In a case of a first function of carrying out a cooperative processing in accordance with an instruction from a user of a multifunction peripheral (10), the user is set as an execution user. In a case of a second function of carrying out a cooperative processing in accordance with an instruction from an application, a user instructed by the application is set as an execution user. Further, in a case where an execution user of a cooperative processing carried out using the first function and an execution user of a cooperative processing carried out using the second function are identical, use history information of the execution user is managed as use history information of a single user. This makes it possible to appropriately manage use history information of a cooperative processing.

A system uses portable processing devices that communicate with external devices. A portable processing device having a camera transmits, to a server, an identification information request message including an image acquired by the camera; receives, from the server, identification information related to an object shown in the image; in response to user selection of the object, transmits, to the server, a data request message requesting data corresponding to the identification information of the selected object; receives, from the server, a first data corresponding to the identification information; edits the first data to provide a second data in response to user input information; and transmits the second data to the server enabling the server to update the first data to provide the second data item.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box (STB) having a controller to join a multicast group having an associated multicast address, wherein the multicast address is associated with a first content type of a plurality of content types, access encoded content associated with the first content type from the multicast address, wherein the encoded content is transmitted by at least one source associated with the multicast group to the multicast address, decode the accessed encoded content, and display the decoded content on a channel mapped to the multicast address. Other embodiments are disclosed.

An output apparatus performing communications with a terminal apparatus and an authentication apparatus includes an authentication request unit to transmit an authentication request of a user to the authentication apparatus to acquire, when authentication of the user has succeeded, terminal apparatus information in association with the user, a terminal apparatus information accumulation unit to accumulate the acquired terminal apparatus information, an output data acquisition unit to acquire output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the acquired terminal apparatus information in association with the user, and an output processor to output the output data. The output data acquisition unit acquires, upon failing to acquire a response to the authentication request of the user from the authentication apparatus, the output data accumulated in the terminal apparatus from the terminal apparatus specified by the terminal apparatus information in association with the user.

An information processing system includes: one or more processors configured to: acquire a workflow directed to a user who uses an information processing apparatus and usage information in association with each other, the usage information indicating a communication line used in receiving the workflow by the information processing apparatus receiving workflows by using multiple independent communication lines including the communication line; and in response to inconsistency between the usage information and permission information indicating a communication line of the communication lines that is permitted to be used by the user, report warning to the user without displaying, on a display, the workflow associated with the usage information.

An image management server including a receiver configured to receive an image file. The image file includes image data, copyright information, and tag information including route information for transmitting the image data. The image file is transmitted by an external device in accordance with the route information. The image management server further includes a processor configured to add digital watermark information to the image data to make the image file in a state in which the copyright information is protected or waived, and a transmitter configured to transmit the image file to an image display server in the state in which the copyright information in the image file is protected or waived.

Systems and methods are described that protect intellectual property rights in connection with 3-dimensional printing processes. In certain embodiments, an object a user would like to render with a 3-dimensional printing device may be compared with one or more managed objects having certain associated intellectual property rights. If the object is found to be similar to a managed object (e.g., similar in shape, function, composition, etc.), policy associated with the managed object may be enforced in connection with rendering the object. In this manner, intellectual property rights associated with the managed objects may be enforced.

A control server is configured to: receive, through a communication interface, a guidance image data request and specific information which are transmitted from an image processing apparatus, the guidance image data request being a request for guidance image data representing a guidance image of an acquiring procedure for acquiring authentication information required for receiving service provided by a service providing server connected to the image processing apparatus through the network; determining location information representing a location of data to be accessed in the acquiring procedure, based on the specific information transmitted from the image processing apparatus; generating the guidance image data representing the guidance image including the location information determined by the location information determining processing, when the guidance image data request is received from the image processing apparatus; and transmitting the guidance image data to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface.

An image processing apparatus includes a reading control unit, an extractor, an acquirer, an operation acceptance unit, and a storage control unit. The reading control unit reads a printed material containing a digital watermark to obtain image data of the printed material. The extractor extracts, from the digital watermark contained in the image data, first storage-location information indicating a storage location where electronic source data of the printed material is stored. The acquirer acquires the electronic source data from the storage location indicated by the first storage-location information. The operation acceptance unit displays pieces of to-be-acquired information that are a unit of information acquired from the electronic source data, and accepts an operation input specifying selection of at least one piece of to-be-acquired information. The storage control unit stores the selected piece of to-be-acquired information in a storage location indicated by second storage-location information.

An image erasing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a scanner that reads an image printed on a sheet with decolorable colorant, the image including a first owner information. A decoloring unit decolors the image printed on the sheet. An input device receives a second owner information. A controller identifies the first owner information included in the image read by the scanner, and determines whether the first owner information corresponds to the second owner information. Based on the determination, the controller selectively controls the decoloring unit to decolor the image.