Abstract: Systems and methods are provided though which a transaction, e.g., in a multi-tier, distributed application may be initiated from a portable or hand-held device, such as a smartphone. A computer system or systems, possibly remote from the device, may approve the transaction, complete it, or both, and the remote computer system or systems may cause a document to be printed, e.g., by a printer physically proximate to the device. Aspects of the invention are illustrated by embodiments in which a drug prescription may be created electronically using a hand-held device. In such an embodiment, the prescription may be transmitted to one or more remote computer systems, such as an application server, for processing. If specified, the remote computer systems may cause a prescription to be printed, e.g., at a printer near the prescriber's location. The prescriber may sign the printed prescription and give it to a patient or pharmacy.

Abstract: A printing system includes an image forming apparatus, a server, and a mobile device. The image forming apparatus includes an identification information sending section that sends identification information via radio waves. The server includes a print data managing section that manages print data in association with user information. The mobile device includes an identification information receiving section that receives the identification information. The mobile device transmits to the server the user information and the identification information associated with the user information. The server performs a specific operation for causing the image forming apparatus corresponding to the identification information associated with the user information to execute a print job based on print data managed in association with the user information transmitted.

Abstract: A system according to the present invention includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, and an executing unit. The first communication unit is connected to a first network segment. The second communication unit is connected to a second network segment different from the first network segment, and receives a processing request, which requests to execute predetermined processing, from an apparatus via the second network segment and transmits the received processing request to the first communication unit. The executing unit executes the predetermined processing in response to the processing request received by the first communication unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a controller including a master unit and a slave unit, and a serial communication line connecting the master unit and the slave unit and used in serial communication. The master unit includes an arithmetic module that generates first serial data to be transmitted to the slave unit to monitor serial communication, and monitors whether the first serial data has been successfully received in accordance with second serial data received from the slave unit. The slave unit includes a pulse signal output module that outputs pulse signals for a number of pulses which is set from the first serial data, an analog voltage output module that receives the pulse signals, changes an analog voltage in accordance with the number of pulses, and outputs the analog voltage, and an analog/digital conversion module that converts the analog voltage into the second serial data.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, including an image reader unit, a printer unit, and a controller, is provided. The controller executes an image reading process; a printing process; a standby process to hold the printer unit in a second condition, wherein the printer unit is enabled to print through a preparatory action, on standby during a time period between completion of the printing process and elapse of a standby period; a shifting process to shift the printer unit from the second condition to a first condition, wherein the preparatory action is required to enable the printer unit to print; and a changing process, wherein, if a document cover in the image reading unit is open during the time period between the completion of the printing process and elapse of the standby period, the standby period is changed from a first period to a second period that is longer than the first period.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming system operable to provide a cloud printing service, the image forming system comprising: a transmitting device operable to transmit content by designating a target phone number; a cloud printing server operable to receive the target phone number and the content from the transmitting device; a receiving device assigned with the target phone number and operable to receive an upload notification of the content with respect to the target phone number from the cloud printing server; and an image forming device operable to print the content by receiving the content from the cloud printing server, wherein the cloud printing server transmits the content to the image forming device registered in the target phone number when the cloud printing service is requested for the content to the target phone number.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for reading a document to generate image data using a reading unit performs, receiving a job including a document reading-and-transmission job for causing the reading unit to read a document to generate image data and then transmitting the image data to a specified destination, from an information processing apparatus communicable via a network, storing the received job, displaying a list of the stored jobs in response to a user instruction, displaying a confirmation screen related to transmission setting contents of a document reading-and-transmission job selected from the list of jobs, and executing, in a case where execution of the selected document reading-and-transmission job is instructed via the confirmation screen, the document reading-and-transmission job.

Abstract: An image processing device is provided that generates a graphical user interface including at least one image element that enables receipt of a data value of a particular type therein, the graphical user interface being generated in response to selecting a processing job to be performed by the image processing device. The generated graphical user interface is mirrored to a mobile computing device by transmitting data representative of the graphical user interface to a mobile computing device via a short distance communication protocol. A return data object is received, via the short distance communication protocol, that represents a modified graphical user interface including the at least one image element having the data value of the particular type, the data value having been provided using mobile computing device.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming system operable to provide a cloud printing service, the image forming system comprising: a transmitting device operable to transmit content by designating a target phone number; a cloud printing server operable to receive the target phone number and the content from the transmitting device; a receiving device assigned with the target phone number and operable to receive an upload notification of the content with respect to the target phone number from the cloud printing server; and an image forming device operable to print the content by receiving the content from the cloud printing server, wherein the cloud printing server transmits the content to the image forming device registered in the target phone number when the cloud printing service is requested for the content to the target phone number.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit, a determining unit, and a notifying unit. The acquiring unit acquires print data from an external apparatus via a network. The print data is generated by the external apparatus from document data received from a client apparatus. The determining unit determines whether or not the acquired print data is a dummy job or an actual job. The notifying unit notifies failure information when print data of the actual job is not acquired within a period after print data which is determined to be the dummy job is acquired. The failure information indicates a failure occurring in the process in which the external apparatus receives the document data from the client apparatus, or in the process in which the print data is generated from the document data in the external apparatus. The period satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A portable terminal that is capable of enlarging and displaying an image with sufficient image quality. An obtaining unit obtains an image having resolution. An instruction unit instructs to enlarge and display the image obtained by the obtaining unit. A display unit enlarges and displays the image obtained by the obtaining unit when the instruction unit instructs to enlarge and display an image having first resolution, and enlarges and displays an image corresponding to the image obtained by the obtaining unit that is received from a server when the instruction unit instructs to enlarge and display an image having second resolution that is lower than the first resolution.

