To enable remote maintenance of a print control apparatus and an image forming apparatus (an image processing apparatus) to be performed by a terminal apparatus, the image forming apparatus connects to a server apparatus that relays communication between the print control apparatus and the terminal apparatus, and establishes VNC communication with the print control apparatus via the server apparatus and VNC communication with the terminal apparatus. The print control apparatus notifies the image forming apparatus that the print control apparatus will restart when instructed to restart by the terminal apparatus while the remote maintenance by the terminal apparatus is continuing. The print control apparatus instructs the image forming apparatus to reconnect to the server apparatus when the restart of the print control apparatus completes.

An image forming apparatus includes: a display portion; an error sensor that detects an operating error; a recovery sensor that detects the recovery from an operating error; and a display processor that makes the display portion display a notice of an operating error when the error sensor detects the operating error and that makes the display portion display an operation guide for preventing the reoccurrence of the same operating error when the recovery sensor detects the recovery from the operating error.

A system for providing multifunction device (MFD) status information to a user includes an MFD and a light projection unit. The MFD may include a print engine and one or more status monitors. The light projection unit may include a light projecting module, and a processor for receiving information corresponding to a current machine state of the MFD from the status monitors of the MFD. The processor may identify an area of the MFD that corresponds to the current machine state, and identify a projected light pattern associated with the current machine state. The projected light pattern includes a visual pattern created using projected light. The processor may instruct the light projecting module to project the identified projected light pattern proximate to the identified area of the MFD.

An information processing apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry generates an abnormal end file in response to an occurrence of an abnormal end of a process being executed, the abnormal end file indicating an occurrence state of the abnormal end, extracts a part of information from the generated abnormal end file, writes the extracted information as abnormal information in a memory, reads the abnormality information from the memory, and displays the abnormality information on a display.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a first storage unit that stores registree information of users registered to work on the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a processor programmed to determine whether or not work needs to be performed on the image forming apparatus by a worker based on a predetermined condition, obtain presence information of a registree from a second storage unit, the presence information indicating the presence state of the registree, identify one or more registrees associated with the work to be done, in a case where work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus by a worker, and upon determining that one or more registrees is present, perform a notification process that notifies one of the present registrees that work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus.

A printing apparatus includes a print unit configured to perform printing on the print medium held by a holding unit, the holding unit being capable of holding multiple types of print medium, a detecting unit capable of detecting the print medium and the holding unit, and a movement unit capable of relatively moving the detecting unit and the holding unit in a first direction and in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In addition, a control unit controls the detecting unit and the movement unit in a case where a first print medium is held by the holding unit, to obtain position information of the first print medium before the print unit performs printing and, in a case where a second print medium different from the first print medium is held by the holding unit, not to obtain position information of the second print medium.

An image reading apparatus, having a placement table, a reader to read an image recorded on the recordable medium placed on the placement table while moving in one direction, a memory storing information concerning a test pattern, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to, when instructed to read the test pattern, control the reader to stop reading to pause before reading the test pattern completely, while the reader pauses, based on read data generated from an outcome of reading of the test pattern so far and the information concerning the test pattern, determine whether the read data satisfies a predetermined condition, and when the read data satisfies the predetermined condition, control the reader to resume reading the test pattern, but when the read data does not satisfy the predetermined condition, control the reader to abort reading the test pattern and output an error alerting signal.

An operation guidance assistance system includes a controller executing operation guidance of an image generation apparatus and a display displaying the operation guidance. The controller: obtains, when the image generation apparatus develops an error, information on a site of the error with an imaging apparatus; identifies a member-to-be-operated in accordance with the information on the site of the error in the image generation apparatus, the member-to-be-operated being a subject to the operation guidance for clearing the error; obtains, from the information on the site of the error, information on a hand of a user carrying out an operation of the image generation apparatus; displays, on the display, the information on the site of the error including the information on the hand of the user; and displays operation guidance assistance information to guide the user through the operation in accordance with a sequence of the operation guidance.

An image scanning apparatus includes a display unit, a scan unit configured to continuously generate a first scan image and a second scan image, and a processor configured to compare the generated first scan image and second scan image and determine whether the first scan image and the second scan image are scan images with respect to the a same original, and in response to determining that the first scan image and the second scan image are scan images with respect to a same original, control the display unit to display a notification message.

An image forming apparatus plays a movie representing operation procedures to be performed to make maintenance on the image forming apparatus. In a case where start of a job is detected and an operation by a user is detected, the image forming apparatus plays the movie of which frame rate is lowered.