Abstract: A remote communication system according to one aspect of the disclosure includes an image forming apparatus, an electronic device, a session relay system, and a session management unit. When a start of a test for a communication state via the session is requested by the electronic device, the session management unit requests the session relay system for a first test ID as the first session ID and a second test ID as the second session ID. When the session is relayed by the session relay system by associating the connection established between the electronic device and the session relay system with the connection established between the image forming apparatus and the session relay system using the first test ID and the second test ID, the image forming apparatus executes the test for the communication state with the electronic device via the relayed session.

Abstract: A remote communication control system includes a session relay system that associates a connection established with an image forming apparatus with a connection established with an electronic device located outside a network to which the image forming apparatus belongs, so as to relay a session between the image forming apparatus and the electronic device. When an application is unusable via the session, the session relay system does not relay the session based on a control policy and identification information of the application as a target for the session. The control policy indicates whether which application of the image forming apparatus is usable via the session.

Abstract: A remote communication control system includes a session relay system and a session-related information collection unit. The session relay system associates a connection established with an image forming apparatus with a connection established with an electronic device located outside a network to which the image forming apparatus belongs, so as to relay a session between the image forming apparatus and the electronic device. The session-related information collection unit collects session-related information related to the session at least from the image forming apparatus and the session relay system.

Abstract: A remote communication control system includes a session relay system and a session management unit. The session relay system relays a session between an image forming apparatus and an electronic device by associating a connection established with the image forming apparatus with a connection established with the electronic device. The electronic device is located outside a network to which the image forming apparatus belongs. The session management unit manages the session. When the electronic device requests a start of the session, the session management unit causes the image forming apparatus to install an application required to establish the session.

Abstract: A remote communication system according to one aspect of the disclosure includes an image forming apparatus, an electronic device, a session relay system, and a session management unit. When a start of a test for a communication state via the session is requested by the electronic device, the session management unit requests the session relay system for a first test ID as the first session ID and a second test ID as the second session ID. When the session is relayed by the session relay system by associating the connection established between the electronic device and the session relay system with the connection established between the image forming apparatus and the session relay system using the first test ID and the second test ID, the image forming apparatus executes the test for the communication state with the electronic device via the relayed session.

Abstract: A remote communication control system includes a session relay system, a session management unit, and a remote maintenance unit. The session relay system associates a connection established with an image forming apparatus with a connection established with an electronic device located outside a network to which the image forming apparatus belongs, so as to relay a session between the image forming apparatus and the electronic device. The session management unit manages the session. The remote maintenance unit executes a remote maintenance to the image forming apparatus corresponding to an instruction from the electronic device. When the remote maintenance corresponding to the instruction is a specific remote maintenance, the session management unit terminates the session established to the image forming apparatus as a target for the remote maintenance corresponding to the instruction.

Abstract: A remote communication system includes an image forming apparatus, an electronic device, a session relay system, and a session management system. The session relay system notifies a first session ID and a second session ID to the session management system. The session management system executes a notification of the first session ID to the electronic device and a notification of the second session ID to the image forming apparatus. The electronic device establishes a connection with the session relay system. The connection uses the first session ID. The image forming apparatus establishes a connection with the session relay system. The connection uses the second session ID. The session relay system relays the session by associating the connection established with the electronic device with the connection established with the image forming apparatus using the first session ID and the second session ID.

Abstract: A license management server manages a license to perform a service of remote maintenance related to one or more image forming apparatuses installed in a customer's site. The maintenance server includes a maintenance unit and a history management unit. If the license management server notified of expiration of an expiration date of the license defined by a contract, the maintenance unit stores history information acquired from the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the expired license into a storage unit, and stops the service. If the license management server notified of grant of the license by a re-contract, the history management unit obtains the history information about the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the granted license from the storage unit, and passes the obtained history information to the maintenance unit. By using the passed history information, the maintenance unit resumes the service.

Abstract: A license management system includes an image forming apparatus and a license management server. The license management server includes a group management database, a license management database, a time zone information table, a group management unit, and a license management unit. The group management database stores information indicating an organization to which the license is assigned. The information relates to a group to which the image forming apparatus belongs. The license management database stores information on the license for the group. The time zone information table describes information on a working hour in a time zone where the group is present. When the one working hour ends, the license management unit that re-assigns the license from the group in the ended working hour to the group in another working hour based on the time zone information table, the license management database, and a current time.

Abstract: A device management system includes an electronic device and a remote maintenance server. The electronic device displays an operation screen to a user. The remote maintenance server includes a transparent panel management portion that draws a guide image on a virtual transparent panel based on an operation of a service person performed on a service terminal device, and causes the electronic device to overlay and display the virtual transparent panel on the operation screen.

