A management server includes a transfer unit and a transmission unit. The transfer unit conceals, in a case where personal information is included in usage history data of an apparatus, the personal information, and transfers the usage history data to a server. The transmission unit transmits, in a case where analysis data of the usage history data is transmitted to a terminal, restoration information for restoring the concealed personal information included in the analysis data to the terminal.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: acquire a result of diagnosis of one image forming apparatus made on a basis of a result of reading of a recording medium on which an image has been formed by the one image forming apparatus and that has been read by another image forming apparatus having an image reading function; acquire other apparatus information, which is information concerning the other image forming apparatus; and generate a screen including both of the result of the diagnosis and the other apparatus information.

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

A maintenance support system includes a network interface, a memory, and a processor configured to, upon receipt of first information indicating a status of a first apparatus via the network interface, store the first information in the memory, upon receipt of second information indicating a status of a second apparatus via the network interface, store the second information in the memory, and determine a priority of onsite maintenance between the first and second apparatuses based on the first and second information stored in the memory.

An information processing apparatus connected to an image processing apparatus and a message communication service via a network includes a transmission unit configured to perform transmission based on data received from the image processing apparatus in such a way as to post a notification concerning the received data on a message communication space of the message communication service in which a user registered while being associated with the image processing apparatus is participating, and an execution unit configured to, in a case where the information processing apparatus has received, from the message communication service, data transmitted as a response from the user to the message communication space after the notification is posted, execute processing that is based on the data transmitted as a response.

A scanner redirection method for a remote desktop system that includes a client computing device and a host server, includes the steps of: acquiring properties of a physical scanner from a data source; generating a user interface (UI) for the acquired properties of the physical scanner; in response to a first user selection made on the UI, transmitting a request to the physical scanner to update a scanner property that is one of the acquired properties of the physical scanner; and in response to a second user selection made on the UI, receiving from an application running on the host server, a request for a scanned image, transmitting to the data source a request to acquire the scanned image from the physical scanner, and upon receiving the scanned image from the data source, transmitting the scanned image to the application.

A virtual calibration system uses a reference printing device to add new printing devices and perform verification operations. The reference printing device is defined using color printing resources from an initial printing device. Policies define environmental specification information regarding the operating conditions for a printing device in the system. When a new printing device is added, the new printing device performs a match calibration using the color printing resources provided by the reference printing device. If the match calibration is acceptable, then the new printing device is added to the virtual calibration system. The reference printing device also instructs the printing devices to perform quality checks and to provide environmental information. Using the environmental information, the reference printing device determines if an issue is impacting color printing that is not related to the color printing capabilities of the printing device.

An image forming apparatus includes: a first hardware processor that receives setting of a type of a recording medium by a user; a detector that detects a type determination parameter for a recording medium including a recording medium for which setting of a type has been received by the first hardware processor; a second hardware processor that determines a type of a recording medium based on a detection result of the detector; an image former that forms an image on the recording medium; and a third hardware processor that transmits, to an external device, at least two pieces of information of information regarding the type received, information regarding the type determined by the second hardware processor, or information regarding matching or mismatching of the type received and the type determined with respect to the recording medium for which setting of a type has been received by the first hardware processor.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where a level of consumption of a consumable in the information processing apparatus meets a predetermined condition, provide a notification indicating that the level of consumption of the consumable meets the predetermined condition, and in a case where the information processing apparatus is connected to a mobile terminal via short-range wireless communication in a state in which the notification is being provided, notify the mobile terminal that the level of consumption of the consumable meets the predetermined condition and output consumable information, which indicates a prompt order for the consumable, to the mobile terminal.

A scanner redirection method for a remote desktop system that includes a client computing device and a host server includes the steps of: receiving a name of a physical scanner from a scanner core; transmitting the received name of the physical scanner to the host server; and in response to a first user selection to acquire a scanned image and a second user selection of the name of the physical scanner, the first and second user selections being made on a user interface of the host server, receiving from an application running on the host server a request for the scanned image, transmitting to the scanner core a request to acquire the scanned image from the physical scanner, and upon receiving the scanned image from the scanner core, transmitting the scanned image to the application.