A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data.

An area separation unit 22 determines a character in an input image on the basis of image data of the input image. The filter processing unit 23 performs a filter process for a character edge area of a character in an input image, and the color conversion unit 24 performs a color conversion process for a pixel in the character edge area in accordance with a color conversion characteristic that (a) is different from a color conversion characteristic for a pixel other than a pixel in the character edge area and (b) compensates a color error due to the filter process.

A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data.

An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.

An image forming apparatus capable of preventing compatibility with an extension application from being impaired. The image forming apparatus installs an operation program of an extension application therein, and includes a VM (Virtual Machine) that executes a bytecoded program generated based on the operation program. The bytecoded program is generated by converting the operation program to bytecode. The operation program and the bytecoded program are written into a package, and the package is stored in a storage of the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.

An image forming apparatus obtains an interrupt execution instruction of an image forming job, the interrupt execution instruction including image data and execution information, suspends a prior image forming job being executed by using a first memory area, generates printable data by applying the execution information to image data of the suspended prior image forming job, writes the generated printable data in a second memory area, deletes the prior image forming job from the first memory area to free the first memory area, executes an interrupt image forming job of the interrupt execution instruction by using the first memory area, the prior image forming job having been deleted from the first memory area, and retrieves the printable data written in the second memory area and forms an image by using the retrieved printable data to execute the suspended prior image forming job.

An image processing system includes: an image processing apparatus; an instruction server configured to transmit instruction information to the image processing apparatus via a router having a firewall function; and a session server configured to set up a session between the image processing apparatus and the instruction server. The image processing apparatus is configured to switch, in a case where the state of the image processing apparatus is a power saving state when a time specified by a transmission interval elapses from transmission of a connection confirmation packet for the session with the instruction server, to a state in which at least the connection confirmation packet can be transmitted.

An area separation unit 22 determines a character in an input image on the basis of image data of the input image. The filter processing unit 23 performs a filter process for a character edge area of a character in an input image, and the color conversion unit 24 performs a color conversion process for a pixel in the character edge area in accordance with a color conversion characteristic that (a) is different from a color conversion characteristic for a pixel other than a pixel in the character edge area and (b) compensates a color error due to the filter process.

When a user changes a setting of a hold job that includes a stapleless binding process setting, a print control apparatus determines whether the number of sheets to be printed when the setting change is applied is equal to or less than the upper-limit number of sheets that can be bound in the stapleless binding process. The print control apparatus inquires whether the user wants to change the staple setting to a staple binding process or cancel the setting change in a case where it is determined that the number of sheets to be printed is greater than the upper-limit number of sheets.