Image forming system, information forming apparatus, and computer readable medium having management apparatus with distributed storage

Abstract

An image forming system includes a first storage unit that stores identification information and storage information with the identification information mapped to the storage information, the identification information identifying a user, the storage information indicating a storage location where image data corresponding to the identification information is stored, an identifying unit that, in response to the identification information input by the user, identifies the storage location indicated by the storage information stored on the first storage unit with the identification information mapped thereto, a retrieval unit that retrieves, from the storage location identified by the identifying unit, the image data corresponding to the identification information, and an image forming unit that forms an image responsive to the image data retrieved by the retrieval unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming system, comprising:
 a management apparatus; and 
 a transmitter; and 
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses, 
 wherein the management apparatus includes:
 a first storage unit that stores authentication information including identification information and storage information with the identification information mapped to the storage information, the identification information identifying a user, the storage information indicating a storage location of each of the image forming apparatuses where image data corresponding to the identification information is stored, the storage information being preset for each user; 
 an extract unit that extracts from the stored authentication information in the first storage unit, the storage information corresponding to the identification information sent from each of the image forming apparatuses; and 
 a transmit unit that transmits to each of the image forming apparatuses the extracted storage information; 
 
 wherein each of the image forming apparatuses includes:
 an image data storage unit that stores an image data; 
 an authentication request unit that requests to the management apparatus to authenticate the user by transmitting the identification information to the management apparatus; 
 a receive unit that receives the storage information from the management apparatus; 
 an identifying unit that identifies the storage location of another one of the image forming apparatuses storing the image data corresponding to the identification information; 
 a retrieval unit that retrieves, from the storage location of the another one of the image forming apparatuses identified by the identifying unit, the image data corresponding to the identification information; and 
 an image forming unit that forms an image responsive to the image data retrieved by the retrieval unit, 
 
 wherein the transmitter transmits the image data corresponding to the identification information to the storage locations in the image forming apparatuses, 
 wherein the first storage unit stores the storage information indicating the plurality of storage locations; 
 wherein the identifying unit identifies the plurality of storage locations indicated by the storage information stored and mapped to the input identification information; and 
 wherein the retrieval unit retrieves the image data corresponding to the identification information from the storage location that stores the image data corresponding to the identification information, from among the plurality of storage locations identified by the identifying unit, 
 wherein the plurality of storage locations have different priority levels which are set in the transmitter, and 
 when the retrieval unit cannot retrieve the image data from the one of the storage locations having a highest one of the priority levels, the retrieval unit retrieves the image data from one of the storage locations having a second highest one of the priority levels. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming system according to  claim 1 ,
 each of the image forming apparatuses further comprising a second storage unit that stores the retrieved identification information and storage information, 
 wherein the identifying unit identifies the storage location in response to the storage information stored on the second storage unit if the second storage unit stores the storage information. 
 
     
     
       3. The image forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein in order to transmit the image data corresponding to the identification information to a given storage location, the transmitter transmits the image data to another storage location, in addition to the given storage location, from among the plurality of storage locations. 
     
     
       4. The image forming system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a storage device, the storage device including a storage location that stores the image data transmitted by the transmitter, and a transmitter unit that makes a copy of the image data and transmits the copy to another storage location from among the plurality of storage locations. 
     
     
       5. An image forming system, comprising:
 a management apparatus; 
 a transmitter; and 
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses, 
 wherein the management apparatus includes:
 a storage unit that stores authentication information including identification information and storage information with the identification information mapped to the storage information, the identification information identifying a user, the storage information indicating a storage location of each of the image forming apparatuses where image data corresponding to the identification information is stored, the storage information being preset for each user; 
 an extract unit that extracts from the stored authentication information in the storage unit the storage information corresponding to the identification information sent from each of the image forming apparatuses; and 
 a transmit unit that transmits to each of the image forming apparatuses the extracted storage information; 
 
 wherein each of the image forming apparatuses includes:
 an image data storage unit that stores an image data; 
 an authentication request unit that requests to the management apparatus to authenticate the user by transmitting the identification information to the management apparatus; 
 a receive unit that receives the storage information from the management apparatus; 
 an identifying unit that identifies the storage location of another one of the image forming apparatuses storing the image data corresponding to the identification information; 
 a retrieval unit that retrieves, from the storage location of the another one of the image forming apparatuses identified by the identifying unit, the image data corresponding to the identification information; and 
 an image forming unit that forms an image responsive to the image data retrieved by the retrieval unit, 
 
