Abstract: To display appropriately the progress status for each processing device in one series of print operations so that the person in charge of each processing device may visually confirm the status. A management server transmits the processing information adapted to one series of print operations to any of the processing devices, collects the notification information notified from each processing device, generates the display data for displaying relevantly the progress status of each print operation and the process state of each processing device, and transmits the generated display data to each processing device. Each processing device acquires the display data transmitted from the management server, and displays and switches dynamically the progress status of the processing devices in linkage with a processing device selected from among a plurality of processing devices.

Abstract: In order to freely construct an issue processing system which newly issues printed materials of necessary and sufficient amount by effectively using stocked printed materials, and thus achieve the issue process in a high-operability and high-convenience environment, a file information list is acquired and displayed from a document server, it is controlled by a controller of a printer to display a screen for accepting an acquirement indication for the file information, a stock of the file information selected on the screen is inquired to a stock management server, the stock information is thus acquired, and it is controlled, according to the acquired stock information, to cause a display unit to display a screen for accepting either one of a delivery indication and an information writing indication selectable by user or accepting both the delivery indication and the information writing indication selectable by user.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus determining a paper feed source having a possibility of feeding paper sheets in executing a printing job in accordance with contents of the printing job and detecting characteristics of a paper sheet fed from the paper feed source for executes printing processing of a printing job, wherein the printing of the printing job is performed by feeding at least one paper sheet from each of all the paper feed sources having a possibility of paper feed and, if the detected characteristics of the paper sheet do not meet the characteristics of a paper sheet stored in a memory, printing processing is temporarily or completely stopped.

Abstract: An image processing method in an image processing apparatus which has storing means for storing group information set every predetermined print service request, receives a print job according to a predetermined print service request from a data processing apparatus, and processes the received print job. This method has: a discriminating step of discriminating whether a print job according to a specific print service request which is received corresponds to the group information stored in the storing means or not; a setting step of, if it is determined by the discriminating step that the print job does not correspond, setting specific group information for enabling the print job to be executed into the non-corresponding print job; and a job control step of controlling permission/inhibition of the execution of the print job according to the predetermined print service request or the specific print service request on the basis of the group information or the specific group information.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which is connected to a network (30), and forms an image on the basis of data acquired from the network, upon receiving a URL that designates image data to be acquired from a console, the URL is interpreted, and a data request is submitted to a server via the network on the basis of the interpretation result. Image data sent from the server in response to that data request is stored. If the image data is a JPEG image, an image process that warrants excellent tone reproduction is made; if the image data is a GIF image, an image process that warrants high resolution is made, and the processed image data is output to a printer to print it out.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus receives, from a host computer, job data including image-formation data and a procedure for predetermined processing, and a computer controls image formation (printing) in accordance with the received procedure. Thereby, the image formation apparatus communicates with an external unit in accordance with the procedure, and based on a result of the communication, printing can be controlled, and by changing the content of the procedure, a control procedure for image formation can flexibly be changed. This enables detailed control of outputting, such as the restriction of the use of a printer, and the restriction of the use a printer in accordance with a user or the content of a document to be output.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus determining a paper feed source having a possibility of feeding paper sheets in executing a printing job in accordance with contents of the printing job and detecting characteristics of a paper sheet fed from the paper feed source for executes printing processing of a printing job, wherein the printing of the printing job is performed by feeding at least one paper sheet from each of all the paper feed sources having a possibility of paper feed and, if the detected characteristics of the paper sheet do not meet the characteristics of a paper sheet stored in a memory, printing processing is temporarily or completely stopped.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which is connected to a network (30), and forms an image on the basis of data acquired from the network, upon receiving a URL that designates image data to be acquired from a console, the URL is interpreted, and a data request is submitted to a server via the network on the basis of the interpretation result. Image data sent from the server in response to that data request is stored. If the image data is a JPEG image, an image process that warrants excellent tone reproduction is made; if the image data is a GIF image, an image process that warrants high resolution is made, and the processed image data is output to a printer to print it out.

