image forming apparatuses. A user indicates what information is desired or to be changed on the image forming apparatus, marks it on the template sheet and scans the template sheet. Based on the instructions on the template sheet, information for settings is retrieved for an apparatus in a network.

An image forming apparatus includes a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device storing a document digitization program, and a reading device that reads an image from an original document. The CPU executes the document digitization program to implement an image acquiring section, an added handwriting extracting section, and a document editing section. The image acquiring section acquires an image of a markup document, which is the original document modified by handwriting, using the reading device. The added handwriting extracting section extracts an added handwriting from the image of the markup document. The document editing section edits a raw original document, which is the original document without the modification, according to a modification instruction given through the added handwriting to generate a digitized document. The document editing section alters a position of at least some of characters and graphics included in the raw original document to generate the digitized document.

A method is disclosed. For example, the method executed by a processor of a multi-function device (MFD) includes generating an alignment image based on execution of a copy function while an alignment mark is attached to a continuous velocity transport (CVT) platen glass of a CVT of the MFD, determining a misalignment of an illumination profile area, a position of a sensor, and the CVT based on the alignment image, and providing a corrective action to perform an alignment of at least one of the illumination profile area, the position of the sensor, and the CVT via a display of the MFD.

An image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus which forms a predetermined identification mark on a recording medium and a reading apparatus which reads the identification mark formed on the recording medium, the image forming system including: a color information acquisition unit which acquires color information indicating a color of the recording medium; an identification mark color setting unit which sets a color of the identification mark to be formed on the recording medium by the image forming apparatus to a color distinguishable by the reading apparatus from the color indicated by the color information that is acquired by the color information acquisition unit; and an image forming control unit which controls the image forming apparatus to form the identification mark in the color set by the identification mark color setting unit on the recording medium.

This disclosure provides a method and system for navigating hard copies of web pages. According to one exemplary method, a hard copy of a web page is navigated by capturing with a mobile device an image of the hard copy, performing OCR on the captured image to identify the captured web page, accessing a database to retrieve a copy of the identified web page and displaying the retrieved copy of the identified web page along with active web page links on the mobile device.