Abstract: An image forming system includes one or more image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus connected to the one or more image forming apparatuses through a network. The information processing apparatus includes circuitry that registers an image forming job that is received from one of the image forming apparatuses in association with information on a user who has authority to execute the image forming job, acquires information on a location of the user, determines whether or not the user is located at a first area based on the information on the location of the first user to generate a first determination result, and determines an operation to be performed on the image forming job based on the first determination result.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a provider identification information acquiring unit that acquires a piece of provider identification information for each of a plurality of devices that cooperatively execute a plurality of functions, based on device identification information of the device, the piece of provider identification information allowing identification of whether a provider of the device is a predetermined provider as a provider of a cooperating function; a determining unit that determines whether a non predetermined-provider device provided by a provider other than the predetermined provider exists among the devices based on pieces of the provider identification information; a charge processing unit that performs charge processing to profit the predetermined provider when the non predetermined-provider device exists; and a cooperation controlling unit that controls the devices to cooperatively execute the functions based on the cooperating function.

Abstract: A billing system includes an operation unit, a determination unit, an extraction unit, a first calculator, and a second calculator. The operation unit receives an operation for executing a function provided by one device of a plurality of devices. The determination unit determines whether the one device is available for the function associated with the operation received by the operation unit. The extraction unit extracts another device that is available for the function as a substitute for the one device when the determination unit determines that the one device is not available for the function. The first calculator calculates a fee for the function to be executed by the other device. The second calculator calculates a total billed amount based on the fee calculated by the first calculator and content executed by the other device when the function is executed by the other device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a communicating unit which communicates with a portable terminal device and an external device; a storage control unit which controls to store transfer destination information of the external device to which information from the portable terminal device is allowed to be transferred in a storage unit; a determining unit which determines whether a request from the portable terminal device is the request to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information stored in the storage unit; and a communication control unit which controls the communicating unit to transfer the request from the portable terminal device to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information when the determining unit determines that the request is the request to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is connected with a plurality of information terminals, and includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is to extract at least shared information from history information transmitted from a first information terminal included in the plurality of information terminals, the shared information being shared among at least two of the plurality of information terminals; generate display information for displaying the extracted shared information; and transmit the display information to at least one of the information terminals.

Abstract: An operation unit in a child device causes a main unit in the child device to execute a stand-alone job, and causes the main unit and a server device to execute a cooperating job. The main unit executes the stand-alone job every time it is requested, and generates and manages a stand-alone job log including stand-alone job log identification information. The server device controls the execution of stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job based on a request for executing the cooperating job, and manages cooperating job identification information associated with the stand-alone job log identification information of the stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job. The server device acquires the stand-alone job logs from the main unit and extracts the stand-alone job logs including the stand-alone job log identification information associated with the cooperating job identification information, to generate a cooperating job log corresponding to the cooperating job.

Abstract: An operating information storing system includes a master apparatus and multiple slave apparatuses. The master apparatus and each slave apparatus respectively include a first processor. The master apparatus includes a nonvolatile memory, the first processor that acquires operating information generated by each slave apparatus, stores the acquired operating information, and determines if at least one operating information indicates specific operating information, and a first transmitter. Each slave apparatus includes a volatile memory, a second processor to store generated operating information in the volatile memory sequentially, and a second transmitter that transfers the operating information stored in the volatile memory to the master apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming system includes one or more image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus connected to the one or more image forming apparatuses through a network. The information processing apparatus includes circuitry that registers an image forming job that is received from one of the image forming apparatuses in association with information on a user who has authority to execute the image forming job, acquires information on a location of the user, determines whether or not the user is located at a first area based on the information on the location of the first user to generate a first determination result, and determines an operation to be performed on the image forming job based on the first determination result.

Abstract: A device linkage system includes: a device-information storage part configured to store device linkage information containing device identification information of devices to be linked and information about functions to be performed by the devices; a linkage function controller configured to Perform control to cause at least one device of the devices to perform at least one function of the functions in accordance with the device linkage information if it is determined that the at least one function is permitted to be performed by the at least one device based on billing-related information containing billing information representing a function-use right and information about unit costs for use of the functions; and a billing-information update part configured to update the billing information in accordance with the billing-related information and the at least one function that the linkage function controller has caused the at least one device to perform.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes circuitry that receives multiple output commands from one or more inputting image processing apparatuses, each command instructing to output image data through an outputting information processing apparatus, acquires a status of the outputting image processing apparatus, determines priorities of the multiple output commands to be transferred to the outputting image processing apparatus based on the acquired status of the outputting image processing apparatus, and modifies an order of processing the output commands in accordance with the determined priorities of the output commands.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus stores function information that identifies, for each one of a plurality of functions, one or more devices capable of performing the function, receives a user instruction for executing a job from a first device of the plurality of devices, the user instruction instructing execution of at least one function that cannot be performed by the first device, identifies a second device of the plurality of devices that is capable of performing the at least one function of the user instruction using the function information, and controls the second device to transition from a power save mode to a normal operating mode, while keeping devices other than the second device to be in the power save mode.

