A service use support device used for receiving a plurality of services, includes a hardware processor that: acquires one or more of target images to be processed; selects a preferred service from among the plurality of services for each of the one or more of target images on the basis of a degree at which each attribute satisfies a condition set for each of the plurality of services; and transfers each of the one or more of target images to a provider that provides each preferred service.

A printing control apparatus performs a layout processing that generates print data on which data of products and data of a work instruction sheet are laid out based on information on first post-processing performed for a plurality of printout sheets that are printed using the generated print data, and instructs a printer to print the generated print data on the plurality of printout sheets. In the layout processing, the data of the products and the data of the work instruction sheet are laid out based on an order that the products and the work instruction sheet are discharged from the first post-processing, so that the work instruction sheet discharged from the first post-processing is output on the products discharged from the first post-processing in a piled state as the results of performing the first post-processing for the plurality of printout sheets on which the generated print data is printed.

Described herein is a multi-user retail photo kiosk system that includes multiple touch screen and Graphic User Interface (GUI) controlled consumer photo editing, photo print and product selection, and photo order placement terminals and multiple photo printers. The user photo kiosk terminals can receive images. Billing and payment is accomplished using barcoded receipts provided at the user terminal for payments for purchased photo products. A printer array incorporating various printers capable of producing prints or various sizes and formats can be configured as a horizontal counter or as a vertical tower and includes means to alert the user that their photo print order is complete. In addition, the system automatically notifies operators if equipment service, maintenance, media refilling, and/or post printing finishing procedures are required.

An image print proposal device, method, and program capable of proposing an image print suitable to be decorated in a wall of a room to a user are provided. An image print proposal device includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of a room captured by a user, a selection unit that selects an image corresponding to an image print suitable for an image print to be decorated in the room from among images in a group registered in advance or images in a group possessed by the user on the basis of the acquired image of the room, and an image processing unit and a display functioning as a proposal unit that proposes the selected image to the user as an image corresponding to the image print to be decorated in the room.

Provided is a device management apparatus that performs accurate billing processing. A billing-management unit, based on billing-counter information having cumulative data received from a device, updates registered information in a billing-management table that includes updated data that is updated based on the cumulative data; and a system-control unit, based on comparison results of comparing the cumulative data and the updated data, controls updating of registered information in the billing-management table by the billing-information-management unit. By comparing cumulative data received from a MFP and updated data registered in a billing-management table, a system-control unit can determine whether or not a problem has occurred in cumulative data received from a MFP. As a result, even when for some reason a problem occurs in cumulative data received from a MFP, updated data in which a problem has not occurred can be managed.

The invention relates to a method for operating a printing system for printing out images and/or documents and to a printing system for carrying out the method, the printing system having at least one printing module with a printer, an operator interface and a computer. A machine-readable code is read in by means of a camera of the printing module to release a print order previously transmitted.

Based on pixel information of a target image selected from a plurality of images, an information processing apparatus specifies whether the target image is to be used for an album, and sets a template based on a condition for creating the album. The information processing apparatus places on the set template the target image to be used for the album according to the specifying.

A photo album in which images having a high priority for a user are laid out in the order of photographing date and time is created without putting a load on the user. To achieve this, photographing date and time information on the plurality of images and reliability information indicating reliability of the photographing date and time information are obtained, scoring is performed on each of the plurality of images by analyzing, and images to be laid out on a template are selected in descending order of obtained scores from a plurality of images. Furthermore, after laying out the selected images on the template according to the order of photographing date and time, a message is notified to the user in a case where the laid out images include an image having a low reliability of the photographing date and time information.

An information processing apparatus includes a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver receives an image associated with attribute information. When detecting a use of the image, the transmitter transmits information related to the use of the image. In a further modification of the invention, the image may be an image corresponding to an object.

Provided is a device management apparatus that performs accurate billing processing. A billing-management unit, based on billing-counter information having cumulative data received from a device, updates registered information in a billing-management table that includes updated data that is updated based on the cumulative data; and a system-control unit, based on comparison results of comparing the cumulative data and the updated data, controls updating of registered information in the billing-management table by the billing-information-management unit. By comparing cumulative data received from a MFP and updated data registered in a billing-management table, a system-control unit can determine whether or not a problem has occurred in cumulative data received from a MFP. As a result, even when for some reason a problem occurs in cumulative data received from a MFP, updated data in which a problem has not occurred can be managed.