Printing system capable of printing in any one of plural image forming apparatuses over a network

Abstract

A printing system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses, a server, and a plurality of client terminals. The client terminal displays a setting screen for a user to select, as a print mode, one of a first print mode in which user authentication is not required and a second print mode in which the user authentication is required. When the second print mode is selected as the print mode, the user terminal transmits to the server information related to the user, a print instruction in accordance with the second print mode, and the print job. The server determines whether the user has authority to perform printing in the second print mode. When the user is determined to have the authority, the server transmits the print instruction and the print job to the particular image forming apparatus registered for that user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A printing system comprising:
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses in communication with a network;   a server in communication with the network; and   a plurality of client terminals in communication with the network, at least one of the client terminals being configured to:
 display a setting screen for a user to select, as a print mode, one of a first print mode in which a user authentication is not required in a particular image forming apparatus registered from the plurality of image forming apparatus that is to perform printing of a print job belonging to the user, and a second print mode in which the user authentication is required in one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses that is to perform printing of the print job, and 
 when the first print mode is selected as the print mode, transmit to the server over the network, a first-print-mode print job along with identification information of the user and designation of the first print mode, 
   wherein the server is configured to:
 store authorization information related to whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode and information related to the particular image forming apparatus for performing printing in the first print mode for the user, in connection with the identification information of the user; 
 when the first-print-mode print job is received, determine whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode, based on the authorization information; and 
 when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode, transmit the first-print-mode print job to the particular image forming apparatus for performing printing in the first print mode for the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to store the first-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is not authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode. 
     
     
         3 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to store the first-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode and no particular image forming apparatus is registered to perform printing in the first print mode for the user. 
     
     
         4 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the particular image forming apparatus is configured to perform printing of the first-print-mode print job, upon receiving the first-print-mode print job. 
     
     
         5 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to receive an execution history of printing of the first-print-mode print job in the first printing mode from the particular image forming apparatus and store the execution history in memory. 
     
     
         6 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to store second authorization information related to whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode and one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses registered to perform printing in the second print mode for the user, in connection with the identification information of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one of the client terminals is configured to transmit to the server over the network, a second-print-mode print job along with identification information of the user and designation of the second print mode, and   the server is further configured to determine whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode, based on the second authorization information.   
     
     
         8 . The printing system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the server is further configured to store the second-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode, and transmit the second-print-mode print job in the memory to the one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses registered to perform printing in the second print mode for the user.   
     
     
         9 . The printing system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the server is further configured to transmit the second-print-mode print job in the memory to a first image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, when a request for the second-print-mode print job is received from the first image forming apparatus, and to a second image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, when a request for the second-print-mode print job is received from the second image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         10 . The printing system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the server is further configured to end processing for the second-print-mode print job without sending second-print-mode print job to any image forming apparatus, when it is determined that the user is not authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode.   
     
     
         11 . A method for performing printing in a printing system including:
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses in communication with a network;   a server in communication with the network; and   
       a plurality of client terminals in communication with the network, the method comprising:
 displaying, by one of the client terminals, a setting screen for a user to select, as a print mode, one of a first print mode in which a user authentication is not required in a particular image forming apparatus registered from the plurality of image forming apparatus that is to perform printing of a print job belonging to the user, and a second print mode in which the user authentication is required in one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses that is to perform printing of the print job; 
 when the first print mode is selected as the print mode, transmitting, from the one of the client terminals to the server over the network, a first-print-mode print job along with identification information of the user and designation of the first print mode; 
 storing, by the server, authorization information related to whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode and information related to the particular image forming apparatus for performing printing in the first print mode for the user, in connection with the identification information of the user; 
 when the first-print-mode print job is received, determining, by the server, whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode, based on the authorization information; and 
 when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode, transmitting the first-print-mode print job from the server to the particular image forming apparatus for performing printing in the first print mode for the user. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server, the first-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is not authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server, the first-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the first print mode and no particular image forming apparatus is registered to perform printing in the first print mode for the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 performing, by the particular image forming apparatus, printing of the first-print-mode print job, upon receiving the first-print-mode print job.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server, an execution history of printing of the first-print-mode print job in the first printing mode from the particular image forming apparatus; and   storing, by the server, the execution history in memory.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server, second authorization information related to whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode and information related to one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses for performing printing in the second print mode for the user, in connection with the identification information of the user.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 when the second print mode is selected as the print mode, transmitting, from the one of the client terminals to the server over the network, a second-print-mode print job along with identification information of the user and designation of the second print mode;   determining, by the server, whether or not the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode, based on the second authorization information.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server, the second-print-mode print job in memory, when it is determined that the user is authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode; and   transmitting the second-print-mode print job in the memory from the server to the one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses for performing printing in the second print mode for the user.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the transmitting the second-print-mode print job comprises:
 transmitting the second-print-mode print job in the memory from the server to a first image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, when a request for the second-print-mode print job is received from the first image forming apparatus; and   transmitting the second-print-mode print job in the memory from the server to a second image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, when a request for the second-print-mode print job is received from the second image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 ending, by the server, processing for the second-print-mode print job without sending second-print-mode print job to any image forming apparatus, when it is determined that the user is not authorized to instruct printing in the second print mode.