An image forming apparatus is capable of receiving, from a first external device that stores first information, the first information being information for an operation in the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes: an external-device access controller configured to detect an access from the first external device and receive the first information; and a screen display configured to display an operating screen for accepting an action performed on the image forming apparatus based on the received first information.

An image forming apparatus 176 capable of easy log-in to a desired cloud service includes a print engine communicable with a cloud server 170 for printing a print job received from cloud server 170, a reader/writer 174 capable of proximity communication with a portable terminal 172, and a log-in executing device receiving log-in information to cloud server 170 from portable terminal 172 through reader/writer 174, for executing the log-in process to cloud server 170 using the log-in information.

An image forming apparatus (100) includes an image reading portion (2), an image forming portion (3), an in-body discharge portion (7), an information reading portion (6), a reading cover (61), and an operation portion (5). The information reading portion (6) is stored in a front of the image reading portion (2) and reads information of a user. The reading cover (61) covers the information reading portion (6). A first area including surfaces of the reading cover (61) and the operation portion (5) and a second area including surfaces of the image reading portion (2), the image forming portion (3), and the in-body discharge portion (7) are substantially different in outer appearance.

An information processing apparatus includes a non-contact antenna that communicates with a communication counterpart via a non-contact communication and circuitry that generates a location guide image indicating a location of the non-contact antenna in the information processing apparatus and the location guide image including an ellipse placed at a portion of a display screen corresponding to the location of the non-contact antenna.

An imaging cartridge chip includes a communication module for providing data communication between the imaging cartridge chip and an imaging device; a non-volatile data storage module for storing at least two different serial numbers; a volatile temporary data storage module connecting between the communication module and the non-volatile data storage module and including at least two temporary data storage units; and a control module. The control module is configured to load different serial numbers into corresponding temporary data storage units; to send a serial number in a selected temporary data storage unit to the imaging device; to determine whether the serial number sent to the imaging device passes a legitimacy verification of the imaging device; and when the serial number sent to the imaging device does not pass the legitimacy verification, to send a serial number in another temporary data storage unit to the imaging device.

An information processing apparatus for locally connecting to a device and connecting to a first information processing apparatus through a network, registers identification information of the device controlled through the network, determines whether or not the connected device is registered in the registration unit, according to a request from the first information processing apparatus, and if it is determined that the connected device is registered in the registration unit, transmit a request to wake up from a sleep mode, to the first information processing apparatus.

An image processing device includes a sensing unit that senses an external storage device connected from outside, wherein an internal non-volatile storage device is not used for image forming operations, and the external storage device sensed by the sensing unit is used for the image forming operations.

An image forming apparatus which is capable of continuously offering a function of the image forming apparatus to a user, who is using the image forming apparatus by operating a mobile terminal, without interruption by other terminals. When a wireless communication is established using NFC (near-field communication), a request to execute a job from mobile terminals other than the mobile terminal is rejected from when the wireless communication is established to when a connection release request from the mobile terminal is received. When a request to execute a job is received using Wi-Fi without a wireless communication being established using NFC, a request to execute a job from mobile terminals other than the mobile terminal which has sent the request to execute the job is rejected from when the request to execute the job is received to when execution of the job is completed.

A communication device may monitor an establishment of a first type of communication link between a communication device and an external device while the communication device is in a first state in which a P2P mode of an NFC standard is active and a first mode of the NFC standard is active. The communication device may send first data to the external device by using the first type of communication link. The first data may include a command for causing the external device to execute an activation of a particular application. The communication device may change the state of the communication device from the first state to a second state in which the P2P mode is active, and perform the two-way communication with the external device that operates the particular application by using a second type of communication link.

A system and method for automatically focusing imaging devices on an imaging set employs at least one tracker and two or more tracking markers, each tracking marker having an identification means and a tracking pattern. The tracking markers are configured for attaching to the imaging devices and to corresponding subjects to be imaged. A tracker gathers image information of the imaging set and provides it to a controller, which compares the image information to predetermined stored information about the tracking patterns of the various tracking markers. The tracking markers are identified and their three-dimensional positions determined. The distances between the imaging devices and the subjects are determined and the distances between the imaging devices and the subjects are calculated. This provides the focus setting information for communication to the imaging devices. The tracking patterns may have no rotational symmetry, allowing the orientation of subjects to be determined.