Abstract: In an image forming system, a server includes (a) a transmitting/receiving unit that receives consumable-goods shortage information and consumable-goods stock information via a network and transmits the consumable-goods stock information and stock retrieval information for retrieving the consumable goods via a network, the consumable-goods shortage information indicating a shortage of consumable goods in an image forming apparatus, the consumable-goods stock information indicating an available stock in an image forming apparatus, and (b) a management control unit that causes the transmitting/receiving unit to transmit the stock retrieval information to the other image forming apparatuses than one of the image forming apparatuses that transmits the consumable-goods shortage information to the server, and causes the transmitting/receiving unit to transmit the consumable-goods stock information obtained from the other image forming apparatuses as a result of retrieving the consumable goods via the network.

Abstract: A print management apparatus includes: a communication section connected to image forming apparatuses via a network for transmitting a print job to one of the apparatuses, and receiving management information from each apparatus including information about a print function of the apparatus and alternate printing instructions to allow another image forming apparatus perform an alternate printing. A management section creates and stores management data indicating respective states of the apparatuses based on management information received by the communication section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a display section for displaying an image associated with an operation of the apparatus. An operating section receives operating instructions and a user ID from a user. A panel display log storage section stores a panel display log which has been inputted from the operating section and associated with the user ID. A communication section transmits the panel display log to a server through a network together with the panel display log associated with the user ID and receives from the server customized display information formed in the server based on the transmitted panel display log. A customized display image forming section takes in the received customized display information and forms a customized display image to be displayed on the display section. The image display controller controls the display section to display the customized display image on the display section.

Abstract: A method for secure communication and printing, comprising: user entering user and destination information to host; authentication server producing, saving encryption key for the job, user, and destination information into database, and sending to host; host encrypting the job using encryption key and sending job to destination; user entering user and destination information to device; authentication server retrieving encryption key from database, and sending to device; and device decrypting the job using encryption key and releasing job. Authentication at both host and MFP sides disables unauthorized, malicious attack to a user's mailbox, and results in jobs to a mailbox having different dynamic encryption keys, and no password or mailbox PIN trafficking on network. Furthermore, host and MFP can be at different domains. Methods also include secrecy encrypting encryption key; hashing key generator using SHA1, MD5, etc.

Abstract: A member unit such as the paper feeding cassette 15 attached to the image forming apparatus 1 is mounted with the RFID 13 as a memory device that stores information necessary for a language setting and a local setting, while a reader 11 that reads the RFID as the memory device is attached to the image forming apparatus. When the image forming apparatus is activated, the reader 11 reads information from the RFID 13 to perform the language setting and the local setting of the image forming apparatus 1 in accordance with the information. Accordingly, only with the paper feeding cassette 15 to which is attached the RFID 13 storing information corresponding to a region where the image forming apparatus is used, a step of the language setting and the like by a menu operation through an operation panel can be eliminated.

Abstract: A message display device includes: a display unit; a message data storage unit; a language selection unit; a readout unit; a character counting unit; a calculation unit calculating a display time for the character string data by multiplying the number of characters included in the character string data by one of coefficients corresponding to the designated language, the coefficients having been assigned to the group of languages; and a display control unit displaying the character string data using the display unit, and erasing the character string data having been displayed when the display time has elapsed.