 wherein the transmitter transmits the image data corresponding to the identification information to the storage locations in the image forming apparatuses, 
 wherein the storage unit stores the storage information indicating the plurality of storage locations; 
 wherein the identifying unit identifies the plurality of storage locations indicated by the storage information stored and mapped to the input identification information; and 
 wherein the retrieval unit retrieves the image data corresponding to the identification information from the storage location that stores the image data corresponding to the identification information, from among the plurality of storage locations identified by the identifying unit, 
 wherein the plurality of storage locations have different priority levels which are set in the transmitter, and 
 when the retrieval unit cannot retrieve the image data from the one of the storage locations having a highest one of the priority levels, the retrieval unit retrieves the image data from one of the storage locations having a second highest one of the priority levels. 
 
     
     
       6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a system to execute a process for forming an image, the system including:
 a management apparatus; 
 a transmitter; and 
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses, each including an image data storage unit that stores an image data, 
 wherein the management apparatus includes a storage unit that stores identification information and storage information with the identification information mapped to the storage information, the identification information identifying a user, the storage information indicating a storage location where image data corresponding to the identification information is stored, the storage information being preset for each user, the process comprising: 
 extracting from the stored authentication information in the storage unit the storage information corresponding to the identification information sent from each of the image forming apparatuses; 
 transmitting to each of the image forming apparatuses the extracted storage information; 
 requesting the management apparatus to authenticate the user by transmitting the identification information to the management apparatus; 
 receiving the storage information from the management apparatus; 
 identifying the storage location of another one of the image forming apparatuses storing the image data corresponding to the identification information; 
 retrieving, from the identified storage location of the another one of the image forming apparatuses, image data corresponding to the identification information; and 
 forming an image responsive to the retrieved image data, 
 transmitting the image data corresponding to the identification information with the transmitter to the storage locations in the image forming apparatuses, 
 storing in the storage unit the storage information indicating the plurality of storage locations; 
 identifying the plurality of storage locations indicated by the storage information stored and mapped to the input identification information; and 
 retrieving the image data corresponding to the identification information from the storage location that stores the image data corresponding to the identification information from among the plurality of storage locations identified, 
 wherein the plurality of storage locations have different priority levels which are set in the transmitter, and 
 when the image data cannot be retrieved from the one of the storage locations having a highest one of the priority levels, the image data is retrieved from one of the storage locations having a second highest one of the priority levels. 
 
     
     
       7. An image forming system comprising:
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses including:
 a first image forming apparatus; and 
 a second image forming apparatus; and 
   a client apparatus comprising a first processor programmed to:
 accept a designation by a user of a ranked storage priority that ranks the plurality of image forming apparatuses in order of priority by:
 accepting a first designation by the user of a first storage priority ranking for a first one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in the image forming system; and 
 accepting a second designation by the user of a second storage priority ranking for a second one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the first storage priority ranking indicating a preference of the user to use the first one of the image forming apparatuses over the second one of the image forming apparatuses; 
 
 store the designation of the storage priority ranking for the first image forming apparatus in first spooler information for the first image forming apparatus; 
 store the designation of the storage priority ranking for the second image forming apparatus in second spooler information for the second image forming apparatus; 
 access the first spooler information and the second spooler information; 
 determine to transmit the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; and 
 transmit the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the determination; 
   wherein the second image forming apparatus includes:
 a memory; 
 a display; and 
 a second processor programmed to:
 accept login information of the user; 
 display on the display an attribute of the first image data associated with the login information of the user that is remotely stored in the first image forming apparatus, the attribute of the first image data being displayed in the same manner as if it were locally stored in the memory; and 
 accept a print command for printing the first image data on the second image forming apparatus instead of the first image forming apparatus. 
 
