A communication device may include a first type of interface and a second type of interface. The communication device may execute the communication of object data with a mobile device using the second type of interface after executing a specific process for causing the communication device to shift to a communication-enabled state, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is not currently in the communication-enabled state. Also, the communication device may execute the communication of the object data with the mobile device using the second type of interface without executing the specific process, in a case where it is determined that the communication device is currently in the communication-enabled state.

An information processing apparatus connectable to one or more devices via a network. The apparatus includes a measuring unit measuring an inclination of the apparatus; a determining unit determining whether the inclination of the apparatus relative to a given surface of one of the one or more devices is within a predetermined inclination range; a receiving unit that receives radio waves; an obtaining unit obtaining identification information from the radio waves; a radio wave strength measuring unit measuring strength of the radio waves; a selection unit determining whether to select a given one of the one or more devices based on the strength of the radio waves; and a connection unit connecting the information processing apparatus to one of the one or more devices selected by the selection unit and for which the inclination of the apparatus is within the predetermined inclination range.

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.

A first communication apparatus may repeat a broadcast transmission of a trigger signal via a second interface, which is a signal to be used by a second communication apparatus as a trigger for sending a wireless connection request to the first communication apparatus. The wireless connection request may be for forming a first wireless network to which both the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus belong. The first wireless network may be a network for performing a wireless communication via a first interface. The first communication apparatus may receive the wireless connection request via the first interface from the second communication apparatus which has received the trigger signal, and establish a first wireless connection via the first interface with the second communication apparatus so as to form the first wireless network.

An image forming apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with an external controller, a reception unit configured to receive, in a case where a predetermined error related to the communication occurs, log information on the predetermined error from the external controller, and a storage control unit configured to store, in a storage unit of the image forming apparatus, the log information received from the external controller and log information indicating an operation of the image forming apparatus corresponding to a timing at which the predetermined error has occurred.

An image forming apparatus includes a setting unit, a displaying unit, a receiving unit, and a printing unit. The setting unit accepts designation of source information from a user and set the accepted source information in association with an object. The displaying unit displays the object. The receiving unit receives image data from an external apparatus. The printing unit prints an image on a sheet based on the image data received by the receiving unit. Upon selection of the object displayed on the displaying unit, the printing unit prints an image on a sheet based on the image data from among the image data received by the receiving unit, that is received from an external apparatus having source information corresponding to the source information associated with the object.

A specific communication device may send specific identification information for identifying the specific communication device to an external via a communication interface, wherein the external device may display a screen including the specific identification information in a case where the external device receives the specific identification information from the specific communication device; and in a case where a specific condition including that the specific identification information is sent to the external is fulfilled, a state of the display unit may be changed from a first state to a second state, the first state being a state in which the display unit does not display the specific identification information, and the second state being a state in which the display unit displays the specific identification information.

The first controller of the image forming apparatus transmits first apparatus state information of the own image forming apparatus to the other image forming apparatus, and when second apparatus state information of the other image forming apparatus is received, stores the second apparatus state information in the storage device. The second controller of the information processing apparatus transmits an information collecting request to the image forming apparatus. When the information collecting request is received, the first controller transmits the first and second apparatus state information to the information processing apparatus. When the first and second apparatus state information are received, the second controller displays positions, functions, and power on states or off states of the own image forming apparatus and the other image forming apparatus indicated by the first and second apparatus state information on the display device.

An image control apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus through a network includes one or more controllers having one or more processors and one or more memories. The one or more controllers are configured to receive, through a network, a shutdown instruction issued to the image forming apparatus, and determine whether the image forming apparatus is connected to a second network other than a first network through which the image forming apparatus is connected to the image control apparatus. When the one or more controllers determine that the image forming apparatus is connected to the second network other than the first network, the one or more controllers do not issue the shutdown instruction to the image forming apparatus even when the one or more controllers receive the shutdown instruction through the network.

An information processing apparatus includes a user list providing unit configured to receive device identification information from a current device connected via a network and to send, to the current device, a user list including one or more user identifiers that are stored in a storage unit in association with the received device identification information; and a program list providing unit configured to receive a user identifier that is selected at the current device from the user identifiers in the user list and to send, to the current device, a program list including sets of program information stored in the storage unit in association with the received user identifier.