Abstract: If a designation detector detects one of icons representing peripheral equipment (image forming apparatuses) displayed on a monitor screen by a display controller in response to operator's manipulation, an operation information acquirer acquires, from the respective peripheral equipment, operation information indicating a job status of the respective peripheral equipment represented by all the icons displayed on the monitor screen. If it is judged that the peripheral equipment represented by the icon whose designation has been detected by the designation detector is in a state of processing a job, the display controller changes the display format of the icon representing a peripheral equipment in an idling state.

Abstract: A reduced image generation portion generates a reduced image indicating the content of a file stored in a storage device. When a judgment portion judges that text data, which is the file in text format, is attached to the file, a display image generation portion generates a display image indicating the attachment of the text data to the file. A display control portion then displays the images generated by the reduced image generation portion and the display image generation portion on a display as one thumbnail image. Meanwhile, when the text data is not attached to the file, the display control portion displays the reduced image generated by the reduced image generation portion as the thumbnail image.

Abstract: A display format discriminator discriminates whether a peripheral apparatus detected by a PC is to be displayed as an individual icon or a generic icon representing a group of peripheral apparatuses. A first display controller displays the individual icon or the generic icon based on a discrimination by the display format discriminator. If the generic icon has been designated by an operator, a second display controller displays, the group of peripheral apparatuses in a list associated with the generic icon. If the individual icon has been designated, a main controller controls the peripheral apparatus represented by the individual icon to perform processing necessary for execution of an operation. If, on the other hand, one of the listed peripheral apparatuses has been designated, the main controller controls the designated peripheral apparatus to perform processing necessary for execution of an operation.

Abstract: If a designation detector detects one of icons representing peripheral equipment (image forming apparatuses) displayed on a monitor screen by a display controller in response to operator's manipulation, an operation information acquirer acquires, from the respective peripheral equipment, operation information indicating a job status of the respective peripheral equipment represented by all the icons displayed on the monitor screen. If it is judged that the peripheral equipment represented by the icon whose designation has been detected by the designation detector is in a state of processing a job, the display controller changes the display format of the icon representing a peripheral equipment in an idling state.

Abstract: A reduced image generation portion generates a reduced image indicating the content of a file stored in a storage device. When a judgment portion judges that text data, which is the file in text format, is attached to the file, a display image generation portion generates a display image indicating the attachment of the text data to the file. A display control portion then displays the images generated by the reduced image generation portion and the display image generation portion on a display as one thumbnail image. Meanwhile, when the text data is not attached to the file, the display control portion displays the reduced image generated by the reduced image generation portion as the thumbnail image.

Abstract: A printer group storage portion that stores a group made up of two or more printers, a print command acceptance portion that accepts an image formation job to form an image on a recording sheet, a data dividing portion that divides the image formation job accepted at the print command acceptance portion in units of pages for the respective printers in the group stored in the group storage portion, and a job transmission portion that distributes respective segments of the image formation job divided by the data dividing portion to the respective printers for the image forming job to be executed, are provided. The dividing portion divides the image formation job so that the segments of the image formation job distributed to the respective printers end almost simultaneously.

Abstract: An MFP includes a scanner portion; a printing portion, a workflow storage portion that stores workflows, a workflow selection portion that enables a user to select a workflow, a workflow execution control portion that controls the MFP or an PC to execute operations written in the selected workflow, and an MFP execution control portion that controls the scanner portion and the printing portion to operate according to an instruction from the workflow execution control portion. A PC includes an application storage portion that stores programs, an application execution portion that executes programs, and an application execution control portion that controls the application execution portion to execute the programs according to the instruction from the workflow execution portion.

Abstract: A wide area network printing system receives print data from a contents server. A document server then sends the print data to a printer that is remote from the document server but in communication therewith via the Internet for printout. The document server determines a payer based on the document ID sent from the printer, and stores accounting data. The printer collects a fee from the print data recipient, if the print data recipient is judged to be the payer, but does not collect the fee from the print data recipient, if a print data provider is judged to be the payer. With this arrangement, the print fee is collected from the user depending on a judgment as to whether the print data is provided on fee-based service or for free. Thus, expenses relating to printout are collected properly.

Abstract: In an electronic transaction system, a password authenticating section of the portable telephone judges whether the password inputted on the operating section of the accounting control device coincides with the password stored in the portable telephone. If the judgment result is affirmative, the controlling section of the portable telephone controls the communicating section thereof to send a notification that the password matching is established to the accounting control device, and controls an electronic money information altering section thereof to alter the amount of electronic money stored in an electronic money storing section thereof in accordance with the command requesting subtraction of electronic money.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided in which not only accounting of a print fee depending on the number of copies of print data, or the like, but also accounting of an information fee depending on the contents, values, or the like of information to be provided to users are executable. According to the arrangement, an accounting section of a contents server charges a user requesting printout of print data for an information fee relating to the print data, and an accounting section of a document server charges the user for a print fee depending on the number of copies of the print data, whereby the information fee and the print fee are chargeable by the contents server and the document server independently of each other.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recording device includes a region setting device for setting on a magnetic tape a plurality of data regions in which data are recorded, a data recording device for recording data in the data regions, a section identifier recording device for recording a section identifier representative of the head of each data region, and a control unit for controlling the section identifier recording device so as to record a section identifier representative of the head of a second data region immediately after a data is recorded in a first data region in response to the region setting device. With this recording device, the magnetic tape is not required to be formatted so as to attain data regions in advance recording the data. This leads to an improved operability of the recording device in recording the data on the magnetic tape.

Abstract: An image-forming machine includes an image-bearing member having a photosensitive material on its surface, a latent electrostatic image-forming device for forming a latent electrostatic image corresponding to image information on the photosensitive material, a developing device for developing the latent electrostatic image, a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the photosensitive material to a sheet material, a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet material through a transfer zone, and a receiving section for receiving the sheet material conveyed through the transfer zone. An assembly provides an improved cooperation of an optical device of the image-forming device, a sheet receiving section and the developing device. A further assembly maintains a process unit having the image-bearing member and an optical unit having the optical device in a predetermined positional relationship.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser beam printer which comprises a beam source for emitting a beam corresponding to an image signal, a photosensitive member for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon with the beam, a polygon mirror for reflecting the beam emitted by the beam source to scan the photosensitive member with the beam, an image forming lens provided between the polygon mirror and the photosensitive member in the optical path of the mirror for focusing the reflected beam from the polygon mirror on the surface of the photosensitive member, a box accommodating the beam source, the polygon mirror and the image forming lens therein and having a window for passing therethrough the beam from the image forming lens toward the photosensitive member, an optical filter provided over the opening of the window, and light blocking means disposed in an optical path along which a portion of the beam reflected from one of the mirror faces of the polygon mirror travels toward the image forming lens again a

Abstract: In a laser beam printer wherein the quantity of light of the laser beam is fed back to maintain the light quantity at a constant value, the temperature sensor means is provided for detecting the temperature of the photosensitive member, and the feedback circuit is so constructed that the light quantity setting reference signal of the circuit is adjusted in accordance with the output of the temperature sensor means. Consequently, the quantity of light of the laser beam is adjusted according to the temperature-sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive member to give a constant image density.