An information processing system in which an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus are connected and in which remote support of the image forming apparatus is performed from the information processing apparatus. The image forming apparatus connects to a telephone network to perform a call with the information processing apparatus, determines whether or not the call is by a predetermined connection, and, upon determining that the call is by the predetermined connection, switches communication with the information processing apparatus to a call in accordance with HTTP media.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the virtualization, aggregation, and distributed processing of facsimile communications. The Remote FAX Interconnect known as etherFAX is a system and method that allows for the reception and delivery of information based on cloud computing infrastructure to or from one or more facsimile systems using Internet/web based communication protocols such as HTTP(S) as the transport between a facsimile capable application or hardware and the remotely accessible etherFAX services.

Embodiments of systems and methods for the sending, delivery and receiving of faxes according to particular protocols are disclosed. Certain embodiments may receive a fax from a sender and determine if the ability exists to send the fax over a computer based network according to a particular protocol. If there is no destination associated with the fax number for the protocol the fax may be sent according to the fax number. If, however, there is a destination for the protocol associated with the fax number an attempt is made to send the fax to the destination according to the protocol.

An image recording apparatus, including: a housing; an image recording portion held by the housing; a control board having a mounting face and disposed in the housing such that the mounting face extends along a perpendicular plane perpendicular to a height direction, a control circuit for controlling the image recording portion being provided on the control board; and a communication board having a mounting face and disposed in the housing such that the mounting face extends along the perpendicular plane, such that the communication board is distant from the control board in a direction along the perpendicular plane, and such that the communication board is located within a height range ranging to the control board from a distal end of a highest one of mounted components mounted on the control board, an interface circuit to be connected to a telephone line being provided on the communication board.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the virtualization, aggregation, and distributed processing of facsimile communications. The Remote FAX Interconnect known as etherFAX is a system and method that allows for the reception and delivery of information based on cloud computing infrastructure to or from one or more facsimile systems using Internet/web based communication protocols such as HTTP(S) as the transport between a facsimile capable application or hardware and the remotely accessible etherFAX services.

An information processing system in which an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus are connected and in which remote support of the image forming apparatus is performed from the information processing apparatus. The image forming apparatus connects to a telephone network to perform a call with the information processing apparatus, determines whether or not the call is by a predetermined connection, and, upon determining that the call is by the predetermined connection, switches communication with the information processing apparatus to a call in accordance with HTTP media.

An image forming apparatus forms a virtual image forming apparatus including plural mutually communicably connected image forming apparatuses including at least one functional image forming apparatus having a storage function of storing an image formation request including image information and serving as a master and at least one image forming apparatus serving as a slave. The image forming apparatus includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit transmits master information and first identification information to the at least one image forming apparatus serving as the slave. The master information indicates that the at least one functional image forming apparatus is the master. The first identification information identifies the master. The receiving unit receives second identification information that identifies the at least one image forming apparatus serving as the slave.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the virtualization, aggregation, and distributed processing of facsimile communications. The Remote FAX Interconnect known as etherFAX is a system and method that allows for the reception and delivery of information based on cloud computing infrastructure to or from one or more facsimile systems using Internet/web based communication protocols such as HTTP(S) as the transport between a facsimile capable application or hardware and the remotely accessible etherFAX services.

A method and system are provided for forwarding telephone calls, facsimile transmissions and electronic messages to a single forwarding telephone number. The telephone calls, fax transmissions and electronic messages are first forwarded to a central forwarding repository by the forwarding party where the fax transmissions, and messages are converted to audio formats. Forwarded telephone calls and audio formatted versions of the fax transmissions and electronic messages are then forwarded directly to a designated forwarding number. If the forwarding party answers at the forwarding number, she will receive forwarded calls, and the audio formatted versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages will be played to her over her telephone. If the forwarding party does not answer the forwarded call, she subsequently may retrieve saved telephone calls, saved telephone messages and saved audio versions of fax transmissions and electronic messages from the central forwarding repository.

The present invention provides systems and methods for the virtualization, aggregation, and distributed processing of facsimile communications. The Remote FAX Interconnect known as etherFAX is a system and method that allows for the reception and delivery of information based on cloud computing infrastructure to or from one or more facsimile systems using Internet/web based communication protocols such as HTTP(S) as the transport between a facsimile capable application or hardware and the remotely accessible etherFAX services.