An information processing system includes a plurality of apparatuses and an information processing apparatus. The plurality of apparatuses includes a first apparatus and a second apparatus. The first apparatus includes a first communication unit and a switching unit. The first communication unit is configured to receive screen information about the second apparatus sent from the information processing apparatus. The screen information is displayed on a first application program in the first apparatus. The switching unit is configured to switch a screen of a second application program to the screen of the first application program to display the screen of the first application program in response to receipt of the screen information by the first communication unit, when the first apparatus displays the screen of the second application program. The information processing apparatus is configured to communicate with the plurality of apparatuses. The information processing apparatus includes a second communication unit that is configured to transmit the screen information to the first apparatus.

An information processing apparatus loaded with an application for extending functionality of the information processing apparatus, includes a storage unit configured to, before occurrence of an event relating to an application, store display information including a display item relating to the application and displayed on a display unit of the information processing apparatus, and a display control unit configured to, after occurrence of the event relating to the application, update display relating to the display item according to the display information corresponding to the event stored in the storage unit, under control of a control program that runs on an operating system and provides a framework for managing the application.

An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a device control application for causing the image forming apparatus to carry out a job, a storage control unit configured to perform control for causing the storage unit to store an image processing plug-in application for extending the device control application, and a processing unit configured to execute the image processing plug-in application in conjunction with execution of the device control application.

An information processing system includes an image forming apparatus and a server that provides application information of at least one web application to the image forming apparatus. The system includes a memory to store the application information of the web application; and circuitry to receive a selection of a specific web application by a user, compare device information of the image forming apparatus with application information of the selected web application, determine whether an update of firmware of the image forming apparatus is necessary based on a result of the comparison, update the firmware when a result of the determination indicates that the update of the firmware is necessary, generate a shortcut icon of the selected web application after the firmware is updated, and execute the selected web application, which required the update of the firmware of the image forming apparatus, by using the shortcut icon.

An information processing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of application software; a connection control unit that establishes a communication connection to an external apparatus and collects available function information indicating at least one function included in the external apparatus; a determining unit that determines at least one piece of application software that is executable with respect to the external apparatus among the pieces of application software, based on the available function information; a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, the pieces of application software that are determined as being executable, and causes at least one piece of application software that is determined as being inexecutable to be hidden in the display unit or to be displayed on the display unit in a display mode different from a display mode of the pieces of application software that are determined as being executable.

An information processing system includes a plurality of programs, each executing a predetermined process. The information processing system includes a memory and circuitry. The memory stores, for each of applications, each executing a series of processes using electronic data, an application associating flow information with application setting information. The flow information defines program identification information and an execution order. The application setting information defines parameter setting information, group setting information, and flow identification information. The memory further stores use screen information in association with application identification information. The circuitry: receives a first request including the application identification information from a device; transmits the use screen information and the application setting information to the device; receives a second request including the parameters, information on electronic data, and the flow identification information; acquires the flow information; and executes the programs in accordance with the execution order by using the parameters.

A device is provided that includes an operation unit having a program installed therein and including a processor that is configured to execute a first monitoring process of monitoring an arrival of a first time that is set up in advance, and a setting process of setting up the first time to be monitored in the first monitoring process in response to a request from the program. When the arrival of the first time is detected in the first monitoring process, the setting process causes the program to recover from a transitioned state to which the program transitions when the operation unit is in a power-saving mode.

An image processing apparatus includes a host controller that controls a hardware resource, a guest controller, an emulator that is provided between the host controller and the guest controller and allows the guest controller to control the hardware resource, and a changer that changes an HDL program, wherein the guest controller includes a guest driver, the emulator includes a device emulator that emulates the hardware resource by executing the changed HDL program, and a switcher that switches control to any one of a first control for controlling the host controller in accordance with control of the hardware resource by the guest driver and allowing the hardware resource to be controlled, and a second control for controlling the device emulator in accordance with the control of the hardware resource by the guest driver.

An information processing device installed with a program, connectable with an apparatus, includes circuitry configured to restrict an operation of specific information, initiated by the program, based on an access level defined for the specific information, transmit a first request, initiated by the program, to the apparatus connected with the information processing device, acquire given information including the specific information from the apparatus as a response to the first request, and transmit a second request, initiated by the program, to the apparatus based on the acquired given information including the specific information to request the apparatus to perform specific processing in response to the second request received from the information processing device.

An information processing apparatus includes a first application program for executing an output process on content and a second application program for executing a process of obtaining the content from an external apparatus. The information processing apparatus causes the first application program to issue a request for activating the second application program and activates the second application program so as to execute a process of obtaining content from the external apparatus through communication with the external apparatus. After obtaining the content from the external apparatus, the information processing apparatus causes the second application program to issue a request for activating the first application program and activates the first application program so as to execute the output process on the content obtained from the external apparatus.