A method of balancing responses of a plurality of sensor chips arranged generally in a linear array comprising: exposing the plurality of sensor chips to an absence of illumination; measuring a dark response of each photosensor of a plurality of photosensors; positioning a calibration piece within a field of view of the plurality of sensor chips other than a calibration sensor chip; illuminating a calibration standard and the calibration piece with a light source; measuring a light response of each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors; applying an offset to the light response of each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors by subtracting the dark response of each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors to obtain an offset light response for each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors; calculating a mean offset light response for each sensor chip of the plurality of sensor chips by averaging the offset light response for each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors in each sensor chip of the plurality of sensor chips; calculating a modified light response for each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors by modifying the offset light response for each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors based on the mean offset light response of the sensor chip comprising the respective photosensor, the mean offset light response of the calibration sensor chip, an initial mean offset light response of the sensor chip comprising the respective photosensor, and an initial mean offset light response of the calibration sensor chip; and, applying a first gain to the offset light response of each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors based on the modified light response of each respective photosensor to obtain a corrected light response of each photosensor of the plurality of photosensors.

An information terminal apparatus includes an associating processor, a process execution circuitry, a base detector, and a controller. The associating processor associates each of connection bases with both base identification information and limitation information regarding a data process. The base identification information identifies corresponding one of the connection bases. The process execution circuitry causes an information processing apparatus to execute the data process. The information processing apparatus is connected to at least one of the connection bases. The base detector detects that any of the connection bases becomes a connectable base. The controller causes, when the connectable base is detected by the base detector, the information processing apparatus connected to the connectable base to perform the data process based on the limitation information.

A control device that executes an operating system program includes a hardware processor, wherein the operating system program defines a process of setting one image forming apparatus among a plurality of image forming apparatuses as a default device, and a changing process, in the case where an execution device different from the default device is designated from among the plurality of image forming apparatuses by an application task for executing an application program and printing is performed by the execution device, setting the execution device as the default device, and the hardware processor allows one control target device among the plurality of image forming apparatuses to perform printing in response to an instruction for printing given by the application task, and maintains the same image forming apparatus as the default device before and after printing is performed by the control target device.

An image processing apparatus connected to an external apparatus via a network, includes: a network interface to receive an output-target file and an output setting file from the external apparatus, the output setting file associating file identification information for identifying the output-target file with setting information to be set when the output-target file is output; and circuitry to set an output setting in accordance with the setting information associated with the file identification information of the output-target file, and to output the output-target file in accordance with the output setting that is set.

An example remote management server is to generate a policy including configuration data for image forming devices and a list of a plurality of image forming devices for which the configuration data is applied, configure the plurality of image forming devices with the configuration data according to the policy, receive, from a service provider device for managing the plurality of image forming devices, a request for a change in configuration data for an image forming device, and, if the image forming device is included in the list, process the request according to a preset rule.

A server and a method of operating the same are provided. The method includes receiving metadata corresponding to printing data from a printing data storage device that stores the printing data, receiving, from an image forming apparatus, a request to transmit printing job information, determining a transmission route of the printing data based on whether the printing data storage device and the image forming apparatus are capable of communicating with each other, generating printing job information including the metadata and the transmission route, and transmitting the printing job information to the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus includes a first printer configured to print on a medium using a first material, a second printer configured to print on the medium using a second material that turns invisible when a first condition is satisfied, and a controller configured to: control the first printer to print on the medium a first symbol that is machine-readable and associated with first information, and control the second printer to print a second symbol on the medium on which the first symbol has been printed. A composite symbol of the first and second symbols is machine-readable and associated with second information different from the first information.

A server receives a correlation instruction from an information processing apparatus when the storage stores first device information uniquely assigned to an image processing apparatus. The correlation instruction is for correlating first device information with a service that a service-providing apparatus provides. The server receives first authentication information from the information processing apparatus. The server stores the first authentication information in association with the first device information in the storage. The server receives, from the image processing apparatus, second device information and first information. The second device information is assigned to the image processing apparatus. The first information is generated in the image processing apparatus for receiving the service. The server identifies the first authentication information in the storage, and transmits second information based on the first information to the service-providing apparatus using the first authentication information.

A printing system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses, a server, and a plurality of client terminals. The client terminal displays a setting screen for a user to select, as a print mode, one of a first print mode in which user authentication is not required and a second print mode in which the user authentication is required. When the second print mode is selected as the print mode, the user terminal transmits to the server information related to the user, a print instruction in accordance with the second print mode, and the print job. The server determines whether the user has authority to perform printing in the second print mode. When the user is determined to have the authority, the server transmits the print instruction and the print job to the particular image forming apparatus registered for that user.

In a case where an image forming apparatus is connected to an information processing apparatus, correction information is generated through comparison between time information obtained by the image forming apparatus and time information obtained by the information processing apparatus. The image forming apparatus transmits, to the information processing apparatus, time information indicating a time at which setting information is updated in the image forming apparatus. The information processing apparatus corrects the received time information with the correction information. The information processing apparatus determines whether to update setting information stored in the information processing apparatus with received setting information, based on the corrected time information.