Abstract: A printer device connects a plurality of stations each having a plurality of data transmission control units which perform data transmission for respective colors of C, M, Y, and K received from an upper level device, and prints transmitted image data of the respective colors. The transmission of image data received from the upper level device is performed to be thinned out in a raster unit in accordance with the number of stations by a plurality of data transmission control units, which controls image data of the same color, from among a plurality of data transmission control units of each of a plurality of stations. A sheet conveying speed is determined in accordance with the number of stations, and the determined conveyance speed is allocated on a conveyance control unit when sheet conveying starts.

Abstract: A printing system includes a print service and an image forming apparatus having a web browser to display a screen provided from a web server. The web server includes a print instruction unit, a print status acquisition unit, a screen generation unit, and a screen transmission unit. The print instruction unit transmits, to the print, a print instruction according to a received print request. The print status acquisition unit acquires a print status of print data. The screen generation unit generates a job information screen that corresponds to the acquired print status. The screen transmission unit transmits the generated job information screen. The print status acquisition unit acquires the print status based on information that was notified, in response to a change in the print status, from an image forming apparatus that acquires the print data from the print service and executes printing based on the acquired print data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, receipt of a print job at a printer is recognized. If the printer has a set of capabilities needed to meet requirements of the job, local processing is performed, and printing of the job at the printer is caused. If the printer does not have the set, and the printer and a print service available to the printer via a network together have the set, the job is sent to the service for remote processing. After the remote processing, the job is received at the printer from the service. Printing of the job, at the printer and in accordance with the requirements, is caused.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a screen information storage part to store, on a user basis, the screen information of an operation screen containing a shortcut for calling an application; a shortcut creating part to, in response to receiving a request for a job of the application, create a job shortcut for executing the job based on the information of the requested job, and make a request for updating the screen information of a user having requested the job; a screen management part to, in response to receiving the screen information updating request, add information of the created job shortcut to the screen information of the user; a user management part to authenticate and manage the user; a screen creating part to create the operating screen containing the job shortcut based on the screen information of the managed user; and a display part to display the created operating screen.

Abstract: A method implemented in a printer controller for printing oversized image data is described. During printing, a process is executed to determine whether the data to be printed have a page data size that exceeds the maximum printable area for the specified recording medium. The page data size of a given page is the total extent (width and height) of the data objects on the page. If the page data size exceeds the maximum printable area, the process determines whether the portions of the image that exceeds the maximum printable area are background data. If they are, a portion of the background data that exceeds the maximum printable area are cut off, and the document is printed without reducing the size of the non-background data. The method can also be implemented on a print driver.

Abstract: A print service apparatus includes: a reception unit configured to receive, via a Web browser together with a print job designated from a window, window information of the window, user information, and message information of a message which is contained in the window and provided by a microblogging function; an addition unit configured to add, as a user using the microblogging function, a comment on the message corresponding to the message information to the window; a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether another user has added a comment on the message corresponding to the message information; a determination unit configured to determine whether the added comment is a comment by the user; and a decision unit configured to decide processing for the print job based on a content of the added comment when the determination unit determines that the added comment is a comment by the user.

Abstract: A print control apparatus may include a determination unit, a division unit, and a rearrangement unit to process print data impositioned by an application program. The determination unit determines whether at least one of an impositioned appearance indicating an arrangement of logical pages in respective physical pages of the impositioned print data, and a print output attribute, which is an attribute of an output of the impositioned print data, satisfies a division condition set in advance. If the determining unit determines that the impositioned appearance or the print output attribute satisfies the division condition, the division unit divides the impositioned print data in logical-page unit. The rearrangement unit rearranges divided logical pages in an order according to the impositioned appearance. If neither the impositioned appearance nor the print output attribute satisfies the division condition, the impositioned print data is prevented from being divided in logical-page unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing using a synchronization signal are provided. Printing processes are performed in the apparatus by determining points in time for performing the printing processes based on a synchronization signal so that it is possible to reduce a waiting time for printing.

Abstract: Provided is an image sending apparatus capable of preventing an erroneous sending effectively using a preview display without causing a user to feel troublesome with unnecessary confirmation operation. An image forming apparatus (illustrated as a digital multi-functional peripheral) is provided with a setting storage portion (illustrated as a control memory) for storing setting information (illustrated as a table) related to a preview display by a display control portion (illustrated as a panel control portion) for each sending destination. The setting information includes forcible execution information showing whether or not a preview image is displayed forcibly by the display control portion. The display control portion performs a display control based on the stored setting information.