Abstract: A document output system includes a document registration unit that registers, for each one of events, data of one or more documents in association with identification for identifying the event related to the documents in a memory, an acceptance unit that accepts an instruction for outputting the documents, the instruction including identification for identifying an event related to the documents to be output, and an output unit that outputs the documents associated with the identification of the instruction in a predetermined order as a series of the documents.

Abstract: An operating information storing system includes a master apparatus and multiple slave apparatuses. The master apparatus and each slave apparatus respectively include a first processor. The master apparatus includes a nonvolatile memory, the first processor that acquires operating information generated by each slave apparatus, stores the acquired operating information, and determines if at least one operating information indicates specific operating information, and a first transmitter. Each slave apparatus includes a volatile memory, a second processor to store generated operating information in the volatile memory sequentially, and a second transmitter that transfers the operating information stored in the volatile memory to the master apparatus.

Abstract: An operation unit in a child device causes a main unit in the child device to execute a stand-alone job, and causes the main unit and a server device to execute a cooperating job. The main unit executes the stand-alone job every time it is requested, and generates and manages a stand-alone job log including stand-alone job log identification information. The server device controls the execution of stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job based on a request for executing the cooperating job, and manages cooperating job identification information associated with the stand-alone job log identification information of the stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job. The server device acquires the stand-alone job logs from the main unit and extracts the stand-alone job logs including the stand-alone job log identification information associated with the cooperating job identification information, to generate a cooperating job log corresponding to the cooperating job.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a provider identification information acquiring unit that acquires a piece of provider identification information for each of a plurality of devices that cooperatively execute a plurality of functions, based on device identification information of the device, the piece of provider identification information allowing identification of whether a provider of the device is a predetermined provider as a provider of a cooperating function; a determining unit that determines whether a non predetermined-provider device provided by a provider other than the predetermined provider exists among the devices based on pieces of the provider identification information; a charge processing unit that performs charge processing to profit the predetermined provider when the non predetermined-provider device exists; and a cooperation controlling unit that controls the devices to cooperatively execute the functions based on the cooperating function.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a communicating unit which communicates with a portable terminal device and an external device; a storage control unit which controls to store transfer destination information of the external device to which information from the portable terminal device is allowed to be transferred in a storage unit; a determining unit which determines whether a request from the portable terminal device is the request to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information stored in the storage unit; and a communication control unit which controls the communicating unit to transfer the request from the portable terminal device to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information when the determining unit determines that the request is the request to the external device indicated by the transfer destination information.

Abstract: An information processing system includes an execution request unit that requests one or more multiple preregistered apparatuses to execute an operation, an authority information acquisition unit that acquires authority information that indicates user authority on the preregistered apparatus from at least one of the preregistered apparatuses, an authority management information generator that generates authority management information that indicates the user authority applied to the preregistered apparatuses based on the authority information that the authority information acquisition unit acquires, and a controller that controls whether or not to allow the execution request unit to request to execute the operation based on the authority management information.

Abstract: A system includes a first apparatus capable of registering a plurality of apparatuses, and a second apparatus connected to the first apparatus via a network. The second apparatus transmits an inquiry request for inquiring presence of a first apparatus capable of registering on the network to all apparatuses on the network by broadcast, and when information indicating an access destination of the first apparatus is received, transmits a registration request for registering the second apparatus to the first apparatus to the received access destination.

Abstract: An information processing system includes electronic devices each including a display unit, and at least one information processing apparatus including a display unit. The information processing apparatus is able to communicate with the electronic devices via a network. The information processing system includes a first sharing unit configured to cause sharing of display contents of the display unit of a first electronic device of the electronic devices and the display unit of the information processing apparatus; and a second sharing unit configured to acquire, from the first electronic device, information of a second electronic device of the electronic devices that is operating in cooperation with the first electronic device, and cause sharing of display contents of the display unit of the second electronic device and the display unit of the information processing apparatus based on the information of the second electronic device.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus stores function information that identifies, for each one of a plurality of functions, one or more devices capable of performing the function, receives a user instruction for executing a job from a first device of the plurality of devices, the user instruction instructing execution of at least one function that cannot be performed by the first device, identifies a second device of the plurality of devices that is capable of performing the at least one function of the user instruction using the function information, and controls the second device to transition from a power save mode to a normal operating mode, while keeping devices other than the second device to be in the power save mode.