A portable terminal has a memory having a program stored thereon and readably by a computer. The program causes the portable terminal to perform deciding an image forming apparatus enabling to execute a first operation as a first designated apparatus which executes the first operation in accordance with predetermined decision criteria, deciding an image forming apparatus designated by a user of the portable terminal as a second designated apparatus which executes a second operation different from the first operation, receiving a designation of designating at least one of the first operation and the second operation, transmitting first instruction information that instructs to execute the first operation to the first designated apparatus when the first operation is designated in the designation, and transmitting second instruction information that instructs to execute the second operation to the second designated apparatus when the second operation is designated in the designation.

A method of controlling an image forming system, the method including: determining whether or not a connection state enabling communication between an image forming apparatus and a second operation device has been established, in a case where an instruction is issued from a first operation device to the image forming apparatus; and displaying, in a case where it is determined in the determining that the connection state has been established, on a display of the first operation device, a selection screen for selection of whether or not the image forming apparatus is to be allowed to operate according to the instruction.

A scanning apparatus and a method thereof include a scanning unit scanning a document and outputting a scanned result, at least one external storage unit detachably attached to the apparatus, at least one internal storage unit, and a controller detecting an attachment state of the external storage unit and storing the scanned result in one of the external storage unit and the internal storage unit according to the attachment state of the external storage unit. The scanning unit of the scanning apparatus is combined with a user scanning unit and a user printing unit into a combination apparatus, and the scanned result is printed in a printing apparatus spaced-apart from the scanning apparatus by a distance, thereby removing cables between the scanning or printing apparatus and a personal computer. Regardless of an attachment state of the external storage unit, the document is scanned in the real time, and the scanning apparatus is commonly used with a plurality of personal computers which are not connected to the scanning apparatus.

A method and apparatus for generating image information. A specific embodiment of the method includes: acquiring a rotation angle and a scaling of a target image relative to a reference image, and acquiring an intrinsic parameter of a video camera collecting the reference image; generating a projective transformation matrix based on the rotation angle, the scaling and the intrinsic parameter; generating a coordinate offset of the each neighborhood pixel of the feature point in the reference image; generating, based on a coordinate of the feature point in the reference image, the coordinate offset of the each neighborhood pixel of the feature point in the reference image and the projective transformation matrix, coordinates of the each neighborhood pixel of the feature point in the reference image; and generating a feature point descriptor of the feature point.

An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit and a processing unit. The storage unit stores setting information of the information processing apparatus. The processing unit starts processing for causing, in a case where the number of servers each of which manages setting information stored in other apparatus, among apparatuses including the information processing apparatus and an apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus via a network is one, a server corresponding to the one to manage the setting information stored in the storage unit. The processing unit is also configured not to start the processing when the number of servers is two or more.

A relay device may receive first information and second information from the image processing device. The relay device may select one of a first processing and a second processing based on at least one of the received first information and the received second information. The relay device may send, to an image processing device, first instruction information causing the image processing device to execute the first processing when the first processing is selected. The relay device may send, to the image processing device, second instruction information causing the image processing device to execute the second processing when the second processing is selected. The relay device may receive the first image data according to the first instruction information or the second instruction information. The relay device may generate second image data by executing the selected image processing on the first image data that has been received.

Systems and methods for comparing different models of printers are provided. According to one embodiment, a system for comparing printers includes at least one web portal configured to receive a user's selection of two models of printers to be compared. The system further includes a printer analysis server configured to receive the user's selection via a first network. A plurality of sample printers is connected to the printer analysis server via a second network. The printer analysis server is configured to establish communication with two sample printers of the plurality of sample printers, the two sample printers corresponding to the two selected printer models. The printer analysis server is further configured to provide a data stream of print commands to the two sample printers and analyze print output results from the two sample printers, wherein the print output results may then be provided to the user.

An image processing apparatus is provided that includes a first communication device, a second communication device, an informing device, and a controller configured to control the first communication device to establish first communication with an information processing terminal device that is within a predetermined communicable distance from the first communication device, and to control the second communication device to transmit, to the information processing terminal device, target data that has been informed of by the informing device at a time when the first communication is established between the first communication device and the information processing terminal device.

An input/output device that provides a device cooperation service is connected to an input/output service apparatus that provides an input/output service and a computer system that provides a storage service via a network. The input/output device includes a processor configured to execute a program stored in a memory to implement processes of acquiring use restriction information for restricting designation of a condition in a request to the input/output service from the input/output device, and restricting designation of the condition in the request to the input/output service from the input/output device by reflecting the acquired use restriction information on a device cooperation service screen for enabling a user to designate the condition in the request.

Systems and methods for comparing different models of printers are provided. According to one embodiment, a system for comparing printers includes at least one web portal configured to receive a user's selection of two models of printers to be compared. The system further includes a printer analysis server configured to receive the user's selection via a first network. A plurality of sample printers is connected to the printer analysis server via a second network. The printer analysis server is configured to establish communication with two sample printers of the plurality of sample printers, the two sample printers corresponding to the two selected printer models. The printer analysis server is further configured to provide a data stream of print commands to the two sample printers and analyze print output results from the two sample printers, wherein the print output results may then be provided to the user.