Abstract: To achieve the above objects, a communication apparatus for forming and outputting image data on the basis of data received via a network analyzes the contents of received electronic mail and extracts binary data encoded using character codes. The communication apparatus converts the extracted binary data into image data and outputs the data. The communication apparatus requests, where necessary, a server apparatus on the network to convert the binary data into the image data. If the conversion from the binary data into the image data is impossible, the communication apparatus reports this information to the source of the electronic mail in the same session as the electronic mail. The communication apparatus also generates a message from the reported information and transmits the message as electronic mail in a session other than the electronic mail.

Abstract: An image processing system wherein a data processing apparatus and a plurality of image processing apparatuses are connected through a network. The data processing apparatus transmits a print job that is received through the network from a client and first instruction data that instructs to calculate a printing cost for the print job to each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses, and receives response data with respect to the transmission from each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses, and selects one of the plurality of image processing apparatuses based on a plurality of response data received. The image processing apparatus responds to reception of the print job and the first instruction data from the data processing apparatus, calculates a printing cost based on an image processing capability of the apparatus itself, and transmits the print cost calculated to the data processing apparatus.

Abstract: To display appropriately the progress status for each processing device in one series of print operations so that the person in charge of each processing device may visually confirm the status. A management server transmits the processing information adapted to one series of print operations to any of the processing devices, collects the notification information notified from each processing device, generates the display data for displaying relevantly the progress status of each print operation and the process state of each processing device, and transmits the generated display data to each processing device. Each processing device acquires the display data transmitted from the management server, and displays and switches dynamically the progress status of the processing devices in linkage with a processing device selected from among a plurality of processing devices.

Abstract: In order to freely construct an issue processing system which newly issues printed materials of necessary and sufficient amount by effectively using stocked printed materials, and thus achieve the issue process in a high-operability and high-convenience environment, a file information list is acquired and displayed from a document server, it is controlled by a controller of a printer to display a screen for accepting an acquirement indication for the file information, a stock of the file information selected on the screen is inquired to a stock management server, the stock information is thus acquired, and it is controlled, according to the acquired stock information, to cause a display unit to display a screen for accepting either one of a delivery indication and an information writing indication selectable by user or accepting both the delivery indication and the information writing indication selectable by user.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus allows a user to obtain only data on a desirable WWW (World Wide Web) server and print the obtained data. The image processing apparatus, which accesses HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data on a WWW server in accordance with designated address information and which prints the HTML data, allows for requesting of a source that specifies the address information an acceptance for the accessing or printing of data other than those data that correspond to the designated address information and that are linked with the pertinent data, and when the acceptance requested cannot be obtained from the source that specifies the address information, halts access or printing of the data other than data that correspond to the designated address information and that are linked with the pertinent data.

Abstract: An image processing method in an image processing apparatus which has storing means for storing group information set every predetermined print service request, receives a print job according to a predetermined print service request from a data processing apparatus, and processes the received print job. This method has: a discriminating step of discriminating whether a print job according to a specific print service request which is received corresponds to the group information stored in the storing means or not; a setting step of, if it is determined by the discriminating step that the print job does not correspond, setting specific group information for enabling the print job to be executed into the non-corresponding print job; and a job control step of controlling permission/inhibition of the execution of the print job according to the predetermined print service request or the specific print service request on the basis of the group information or the specific group information.

Abstract: An image processing system wherein a data processing apparatus and a plurality of image processing apparatuses are connected through a network. The data processing apparatus transmits a print job that is received through the network from a client and first instruction data that instructs to calculate a printing cost for the print job to each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses, and receives response data with respect to the transmission from each of the plurality of image processing apparatuses, and selects one of the plurality of image processing apparatuses based on a plurality of response data received. The image processing apparatus responds to reception of the print job and the first instruction data from the data processing apparatus, calculates a printing cost based on an image processing capability of the apparatus itself, and transmits the print cost calculated to the data processing apparatus.