Abstract: A system for performing queue-based routing of print jobs in a multi-site print production environment may include an electronic dispatch system having a scheduling queue, at least one processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive print jobs from client computing devices, identify one or more print shops, select a set of print jobs from the scheduling queue that are to be assigned to the print shops for completion, generate a feasibility matrix for the selected print jobs, determine a preliminary assignment of the selected print jobs to the identified print shops using a set cover heuristic, use a linear programming heuristic to determine a final assignment of the selected print jobs to the identified print shops, and route each of the selected print jobs to an assigned print shop as specified by the final assignment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique that enables an image communication apparatus capable of performing voice communication and T.30 in-band FAX communication over the IP network to positively detect a CNG signal and achieve switching to FAX reception in the answerphone connection mode and the FAX/TEL-switching mode. The communication apparatus includes a MODEM that controls facsimile communication and a SLIC that controls a telephone. A selector includes switches for connecting the IP network and the MODEM, and switches for connecting the IP network and the SLIC. A CPU controls the switches of the selector such that signals from the IP network are supplied to both of the MODEM and the SLIC.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a compression history recording portion stores compression history information in a non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium, wherein the compression history information represents results of accumulation of compression levels through the compression process executed by the data compression portion. A history monitoring portion executes a predetermined improvement process when the compression history information satisfies a predetermined insufficient compression condition.

Abstract: A fully collaborative software management method allows creating, printing, delivering and hanging-in-stores a sequential arrangement of information tags. Customer and printer computers are operably connected to communicate during a design and assembly stage of developing the tags. Customer decision-makers and printer decision-makers collaborate on template authoring, content and template management, printing-event construction, staging and proofing, including integration of various elements such as stored data, timing, customer-driven controls, and event-driven controls. The method allows printer decision-makers to operate a publishing engine that permits viewing the customized information tags as a display prior to viewing as a printed product.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically editing a softcopy document using a hardcopy markup document are disclosed. The method includes scanning pages of the hardcopy markup document including editing marks; identifying file information of the hardcopy markup document; retrieving the softcopy document corresponding to the hardcopy markup document from a storage device based on the identified file information; recognizing marked regions present on at least one of the scanned pages, the marked regions includes at least one of the editing marks; creating an edit information document based on the recognized marked regions; converting the marked regions into an editable format; and creating an edited softcopy document by making one or more changes on each page of the retrieved softcopy document based on the edit information document.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a memory, and a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to control a storage unit configured to associate and store a document and a thumbnail image of a top page of the document, a deletion unit configured to delete a page designated from among pages of the document stored in the storage unit, and a generation unit configured to, in a case where a page to be deleted by the deletion unit is a top page of the document, generate a thumbnail image based on the top page of the document after deletion.

Abstract: An image acquiring device for a sheet-type medium includes an upper passage plate and a lower passage plate, a gap being reserved between the upper passage plate and the lower passage plate to form a passage; at least two driving wheels mounted on the lower passage plate, and configured to drive the sheet-type medium entered into the passage to advance along the direction of the passage; at least two floating pinch rollers mounted on the upper passage plate, and each being mounted cooperatively with a respective driving wheel and being tangent to the driving wheel at a tangential point, and being configured to apply a pressure to the sheet-type medium to allow the sheet-type medium to cling to the driving wheel; and an image collecting device, mounted between two sets of the driving wheels and the floating pinch rollers, and configured to collect an image of the sheet-type medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of preventing printing from being performed with a duplex unit incompletely attached. The duplex unit is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus. Execution of one-sided printing and double-sided printing by a printing unit is inhibited based on that a detection unit does not detect attachment of the duplex unit in a state where information to an effect that attachment of the duplex unit has been detected previously by the detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first and a second HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), a RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) controller to execute rebuilding processes in which data stored in the first HDD is copied to the second HDD restored, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). When there arises the necessity for accessing from the CPU to at least of the first and the second HDDs, and the priority of data which is the object for access by the CPU is higher than the priority of data which is being processed under the rebuilding processes, the image forming apparatus stops the rebuilding processes. The image forming apparatus restarts the rebuilding processes, when the access from the CPU is finished.