Information input/output system, information input/output method, recording medium recording therein information transmission/reception program, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

An information input/output system capable of selecting an optimum service station is provided in accordance with various service requests. An information input/output system according to the present invention comprises: a service center for offering various services through a communication network, a plurality of service stations for transmitting/receiving information to/from the service center through the communication network; and a user terminal for transmitting/receiving information to/from the service center or the service station through the communication network. In the present invention, even if the user terminal is not equipped with a printer or a facility for download or upload, various services can be received by arbitrarily selecting the service station 3 having necessary devices or facilities. It is hence possible to rapidly and precisely meet diverse service requests from a user. Additionally, in this embodiment, privacy processing such as encryption is carried out when, for example, printing data with the strict confidentiality. Therefore, the confidentiality cannot be lost.

1 - 22 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       23 . An information input/output system for transmitting/receiving information through a communication network between at least one user terminal, at least one service station for offering various services, and at least one service center for respectively managing said service station, 
 said service center comprising:    a candidate selecting unit configured to select candidates for said service station capable of offering a service in compliance with content of a request from said user terminal;    a candidate transmitting unit configured to transmit the selected candidates for said service station to said user terminal;    a request transmitting unit configured to transmit a request of said user terminal to said service station selected by said user terminal from said candidates for said service station; and    a positional information transmitting unit configured to transmit information concerning a position of said service station selected by said user terminal to said user terminal,    said user terminal comprising:    a service requesting unit configured to request a service to said service center;    a station selecting unit configured to select one from said candidates for said service station transmitted from said service center;    a selection result transmitting unit configured to transmit a type of said selected service station to said service center; and    a positional information displaying/outputting unit configured to display or output said information concerning the position of said service station transmitted from said service center.    
   
   
       24 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service center further comprises a service information storing unit configured to store therein the contents of services which can be provided by each of said service stations, and 
 said candidate selecting unit searches said service information storing unit in accordance with the content of a request from said user terminal, and selects said candidates for said service station based on a search result.    
   
   
       25 . The information input/output system according to  claim 24 , wherein said candidate selecting unit selects only a predetermined number of said service stations in the order from the strongest candidates.  
   
   
       26 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein at least a part of said user terminal is a mobile communication terminal, 
 said service center further has position detecting unit configured to detect a current position of said mobile communication terminal, and    said position information transmitting unit transmits, to said mobile communication terminal, direction information from a current position of said mobile communication terminal to a position of said service station selected by said station selecting unit.    
   
   
       27 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said user terminal is at least one of a mobile communication terminal and a stationary terminal, and 
 said positional information transmitting unit transmits map information of an area surrounding the position of said service station to said user terminal.    
   
   
       28 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service station executes at least one of a print service, a download service and an upload service with respect to information requested by said user terminal.  
   
   
       29 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service station comprises filing unit configured to file a printed matter sandwiched between a front cover and a back cover, which are not transparent so that the inside of the printed matter cannot be seen through, when said printed matter consisting of a plurality of pages is printed in response to a request from said user terminal.  
   
   
       30 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service station comprises filing unit configured to file a printed matter, with a front page thereof being turned over and superimposed on a second page, when said printed matter consisting of a plurality of pages is printed in response to a request from said user terminal.  
   
   
       31 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service station comprises an ejecting unit configured to eject a printed paper sheet, with a printed side thereof being turned down, when said printed matter is printed in response to a request from said user terminal.  
   
   
       32 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said user terminal further comprises a print condition designating unit configured to designate at least one of a manufacturer name or a model number of a printer owned by said service station, distinction between monochrome print and color print, a print speed, a size or a thickness of a print paper, presence/absence of a sort function, presence/absence of a group function, presence/absence of a staple function, and presence/absence of a security function.  
   
   
       33 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said user terminal further comprises a recording medium designating unit configured to designate a kind of recording medium for download or upload, when a download or an upload service is requested.  
   
   
       34 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said user terminal and said service center interactively transmit/receive information to/from each other through the internet.  
   
   
       35 . The information input/output system according to  claim 23 , wherein said service center carries out authentication processing of said user terminal upon receiving a service request from said user terminal, and accepts the service request of only said user terminal that is successfully authenticated.  
   
   
       36 . The information input/output system according to  claim 24 , wherein said service center comprises an information adding unit capable of additionally storing various kinds of information provided from at least one of said user terminal and said service station into said service information storing unit.