   
     
     
       8. A method for printing image data, comprising:
 by a client apparatus:
 accepting a designation by a user of a ranked storage priority that ranks a plurality of image forming apparatuses in an image forming system in order of priority by:
 accepting a first designation by the user of a first storage priority ranking for a first one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in the image forming system; and 
 accepting a second designation by the user of a second storage priority ranking for a second one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the first storage priority ranking indicating a preference of the user to use the first one of the image forming apparatuses over the second one of the image forming apparatuses; 
 
 storing the designation of the storage priority ranking for the first image forming apparatus in first spooler information for the first image forming apparatus; 
 storing the designation of the storage priority ranking for the second image forming apparatus in second spooler information for the second image forming apparatus; 
 accessing the first spooler information and the second spooler information; 
 determining to transmit the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; and 
 transmitting the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the determination; 
   storing the first image data in the first image forming apparatus; and   accepting login information of the user at the second image forming apparatus; and   displaying on the display of the second image forming apparatus:
 an attribute of the first image data associated with the login information of the user, the attribute of the first image data being displayed in the same manner as if the first image data were locally stored in the second image forming apparatus; and 
 a print command for printing the first image data on the second image forming apparatus instead of the first image forming apparatus. 
   
     
     
       9. An image forming system comprising:
 a plurality of image forming apparatuses including:
 a first image forming apparatus; and 
 a second image forming apparatus; and 
   a client apparatus comprising a first processor programmed to:
 accept a designation by a user of a ranked storage priority that ranks the plurality of image forming apparatuses in order of priority by:
 accepting a first designation by the user of a first storage priority ranking for a first one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in the image forming system; 
 store the designation of the storage priority ranking for the first image forming apparatus in first spooler information for the first image forming apparatus; 
 accepting a second designation by the user of a second storage priority ranking for a second one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the first storage priority ranking indicating a preference of the user to use the first one of the image forming apparatuses over the second one of the image forming apparatuses; and 
 store the designation of the storage priority ranking for the second image forming apparatus in second spooler information for the second image forming apparatus; 
 
 access the first spooler information and the second spooler information; and 
 determine to transmit first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the accessed storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; 
 transmit the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the determination; and 
 in a case that transmission of the first image data to the first image forming apparatus fails, transmit the first image data to the second image forming apparatus based on the accessed storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; and 
   wherein the second image forming apparatus includes:
 a memory; 
 a display; and 
 a second processor programmed to:
 accept login information of the user; and 
 in a case that the transmission of the first image data to the first image forming apparatus does not fail:
 display on the display an attribute of the first image data associated with the login information of the user that is remotely stored in the first image forming apparatus, the attribute of the first image data being displayed in the same manner as if it were locally stored in the memory; and 
 accept a print command for printing the first image data on the second image forming apparatus instead of the first image forming apparatus. 
 
 
   
     
     
       10. A method for printing image data, comprising:
 by a client apparatus:
 accepting a designation by a user of a ranked storage priority that ranks a plurality of image forming apparatuses in an image forming system in order of priority by:
 accepting a first designation by the user of a first storage priority ranking for a first one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in the image forming system; 
 storing the designation of the storage priority ranking for the first image forming apparatus in first spooler information for the first image forming apparatus; 
 accepting a second designation by the user of a second storage priority ranking for a second one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the first storage priority ranking indicating a preference of the user to use the first one of the image forming apparatuses over the second one of the image forming apparatuses; and 
 storing the designation of the storage priority ranking for the second image forming apparatus in second spooler information for the second image forming apparatus; 
 
 accessing the first spooler information and the second spooler information; and 
 determining to transmit first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the accessed storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; 
 transmitting the first image data to the first image forming apparatus based on the determination; and 
 in a case that transmission of the first image data to the first image forming apparatus fails, transmitting the first image data to the second image forming apparatus based on the accessed storage priority ranking of the first image forming apparatus in the first spooler information and the storage priority ranking of the second image forming apparatus in the second spooler information; 
   accepting login information of the user at the second image forming apparatus; and   in a case that transmission of the first image data to the first image forming apparatus does not fail:
 storing the first image data in the first image forming apparatus; 
 displaying on the display of the second image forming apparatus:
 an attribute of the first image data associated with the login information of the user, the attribute of the first image data being displayed in the same manner as if the first image data were locally stored in the second image forming apparatus; and 
 a print command for printing the first image data on the second image forming apparatus instead of the first image forming apparatus.