Abstract: A network device search system includes an information processing terminal and a network device. The information processing terminal includes a search request unit configured to transmit a search request signal via a network; and a device information display unit configured to display, if notification information is attached to a received response signal, unique information for the network device included in the response signal in association with the notification information. The network device includes an input screen display unit configured to display an input screen in response to reception of the search request signal; and a search request response unit configured to return, when the notification information is input through the input screen, the response signal including the unique information for the network device by attaching the notification information thereto.

Abstract: A device management system for managing a plurality of image forming apparatuses includes a management state determination section and a management state notification section. The management state determination section determines whether or not each of the image forming apparatuses is appropriately managed based on information from an application for managing the image forming apparatuses. The management state notification section sends to a specified address an inappropriate management notification indicating that a given one of the image forming apparatuses is not appropriately managed. The management state notification section sends out the inappropriate management notification when the management state determination section determines that a given one of the image forming apparatuses is not appropriately managed (S135, S140, and S144).

Abstract: In a license management server, a license management DB stores information about a license for performing remote maintenance on an image forming apparatus installed in an end customer site. A group management DB stores information about a group to which the image forming apparatus belongs. A table defines and describes the number of image forming apparatuses belonging to the group and a content of the license to be granted to the group so that the content of the license becomes advantageous to a user as the number of image forming apparatuses increases. The user registers the image forming apparatuses into the group. A group management unit counts the number of image forming apparatuses belonging to the group. A license management unit adjusts the content of the license on the basis of the number of image forming apparatuses counted.

Abstract: A license management server manages a license to perform a service of remote maintenance related to one or more image forming apparatuses installed in a customer's site. The maintenance server includes a maintenance unit and a history management unit. If the license management server notified of expiration of an expiration date of the license defined by a contract, the maintenance unit stores history information acquired from the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the expired license into a storage unit, and stops the service. If the license management server notified of grant of the license by a re-contract, the history management unit obtains the history information about the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the granted license from the storage unit, and passes the obtained history information to the maintenance unit. By using the passed history information, the maintenance unit resumes the service.

Abstract: An agent unit acquires apparatus status information that indicates a status of the electronic apparatus from an electronic apparatus. A remote maintenance server transmits an acquisition instruction of the apparatus status information to the agent unit and receives the apparatus status information from the agent unit if acquisition of the apparatus status information succeeded. The remote maintenance server (a) acquires operation schedule information on the electronic apparatus, (b) transmits an acquisition instruction of the apparatus status information to the agent unit, (c) registers a retransmission schedule of the acquisition instruction so as to transmit the acquisition instruction at a timing within an operation period of the electronic apparatus determined from the operation schedule if acquisition of the apparatus status information failed, and (d) transmits the acquisition instruction to the agent unit at the timing of the retransmission schedule.

Abstract: A support system includes a function execution circuit, a customer-information managing circuit, and a usage-availability setting circuit. The function execution circuit uses customer information indicative of a specific content related to a customer to execute a specific function. The customer-information managing circuit manages the customer information for each dealer. The usage-availability setting circuit sets availability for use of the customer information from a person having authority to manage the dealer for each of the dealers. The customer-information managing circuit determines the availability for use based on setting by the usage-availability setting circuit.

Abstract: A support system includes a function execution circuit and a customer information management circuit. The function execution circuit uses customer information indicative of a specific content related to a customer to execute a specific function. The customer information management circuit manages the customer information. The customer information management circuit manages a piece of attribute kind information storing a kind of attribute for a product for each dealer, and attribute value information storing an attribute value indicative of an actual content for the kind for each of combinations of the dealers, the products, and the kinds, as a part of the customer information. The function execution circuit uses the attribute acquired based on the attribute kind information and the attribute value information to execute the function.

Abstract: A device management system includes an electronic device and a remote maintenance server. The electronic device displays an operation screen to a user. The remote maintenance server includes a transparent panel management portion that draws a guide image on a virtual transparent panel based on an operation of a service person performed on a service terminal device, and causes the electronic device to overlay and display the virtual transparent panel on the operation screen.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus stores a setting values set including core data independent of a model of the image forming apparatus and non-core data not included in the core data; writes the core data on another image forming apparatus without change, and if the model of the image forming apparatus is the same as the model of the another image forming apparatus, writes the non-core data on the another image forming apparatus without change, while if the model of the image forming apparatus is not the same as the model of the another image forming apparatus, writes the non-core data including a setting value of a function setting in the non core-data that is the same as the function setting in the another image forming apparatus on the another image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus stores a setting values set including core data independent of a model of the image forming apparatus and non-core data not included in the core data; writes the core data on another image forming apparatus without change, and if the model of the image forming apparatus is the same as the model of the another image forming apparatus, writes the non-core data on the another image forming apparatus without change, while if the model of the image forming apparatus is not the same as the model of the another image forming apparatus, writes the non-core data including a setting value of a function setting in the non core-data that is the same as the function setting in the another image forming apparatus on the another image forming apparatus.