Image forming apparatus, server apparatus, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus 176 capable of easy log-in to a desired cloud service includes a print engine communicable with a cloud server 170 for printing a print job received from cloud server 170 , a reader/writer 174 capable of proximity communication with a portable terminal 172 , and a log-in executing device receiving log-in information to cloud server 170 from portable terminal 172 through reader/writer 174 , for executing the log-in process to cloud server 170 using the log-in information.

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a first communication device communicable with a cloud service; and   a printing device configured to print a print job received from the cloud service through the first communication device; further comprising:   a second communication device configured to communicate with another apparatus through proximity communication device for conducting proximity communication; and   a log-in executing device, receiving log-in information from a portable information terminal to the cloud service through the proximity communication device and the second communication device, configured to execute a log-in process to the cloud service through the first communication device using the log-in information.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first communication device is capable of communicating with a plurality of cloud services; and   the log-in executing device includes a device, receiving cloud service specifying information for specifying a cloud service and log-in information to the cloud service specified by the cloud service specifying information, from a portable information terminal through the proximity communication device and the second communication device, configured to log in to the cloud service specified by the cloud service specifying information through the first communication device, using the log-in information.   
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a log-in inhibiting device configured to inhibit, as long as a user who has logged in to the cloud service through the log-in executing device is being logged in to the cloud service, log-in by another user through the log-in executing device. 
     
     
         4 . A server apparatus, comprising:
 a communication device capable of communicating with a plurality of information processing apparatuses and a plurality of image forming apparatuses through a network;   a log-in management device, receiving, from another apparatus, a log-in request of a user together with apparatus information specifying the another apparatus through the communication device and thereby authenticating the user, configured to manage the logged-in user together with the apparatus information;   a data management device configured to manage data uploaded by the user from another information processing apparatus in association with the user; and   a transmitting device configured to transmit data designated by the logged-in user among the data managed by the data management device, to a designated image forming apparatus for printing; wherein   the log-in management device includes   an authentication device, receiving, from another apparatus, a log-in request of a user together with apparatus information specifying the another apparatus through the communication device and thereby authenticating the user,   a user log-in storage device configured to store the user authenticated by the authentication device together with the apparatus information, and   a determining device, responsive to authentication of a user log-in by the authentication device, configured to determine whether it is stored in the log-in user storage device that the same user has logged in with another apparatus;   the server apparatus further comprising   a default transmission destination setting device, responsive to a determination by the determining device that the same user is logged in for a plurality of apparatuses, configured to set an apparatus having a printing function among the plurality of apparatuses, as a default transmission destination for the transmitting device transmitting data to an image forming apparatus in accordance with a designation by the user.   
     
     
         5 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a user interaction device, configured to receive a user instruction through an interaction with the user and to display information corresponding to the instruction;   a first communication device configured to communicate with another apparatus through a network;   a second communication device configured to communicate with another apparatus through proximity communication;   a log-in executing device, using information input through the user interaction device, configured to execute a log-in process of a user to a designated service through the first communication device; and   a log-in information transmitting device, after log-in to the designated service is permitted by the log-in executing device and communication with another apparatus through the second communication device becomes possible, configured to transmit access information to a service to which log-in is executed by the log-in executing device and log-in information necessary for log-in to the service, to the another apparatus made communicable through the second communication device.