Printing system, information processing apparatus, computer readable medium, and image forming apparatus for providing printing services over a network

Abstract

A printing system includes an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and the information processing apparatus includes: an acquiring unit that acquires identification information of the image forming apparatus in a printing service system from the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication; and a transmitting unit that transmits, to the printing service system, a setting request which contains the identification information of the image forming apparatus acquired by the acquiring unit and identification information of a user in the printing service system and which is a request for making a setting for permitting the user to use the image forming apparatus; and the image forming apparatus includes a holding unit that holds the identification information of the image forming apparatus in the printing service system in such a form that the identification information can be acquired by the acquiring unit of the information processing apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A printing system comprising an information processing apparatus having a function of commanding printing that uses a printing service system and an image forming apparatus having a function of receiving print data transmitted from the printing service system and printing the received print data, wherein:
 the information processing apparatus comprises:
 an acquiring unit that acquires capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication; 
 a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and 
 a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus; and 
   the image forming apparatus comprises a supplying unit that supplies the capability information representing the printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus by a short-range communication.   
     
     
         2 . The printing system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information processing apparatus further comprises a printing commanding unit that receives designation of a print subject document from the user and instructs the printing service system to cause print output of the print subject document from the image forming apparatus;   the transmission processing unit transmits the information representing the print setting to the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication in such a manner that the information representing the print setting is correlated with document identification information of the print subject document for which the print output is commanded by the printing commanding unit; and   the image forming apparatus further comprises:
 a holding unit that holds the information representing the print setting and the document identification information transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and 
 a print processing performing unit that, when print data is received from the printing service system together with the document identification information, performs print processing by applying, to the received print data, the information representing the print setting that is held by the holding unit so as to be correlated with the document identification information. 
   
     
     
         3 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 an acquiring unit that acquires, by a short-range communication, capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus which receives print data transmitted from a printing service system and prints the received print data;   a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and   a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a printing commanding unit that receives designation of a print subject document from the user and instructs the printing service system to cause print output of the print subject document from the image forming apparatus,
 wherein the transmission processing unit transmits the information representing the print setting to the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication in such a manner that the information representing the print setting is correlated with document identification information of the print subject document for which the print output is commanded by the printing commanding unit.   
     
     
         5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to function as:
 an acquiring unit that acquires, by a short-range communication, capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus which receives print data transmitted from a printing service system and prints the received print data;   a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and   a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         6 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a supplying unit that supplies capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication to the information processing apparatus having a function of commanding printing that uses a printing service system;   a holding unit that holds the information representing the print setting and the document identification information transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and   a print processing performing unit that, when print data is received from the printing service system together with the document identification information, performs print processing by applying, to the received print data, the information representing the print setting that is held by the holding unit so as to be correlated with the document identification information.   
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer that controls an image forming apparatus to function as:
 a supplying unit that supplies capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication to the information processing apparatus having a function of commanding printing that uses a printing service system;   a holding unit that holds the information representing the print setting and the document identification information transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and   a print processing performing unit that, when print data is received from the printing service system together with the document identification information, performs print processing by applying, to the received print data, the information representing the print setting that is held by the holding unit so as to be correlated with the document identification information.   
     
     
         8 . A printing system comprising an information processing apparatus which commands printing that uses a printing service system and an image forming apparatus which receives print data transmitted from the printing service system and prints the received print data, wherein:
 the information processing apparatus comprises:
 an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information of the image forming apparatus in the printing service system from the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication; 
 a printing capability information acquiring unit that acquires capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the acquired identification information from the printing service system; 
 a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and 
 a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus; and 
   the image forming apparatus comprises a supplying unit that supplies the identification information of the image forming apparatus in the printing service system to the information processing apparatus by a short-range communication.   
     
     
         9 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information in a printing service system of an image forming apparatus which receives print data transmitted from the printing service system and prints the received print data from the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication;   a printing capability information acquiring unit that acquires capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the acquired identification information from the printing service system;   a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and   a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to function as:
 an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information in a printing service system of an image forming apparatus which receives print data transmitted from the printing service system and prints the received print data from the image forming apparatus by a short-range communication;   a printing capability information acquiring unit that acquires capability information representing printing-related capabilities of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the acquired identification information from the printing service system;   a print setting receiving unit that receives a print setting from a user using the acquired capability information; and   a transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting information representing the received print setting to the image forming apparatus.