A system which enables an image forming apparatus to give priority to executing a job sent from a mobile information terminal. The mobile information terminal sets an operating mode of the image forming apparatus. When a near-field wireless communication is started by the mobile information terminal coming close to the image forming apparatus, information on the set operating mode is sent to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus provides operating mode shifting control based on the information on the operating mode sent from the mobile information terminal by the near-field wireless communication.

A system and method are provided for implementing more efficient printing in image forming devices by providing a user-interactive scheme for delaying printing of individual user-requested print operations when an individual image forming device to which a specific user-requested printing operation is directed is determined to be in a power saving mode. The disclosed system and method may determine whether a requested image forming device is in a power saving mode at the time that a user requests an image forming operation and automatically present to the user a formatted user interface page on a display at the user workstation. The formatted user interface may provide the user with an option to direct the image forming device to delay (hold) executing the requested image forming operation until some additional condition is met.

An information processing system includes terminal devices of a first network; and an information processing device of a second network. A first terminal device includes a unit for retrieving device information of electronic devices and the information processing device of the second network; and a unit for transmitting an output request to the information processing device. A second terminal device includes a unit for retrieving device information of the electronic devices and the information processing device; and a unit for transmitting a retrieval request to the information processing device, and for retrieving electronic data. The information processing device includes a unit for retrieving the output request and the retrieval request; a unit for transmitting the output request and the retrieval request to the electronic device, and for receiving the electronic data; and a unit for providing the electronic data to the second terminal.

A document processing system includes a controller for controlling at least one part of the document processing system, a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the document processing system, and a mobile device capable of communicating with the controller in the document processing system via a wireless link. A locating function is provided for locating the mobile device. The user interface has a hierarchical structure with at least three levels each of which is associated with a class of local entities each of which contains at least a part of the document processing system. The local entities are nested such that each lower level entity is contained in an entity associated with a superior level in the hierarchy. A selection function is provided for automatically selecting one of the hierarchical levels dependent upon the local entities in which the mobile device is located.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that optimizes the operating environment to correspond to a user. The image forming apparatus is capable of operating based on operation instructions received from a portable terminal of the user. The image forming apparatus includes a short-range-wireless-communication unit, an operating-environment-setting unit and an operation panel. The short-range-wireless-communication unit receives personal information data that includes either or both the physical condition and the nationality of the user by short-range wireless communication from the portable terminal. The operating-environment-setting unit sets an operating environment based on the received personal information data. The operation panel displays a display screen on which the operation instruction from the portable terminal is reflected in the set operating environment.

A printing apparatus of the present invention has a printer unit, a display unit for displaying a screen, and a setting unit for setting either of a first setting for displaying the screen by standard color information and a second setting for displaying the screen by color information different to the standard color information. If the second setting is set, the color information of the screen displayed by the display unit is changed, and if a code image to be read by an external apparatus is included in the screen displayed by the display unit, the code image is made to not be displayed in a state in which color information of the code image is changed even if the second setting is set.

A mobile terminal capable of setting a cover sheet and a header of a fax document and causing an image forming apparatus to transmit the fax document. Cover data representative of a cover sheet is created according to the settings of a cover sheet of a fax document, and header data representative of a header is created according to the settings of a header of the fax document. Upon receipt of an instruction for transmitting a fax document from the user, the mobile terminal transmits an instruction to the image forming apparatus for reading an original and transmitting the fax document, together with transmission destination information indicative of a transmission destination to which the fax document is to be transmitted and at least one of the cover data and the header data.

The present invention offers a system including a transmission unit configured to transmit, based on a reception of predetermined information, first notification information for causing an audio control device to audibly notify a user of a first message related to a printing apparatus, and second notification information for causing a terminal device outside the audio control device and outside the printing apparatus to notify, through a notification screen, the user of a second message related to the printing apparatus and including a message not included in the first message.

A communication device includes a communication unit, a communication function allocation unit, a communication status determination unit, and a communication control unit. The communication unit performs communications with another communication device using a plurality of communication paths. The communication function allocation unit allocates communication functions to each of the communication paths in the communication unit. The communication status determination unit determines a communication status for each of the communication paths. The communication control unit controls communications for each of the communication paths in accordance with allocation by the communication function allocation unit and a determination result of the communication status determination unit.

A information processing device may store a first and second image process associated with a first and second moving direction. The information processing device may display an object image on a display. The information processing device may detect a first instruction position when an indicator makes contact with the object image. The information processing device may detect a second instruction position when the indicator moves to the second instruction position, while maintaining a state of being in contact with the display. The information processing device may calculate a predetermined direction towards which the second instruction position is located. The information processing device may execute a first image process on the object image when the calculated predetermined direction corresponds to the first moving direction. The information processing device may execute a second image process on the object image when the calculated predetermined direction corresponds to the second moving direction.