Image forming apparatus, control method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus including a message acquirer that acquires messages from a server that provides messages posted from a plurality of devices to each of the plurality of devices in a chronological order, a print data generator that generates print data, based on the acquired message, a message determiner that determines whether a print execution phrase is included in the acquired message, and a print data output controller that performs control to output the print data if it is determined that the print execution phrase is included.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a message acquirer that acquires a message from a server that provides messages posted from a plurality of devices to each of the plurality of devices in a chronological order;   a print data generator that generates print data, based on the acquired message;   a message determiner that determines whether a print execution phrase is included in the acquired message; and   a print data output controller that performs control to output the print data if it is determined that the print execution phrase is included.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the print execution phrase is a character string decided by a user. 
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the print data output controller determines whether a user posting the print execution phrase is in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, and if the user is not in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, the print data output controller suspends outputting the print data. 
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein if it is determined that the acquired message includes the print execution phrase, the print data output controller suspends outputting the print data when an operation is being performed by a user or when the image forming apparatus is executing a job. 
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising: a message poster that posts, to the server, a message by which whether to reserve output of the print data is selectable, if the acquired message includes the print execution phrase, when an operation is being performed by a user or when the image forming apparatus is executing a job. 
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein if the acquired message includes a content indicating that the output of the print data is reserved, when it comes a turn of executing a job for outputting the print data, the message poster posts, to the server, a message indicating that it comes the turn. 
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein if the acquired message includes the print execution phrase, the print data output controller performs control to display a confirmation screen, and when a confirmation operation is performed by a user, the print data output controller outputs the print data. 
     
     
         8 . A control method, comprising:
 acquiring messages from a server that provides messages posted from a plurality of devices to each of the plurality of devices in a chronological order;   generating print data, based on the acquired message;   determining whether a print execution phrase is included in the acquired message; and   performing control to output the print data if it is determined that the print execution phrase is included.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to execute functions of:
 acquiring messages from a server that provides messages posted from a plurality of devices to each of the plurality of devices in a chronological order;   generating print data, based on the acquired message;   determining whether a print execution phrase is included in the acquired message; and   performing control to output the print data if it is determined that the print execution phrase is included.