Output devices supporting wireless device discovery are herein disclosed and enabled. To setup an output device for wireless connection, wireless device discovery is performed by a client of the output device to discover the output device. Upon being discovered, the output device may provide identification or information related to the output device to the client for establishing a wireless connection. Subsequently, the output device may receive, via the established wireless connection, digital content from the client for output. Wireless device discovery operations may be based on one or more of a close proximity wireless communication, a Bluetooth wireless communication, or a wireless communication compatible with a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards. Security information or authentication may be required for establishing the wireless connection. Subsequent to having established the wireless connection, the output device receives the audio or video content from the client for playing at the output device.

A wireless device that includes at least a wireless communication unit, which is compatible with at least a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards, for establishing a wireless connection with a server over a network is herein disclosed and enabled. To connect the wireless device with the server, the wireless device may first establish short range wireless communication with a client device, such as a smart phone. The wireless device may exchange data or information with the client device via the short range wireless communication; and the wireless device may implement an authentication procedure for detecting authentication information. Thereafter, the wireless device connects to the server over the Internet for accessing a service provided by the server. The accessing of the service may require authentication information on the wireless device, and the accessing of the service is subsequent to the wireless device having implemented the authentication procedure at the wireless device.

Output systems (e.g., information apparatus, Internet appliances, information pads, smart phones, audio output devices) supporting voice commands for playing digital content received from a service provided over a network (e.g., Internet) are herein disclosed and enabled. The output system may include an interface (e.g., touch sensitive screen interface, wireless interface) for receiving authentication information to access the service over the network. The service may be a subscribed service. While connected to the service, the output system receives voice commands from a user for outputting or playing digital content, and, in response to the voice commands, the output system receives, from the service, output data related to the digital content for outputting or playing at the output system. The output system may include a digital camera for image acquisition and may further be Bluetooth enabled for wirelessly receiving audio data (e.g., music) from a mobile device.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a communication apparatus capable of preventing a decrease in the speed of communication with an external device due to execution of a handover when the communication apparatus is connected to the external device, and also directed to a control method and a recording medium. A communication apparatus provides, by using a first communication portion that uses a first communication method, communication information for performing communication based on a second communication method to an external device, and causes a second communication portion that uses the second communication method to connect with the external device using the second communication method, and performs control in such a manner that, in a case where the second communication portion connects with the external device, the first communication portion is used to provide communication information to no other external devices.

A printing system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses, a server, and a plurality of client terminals. The client terminal displays a setting screen for a user to select, as a print mode, one of a first print mode in which user authentication is not required and a second print mode in which the user authentication is required. When the second print mode is selected as the print mode, the user terminal transmits to the server information related to the user, a print instruction in accordance with the second print mode, and the print job. The server determines whether the user has authority to perform printing in the second print mode. When the user is determined to have the authority, the server transmits the print instruction and the print job to the particular image forming apparatus registered for that user.

A cooperative processing system includes an operation terminal and a cooperative processing device connected to each other, and is connectable to a plurality of electronic devices. The cooperative processing system causes one of electronic devices to function as an input device to cause electronic data to be input therefrom and one of the electronic devices to function as an output device to output the electronic data. The cooperative processing system includes an obtaining unit to obtain input device information to specify the input device and output device information to specify the output device, an input control unit to cause the input device to input electronic data through a first interface according to the input device information, and an output control unit to cause the output device to output the electronic data through a second interface according to the output device information in an format appropriate for the output device.

The present disclosure provides a method for printing-device monitoring by a printing monitoring server connected to a network, including: receiving identification information of a non-networked printing device and identification information of a host computer sent by the host computer, the non-networked printing device being connected to the host computer and being connected to the network through the host computer; when locally-stored printing device data contains the identification information of the non-networked printing device, determining host-computer identification information corresponding to the non-networked printing device and contained in the printing device data, to be identification information of a previous host computer; and when the identification information of the previous host computer is inconsistent with the identification information of the host computer, commanding the previous host computer stored with the identification information of the non-networked printing device to delete the identification information of the non-networked printing device.

A cooperative processing system includes an operation terminal and a cooperative processing device connected to each other, and is connectable to a plurality of electronic devices. The cooperative processing system causes one of electronic devices to function as an input device to cause electronic data to be input therefrom and one of the electronic devices to function as an output device to output the electronic data. The cooperative processing system includes an obtaining unit to obtain input device information to specify the input device and output device information to specify the output device, an input control unit to cause the input device to input electronic data through a first interface according to the input device information, and an output control unit to cause the output device to output the electronic data through a second interface according to the output device information in an format appropriate for the output device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer of a portable device, the computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the portable device to perform operations including: receiving a user operation of designating operation specifying information; instructing an image processing apparatus to execute the image processing operation of a content specified by the operation specifying information; storing history information indicative of an execution history of the receiving and the instructing; extracting, from among a plurality of program identification information, program identification information associated with the extraction condition information coinciding with the stored history information; and displaying the extracted program identification information.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer of a portable device, the computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the portable device to perform: receiving a user operation of designating one of a plurality of image processing apparatuses as a designated apparatus; obtaining designated apparatus information that includes a set of an operation ID and a program ID; displaying, on a display, a first screen that includes a first activation object corresponding to the target program; and in response to receiving a user operation of designating the first activation object, activating the target program.