Information apparatus and application software supporting printing over air or network are herein disclosed and enabled. The information apparatus may include one or more software components that include (1) a discovery component to discover a supported printer in a local area network (LAN) and to receive device information related to the printer (e.g., capability, language or format supported, identification) from the printer, and (2) a printing component to generate or obtain print data based on the device information received and to transmit the print data to the discovered printer. After establishing the connection to the LAN, application software (e.g., Internet browser, email, photos, documents) in the information apparatus may print digital content by using the discovery component to discover the printer in the LAN, and may use the printing component to obtain and transmit print data in a form that is acceptable to the printer for printing the digital content.

An image processing apparatus of one embodiment includes an image processing unit and a controller. The controller receives biometric information for a user for a logon operation and re-orders user record entries in a table when a predetermined condition occurs. Each record entry in the table includes reference biometric information in association with user information. The re-ordering of the entries is based on user information stored in the user record entries. After the re-ordering of the user record entries in the table, the controller performs an authentication operation that includes comparing the received biometric information to reference biometric information in the re-ordered user record entries of the table until a match is determined.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a voice input interface and a processor. The voice input interface is configured to acquire an input voice input through a microphone. The processor is configured to recognize a content of a job instructed by voice from the input voice acquired by the voice input interface and to identify a speaker from the input voice and, if voices output from a plurality of speakers in the same period are acquired, configured to set an execution order of a plurality of jobs that are recognized from the voices output from the speakers and to execute the jobs in the set execution order.

An image processing apparatus includes: an apparatus information generator, an authenticator, and a job controller. The apparatus information generator generates apparatus information including apparatus identification information. The authenticator performs non-contact user authentication with a communication terminal by using communication without the Internet or by capturing image information. The job controller causes the communication terminal whose user has been authenticated by the authenticator to acquire the apparatus information by using communication without the Internet or by providing the apparatus information as image information. The job controller causes an apparatus corresponding to the apparatus information to execute a job on a basis of the apparatus information transmitted from the communication terminal via the Internet and setting information related to job execution.

An image processing device includes: a measuring unit that measures a light quantity; an identification unit that identifies a region within an image-capturing range using the measured light quantity, the region having a light quantity higher than or equal to a predetermined light quantity; a setting unit that sets an image-capturing angle so that the identified region is out of the image-capturing range; and an image-capturing unit that captures an image for authentication at the image-capturing angle set by the setting unit.

An apparatus and method for performing authentication using biometric authentication processing at a portable terminal connected to a multifunction peripheral (MFP) is provided. A web application accesses the portable terminal via a web browser of the MFP and the MFP transmits a request for information about service to the portable terminal. In a case where information corresponding to the web application is included in the information about service received from the portable terminal responsive to the request, the MFP transmits an authentication request to the portable terminal according to a request from the web application, and transmits, to the web application, an authentication result received from the portable terminal responsive to the authentication request.

A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and multifunction printer are disclosed for injecting screens into a third-party workflow on a display panel of a multifunction printer. The method includes displaying, on the display panel of the multifunction printer, a first screen from a third-party workflow; detecting, on the multifunction printer, a first authentication attempt from a user; inserting, on the display panel of the multifunction printer, a first screen from an authentication workflow into the third-party workflow upon the detection of the first authentication attempt from the user; sending, from the multifunction printer, authentication data associated with the first authentication attempt to an authentication server; receiving, from the authentication server, an authentication result associated with the first authentication attempt; and displaying, on the display panel of the multifunction printer, a second screen from the third-party workflow following a successful authentication result from the authentication server.

An image processing apparatus of one embodiment includes an image processing unit and a controller. The controller receives biometric information for a user for a logon operation and re-orders user record entries in a table when a predetermined condition occurs. Each record entry in the table includes reference biometric information in association with user information. The re-ordering of the entries is based on user information stored in the user record entries. After the re-ordering of the user record entries in the table, the controller performs an authentication operation that includes comparing the received biometric information to reference biometric information in the re-ordered user record entries of the table until a match is determined.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a storage section configured to store a setting indicating one of a first condition for permitting start of an application both in a login state and in a logout state and a second condition for permitting start of the application only in the login state; a receiving section configured to receive an instruction to start the application; and a control section configured to start the application if the first condition is set for the application or start the application on condition that the image forming apparatus is in the login state if the second condition is set for the application in response to a start instruction in a logout state.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording material, a controller configured to control the image forming unit, a sheet feeding tray configured to store a recording material to be supplied to the image forming unit, and a sheet feeding tray cover configured to cover an access point of the sheet feeding tray. The sheet feeding tray cover includes a user interface for inputting information into a controller unit or outputting information from the controller.