Abstract: This invention is directed to image reading capable of suppressing EMI unwanted radiation while maintaining image quality. To accomplish this, the following processing is executed when reading an original image by a photoelectric transducer. More specifically, a first driving signal where SSCG spread modulation is applied, and a second driving signal where no SSCG spread modulation is applied are generated from a reference signal. Either the first or second driving signal is selected, and a timing signal for reading the original image is generated based on the selected driving signal. The image signal obtained by the photoelectric transducer is latched using the timing signal. The latched image signal is transferred for subsequent image processing. Upon reading a one-line image original, the second driving signal is selected till the completion of the latch operation, and after the latch operation, the first driving signal is selected for an image signal transfer operation.

Abstract: A manuscript reading apparatus capable of reading manuscript through a proper scan resolution without performing troublesome operation by user is supplied. In the image reading apparatus, a setting section 102 sets a scan resolution; an image reading section 103 reads manuscript through the set scan resolution; a storing section 104 stores the read image data; and an image processing section 106 determines a recommended resolution with respect to the scan resolution according to a continuous number of the same pixel in the image data.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving a variable print job having a plurality of records including page information of a plurality of pages, and based on the page information, outputting an output product including a master object and a variable object includes a reception unit for receiving a print job, an output unit for executing output processing for outputting the received print job as the output product, a detection unit for detecting an error occurring during the output processing, and a control unit, when the print job in which an error is detected is the variable print job, interrupting the output processing of the record, and restarting output processing from a page included in a record following the record in which the error is detected.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a peripheral device at least having a printer function and an information processing apparatus controlling the peripheral device. The peripheral device includes: a display portion; a process execution portion to execute prescribed processing; a storage portion to store user-specific data; and a metadata return portion to refer to the user-specific data in response to reception of a metadata request from the information processing apparatus and to extract and return metadata associated with user identification information included in the received metadata request.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form images based on image data transmitted from information processing apparatus of users including registered users and unregistered users; a setting unit configured to set permission information for each user based on a log of the image forming and limit information; a first judging unit configured to determine whether user identification information is attached to image data; a second judging unit configured to determine, based on the permission information that is set for an unregistered user, whether to permit execution of image forming of the image data, when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is not attached to the image data.

Abstract: In an image network system used for network print service which receives an order for printing or the like by using a communication network such as the Internet, there are provided a center server capable of providing service which is different depending upon points given to a customer according to an order track record, at a time of using the system, capable of suitably setting a storage capacity and a storage period of an image for a user without placing a burden on the user while importance is placed on an operational efficiency of the system, capable of allowing a user to upload images as many as possible in an album, and useful for prompting an order, and an image network system including the center server.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a structure information acquisition portion that acquires, from a list which is included in each of plural pieces of image data sorted in a predetermined order and is formed of rows and columns, structure information which includes row information including at least the number of the rows of the list and heights of the rows thereof and column information including at least the number of the columns thereof and the widths of the columns thereof; a list connection determination portion that determines, based on the acquired structure information, a set of connected lists among the lists respectively included in the plural pieces of the image data, and a connection direction of the connected lists; and a list connection portion that connects the set of the determined lists in the determined connection direction in an order of the plural pieces of the image data listed.

Abstract: Provided is a device that prevents unauthorized copying of a document to which copy inhibition information is added.

Abstract: A printer driver for generating print job data to be transferred to a printer in response to a drawing instruction determines, based on combining condition, whether the received drawing instruction can be combined with another drawing instruction. If the printer driver determines that the received drawing instruction can be combined, the printer driver stores the received drawing instruction as intermediate data. If the printer driver determines that the received drawing instruction cannot be combined, the printer driver combines intermediate data of already stored drawing instructions into a single item of print job data and outputs the print job data to the printer. The combining condition is that the received drawing instruction meets all of three conditions.

Abstract: File name data is transmitted from a mobile telephone to a relay server. The file specified by the file name data is read from a database and transmitted to a print service server. In response, a reservation code is transmitted from the print service server to the mobile telephone via the relay server. The user of the mobile telephone goes to a store where a printer has been installed and inputs the reservation code to the printer. The reservation code is transmitted from the printer to the print service server and the file corresponding to the reservation code is transmitted to and printed by the printer. Since the mobile telephone need only transmit the file name data in a case where printing is performed at the printer, data traffic through the mobile telephone is reduced.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a plurality of resources (for example, circuits) for implementing a plurality of functions and executing jobs in order of priority by using these resources. A conflict judging section determines whether any one of the resources required for a particular one of pending jobs is the same as any one of the resources required for pending jobs having a priority higher than that of the particular job. When it has been determined by the conflict judging section that any one or more of the resources required for the particular job is not the same as any of the resources required for pending jobs having a priority higher than that of the job, a job managing section provides the particular job a right of execution.