Image forming apparatus

• US 20030218771A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Mihira, Sachiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,511,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0046 Software interface details, e.g. interaction of operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a document control service that generates authentication information corresponding to the request to output a stored document and transmits the authentication information to the network service, and a document output service that receives the authentication information from the network service, obtains the stored document corresponding to the authentication information, and outputs the obtained stored document. After authenticating the stored document, the document control service generates authentication information corresponding to a request to output the stored document from an external network apparatus. The document control service, the external network apparatus, and the document output service can exchange the authentication information instead of the stored document.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains, in response to reception of said request, authentication information corresponding to said request; and

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request and transmits said authentication information to said network service.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said network service requests said document control service to obtain said authentication information and obtains said authentication information sent by said document control service;

and

said document control service generates said authentication information corresponding to said request and transmits said authentication information corresponding to said request to said network service.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said network service transmits a request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service, and transmits said stored document transmitted from said document control service to said external network apparatus;

and

said document control service obtains said stored document corresponding the request, and transmits the obtained stored document to said network service.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said network service transmits the request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service;

and

said document control service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and provides the obtained stored document to said external network apparatus.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said network service transmits the request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service;

and

said document control service causes a memory control service to obtain the stored document corresponding to said authentication information, wherein said memory control service controls said document storage unit to store said stored document.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request to obtain said stored document includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said document control service generates, in response to said request to obtain said authentication information, content of said authentication information and said identification information, transmits said identification information as authentication information to said network service, and keeps content of said authentication information.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein

said network service transmits said request to obtain said stored document to said document control service, said request including identification information transmitted from said document control service;

and

said document control service identifies the held content of authentication information using said identification information included in said request to obtain said stored document transmitted from said network service.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said request to obtain said stored document using a predefined function.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said document control service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information using a predefined function.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said document control service causes said memory control service to obtain said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and to provide said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said external network apparatus using a predefined function.

43. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtaining request includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

143. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said output request to output said thumbnail includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

12. A method of obtaining a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising the steps of:

a network service receiving a request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus;

said document control service generating authentication information corresponding to said request to obtain said stored document; and

said network service obtaining said authentication information corresponding to said request to obtain said stored document from said document control service.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

said network service transmitting said request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service;

said document control service obtaining said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit and transmitting the obtained stored document to said network service; and

said network service providing said stored document transmitted from said document control service to said external network apparatus.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

said network service transmitting said request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service; and

said document control service obtaining said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit and providing the obtained stored document to said external network apparatus.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

said network service transmitting said request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information to said document control service; and

said document control service causing a memory control service to obtain said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and to provide said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said external network apparatus using a predefined function.

16. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document and transmits said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs said obtained stored document.

17. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said network service receives a request to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document, and transmits a request to output said stored document using said authentication information to said output service.

18. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said document control service generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document, transmits said authentication information to said network service, and transmits identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

19. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said document output service receives said request to output said stored document using said authentication, obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, obtains said stored document corresponding to amid identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said stored document.

20. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein

said network service transmits said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document and provides output processing information to an external network apparatus;

and

said document output service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, prints said stored document, and provides output processing information corresponding to said document output operation to said network service.

21. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein

said network service transmits said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document to said document output service;

and

said document output service outputs said stored document corresponding to said authentication information obtained from said document storage unit and provides output processing information corresponding to said document output operation to said external network apparatus.

22. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said request to output said stored document includes at least identification information that identifies said stored document and password information that proves authority to access said stored document.

23. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said document control service generates content of said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document and identification information, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said network service as authentication information, and holds content of said authentication information.

24. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein

said network service transmits said request to output said stored document including said identification information of said authentication information to said document output service;

and

said document control service identifies content of authentication information using said identification information of said authentication information transmitted from said document output service, transmits identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

25. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said network service obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output a stored document using a predefined function.

26. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said document output service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information using a predefined function.

27. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said document output service causes a memory control service to obtain and provide said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit using a predefined function.

28. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said document output service outputs said stored document corresponding to said authentication information using a predefined function.

29. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said document output service causes an engine control service to output said stored document corresponding to said authentication information.

30. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document;

comprising the steps of;

a network service receiving an output request to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit;

a document control service generating authentication information corresponding to said output request and transmitting said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service obtaining said authentication information corresponding to said output request, and obtaining and outputting said stored document corresponding to said authentication information.

31. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that receives a request to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document;

a document control service that generates authentication information corresponding to said request to output said stored document and transmits said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs said obtained stored document.

32. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a document control service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said obtaining request using said authentication information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and outputs said stored document.

33. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein

said document control service generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and transmits identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

34. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein, in response to reception of said obtaining request using said authentication information, said document output service obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, and outputs said stored document corresponding to said identification information obtained from said document storage unit.

35. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document output service outputs said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, said stored document obtained from said document storage unit and provides output processing information corresponding to the document output operation to said external network apparatus.

36. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document control service generates content of said authentication information and said identification information corresponding to said obtaining request, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said external network apparatus as authentication information, and holds said authentication information.

37. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein said document control service identifies content of said authentication information using said identification information of said authentication information transmitted from said document output service, and transmits identification information of said stored document corresponding to content of said authentication information to said document output service.

38. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document control service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request using a predefined function.

39. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document output service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information using a predefined function.

40. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document control service causes said memory control service to obtain said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and to provide said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said external network apparatus using a predefined function.

41. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document output service outputs said stored document corresponding to said authentication information using a predefined function.

42. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document output service causes an engine control service to output said stored document corresponding to said authentication information.

44. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said document control service, said document output service, and said external network apparatus communicate in compliance with simple object access protocol.

45. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a document control service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information corresponding to said authentication information, and provides said session information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said session information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and outputs said stored document.

46. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising the steps of:

generating, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and providing said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

obtaining, in response to reception of said obtaining request using said authentication information, said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and outputting said stored document.

47. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein said stored document, comprising the steps of:

generating, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information corresponding to said authentication information, and providing said session information to said external network apparatus; and

identifying, in response to reception of said session information from said external network apparatus, authentication information corresponding to the received session information and obtaining and outputting said stored document corresponding to said authentication information.

48. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image farming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a document control service that, in response to said obtaining request to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and transmits said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of output an request using said authentication information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and outputs said obtained stored document.

49. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a document control service that, in response to an obtaining request from an external network apparatus to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information, and transmits said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of an output request using said session information from said external network apparatus, obtains said stored document corresponding to said session information and outputs said obtained stored document.

50. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an output request from an external network apparatus to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and said identification information and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said identification information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information and outputs the obtained stored document.

51. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein

said network service, in response to reception of said output request, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said output request from said document control service;

said network service, in response to reception of said authentication information corresponding to said output request, obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said output request from said document control service; and

said network service, when said stored document corresponding to said output request is obtained, transmits said identification information to said document output service.

52. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein

said document control service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information corresponding to said output request from said network service, generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request and transmits said authentication information to said network service;

and

said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, generates identification information of said stored document corresponding to said output request and transmits said identification information to said network service.

53. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 52, wherein said document control service generates content of said authentication information and identification corresponding to said output request, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said network service as authentication information, and holds said authentication information.

54. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 52, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, identifies content of authentication information using said identification information of authentication, generates identification of said stored document corresponding to said content of authentication information.

55. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein said output request includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

56. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 53, wherein said content of authentication information includes at least identification information of said authenticated stored document among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

57. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request from an external network apparatus to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, and transmits said session information to said network apparatus;

wherein said network service, in response to reception of said authentication information corresponding to said session information, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information, and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and said identification information and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said identification information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs the obtained stored document.

58. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 57, wherein said network service, in response to reception of said obtaining request from said external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request;

said network service, when said authentication information is obtained from said document control service, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, and transmits said session information to said network apparatus;

said network service, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information, and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request from said document control service; and

said network service, when obtaining identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request, transmits said identification information to said document output service.

59. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 57, wherein

said document control service, in response to reception of said obtaining request from said network service, generates and transmits said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to said network service;

and

said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, generates and transmits said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information.

60. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 59, wherein said document control service generates content of said authentication information and said identification information corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said network service as authentication information, and holds said content of said authentication information.

61. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 59, wherein said document control service, in response to said authentication information from said network service, identifies content of said authentication information using said identification information of said authentication information, generates said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said content of said authentication information, and transmits said identification information to said network service.

62. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 57, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information includes at least said identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access a stored document.

63. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 60, wherein said content of authorization information includes at least identification information of said authenticated stored document among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

64. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a network service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and provides the generated authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said stored document.

65. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein

said network service, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information from said network apparatus, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request;

said network service, when said authentication information is obtained from said document control service, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, and transmits said session information to said network apparatus; and

said network service, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information, and transmits said authentication information to said document output service.

66. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein

said document control service, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information from said network service, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and transmits said authentication information to said network service;

and

said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said document output service, generates said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information, and transmits said authentication information to said document output service.

67. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein said document output service, in response to reception of said identification information from said document control service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit and outputs said stored document.

68. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein said authentication information includes at least first authentication information that proves authorization of said document control service and second authorization information that proves authorization of said stored document.

69. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 68, wherein said document control service generates content of said authentication information and identification information of said first authentication information and said second authentication information, transmits said identification information of said first and said second authentication information to said network service as said first and said second authentication information, and holds content of said first and said second authentication information.

70. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 68, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of said first and said second authentication information from said document output service, identifies content of said first and said second authentication information using said identification of said first and said second authentication information, generates said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said content of said first and said second authentication information, and transmits said identification information to said document output service.

71. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein said obtaining request includes at least said identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

72. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 68, wherein content or said second authentication information includes at least identification information of said authenticated stored document among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

73. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising the steps of:

a network service obtaining, in response to reception of an output request to output said stored document stored in said document storage apparatus from an external network apparatus, authentication information corresponding to said output request from a document control service;

said network service obtaining authentication information of said stored document corresponding to said output request using the obtained authentication information from said document control service; and

said document output service, in response to reception of said identification information from said network service, obtaining said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit and outputting said stored document.

74. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, of a network service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information corresponding to said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service;

transmitting, of said network service generated session information of a session established with said network apparatus, said session information corresponding to said authentication information;

receiving, of said network service, said session information from said external network apparatus, identifying authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtaining identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information using said authentication information from said document control service; and

receiving, of a document output service, said identification information from said network service, obtaining said stored document corresponding to said identification information, and outputting said stored document.

75. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising the steps of:

receiving, of a network service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, and obtaining authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service;

generating, of said network service, session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, correlating said session information with said authentication information, and transmitting said session information to said external network apparatus;

receiving, of said external network service, said session information from said external network apparatus, and identifying authentication information corresponding to said session information;

receiving, of said document output service, said authentication information from said network service, and obtaining identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request from said document control service;

obtaining, of said document output service, said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said stored document.

76. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an output request from said external network apparatus to output said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and said identification information and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service, and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said identification information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information and outputs the obtained stored document.

77. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request from said external network apparatus to obtain said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said external network apparatus, wherein said network service, in response to reception of said authentication information corresponding to said session information, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information, and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and said identification information and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said identification information from said network service, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs the obtained stored document.

78. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said external network apparatus, and, in response to reception of said session information from said external network apparatus, identifies authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information and provides the generated authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain authentication information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said stored document.

79. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising:

a document control service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

80. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 79, wherein said document control service generates content of authentication information and identification information corresponding to said obtaining request, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said network apparatus as authentication information, and hold said content of said authentication information.

81. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 79, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of obtaining request to obtain a stored document using said authentication information, identifies content of authentication information using said identification of said authentication information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said content of said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

82. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 79, wherein said obtaining request to obtain authentication information includes identification information to identify a stored document and password information to prove authorization to access the stored document.

86. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 80, wherein a content of said authentication information includes at least identification information of said authenticated stored documents among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

87. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 79, wherein said document control service, said document output service, and said external network service communicates each other using simple object access protocol.

94. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 82, wherein said document output service obtains and outputs said stored document corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit of said other image forming apparatus, and transmits output processing information corresponding to said document output operation to said external network apparatus.

83. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising a document output service that:

transmits, in response to reception of authentication information of another stored document stored in another document storage unit of another image forming apparatus from an external network apparatus, an obtaining request using said authentication request to a document control service of the other image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to reception of the other stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said other stored document.

84. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 83, wherein said document output service receives identification information of authentication information from said network apparatus, and transmits an obtaining request to obtain a stored document using said identification information of said authentication information to a document control service of another image forming apparatus.

85. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 83, wherein said document output service obtains and outputs a stored document corresponding to said identification information from a document storage unit of the other image forming apparatus, and transmits output processing information corresponding to said output operation to said external network apparatus.

88. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising a document control service that:

generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information corresponding to said stored document stored in said document storage apparatus from an external network apparatus, first authentication information to prove authorization to use a document control service and second authentication information to prove authorization to access said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said first authentication information and said second authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

obtains, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain another stored document using said first and said second authentication information from the other document output service of another image forming apparatus, a stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

89. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 88, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said first authentication information and content and identification information of said second authentication information, transmits said identification information of said first and said second authentication information to said external network apparatus, and holds said content of said first and said second authentication information.

90. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 88, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said first and said second authentication information, identities said content of said first and said second authentication information using said identification of said first and said second authentication information, obtains said stored document corresponding to said content of said second authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to said document output service of said other image forming apparatus.

91. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 88, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information includes at least identification to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

95. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 89, wherein said content of said second authentication information includes at least identification information of authenticated stored documents among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

96. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 88, wherein said document control service, said document output service, and said external network service communicates each other in compliance with simple object access protocol.

92. An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource used for image forming, a program that processes a user service related to image forming, and a document storage unit that stores therein a stored document, comprising a document output service that:

transmits, in response to reception of first authentication information that proves authorization to use a document control service of another image forming apparatus from an external network apparatus and second authentication information that proves authorization to access said stored document, an obtaining request to obtain another stored document using said first and said second authentication information to a document control service of the other image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to reception of said other stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said document control service, said other stored document.

93. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 92, wherein said document output service receives identification information of said first and said second authentication information from said external network apparatus, and transmits an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using identification information of said first and said second authentication information to said other document control service of said other image forming apparatus.

97. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having hardware resources used for image forming, programs that execute user services of image forming, and a document storage unit that stores a stored document therein, comprising the steps of:

a document control service receiving an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of a stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus;

said document control service generates and transmits said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to said external network apparatus;

said document control service receiving an obtaining request to obtain a stored document using said authentication information from another document output service of another image forming apparatus;

said document control service obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit and transmitting said stored document to said other document output service.

98. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having hardware resources used for image forming, programs that execute user services of image forming, and a document storage unit that stores a stored document therein, comprising the steps of:

a document output service receiving authentication information of a stored document stored in another document storage unit of another image forming apparatus;

said document output service transmitting an obtaining request to obtain a stored document using said authentication information to another document control service of another image forming apparatus;

said document output service receiving said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said other document control service of said other image forming apparatus; and

said image output service outputting said stored document corresponding to said authentication information.

99. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having hardware resources used for image forming, programs that execute user services of image forming, and a document storage unit that stores a stored document therein, comprising the steps of:

a document control service receiving an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of a stored document stored in said document storage unit;

said document control service generating and transmitting first authentication information to prove authorization to use said document control service and second authentication information to prove authorization to access said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request to said network apparatus;

said document control service receiving an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said first and said second authentication information from said other document output service of said other image forming apparatus; and

said document control service obtaining said stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said document storage unit and transmitting said stored document to said other document output service of said other image forming apparatus.

100. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus having hardware resources used for image forming, programs that execute user services of image forming, and a document storage unit that stores a stored document therein, comprising the steps of:

a document output service receiving first authentication information that proves authorization to use another document control service of another image forming apparatus and second authentication information that proves authorization to access said stored document from an external network apparatus;

said document output service transmitting an obtaining request to obtain a stored document using said first and said second authentication information to another document control service of said other image forming apparatus;

said document output service receiving said stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said other document control service; and

said document output service outputting said stored document.

101. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, obtains said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises a document output service that transmits, in response to reception of authentication information of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of another image forming apparatus from an external network apparatus, an obtaining request using said authentication request to a document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to reception of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said other document control service, said stored document.

102. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information corresponding to said stored document stored in said document storage apparatus from said external network apparatus, first authentication information to prove authorization to use said document control service and second authentication information to prove authorization to access said stored document corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said first authentication information and said second authentication information to said external network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said first and said second authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, said stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said stored document to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises a document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said first authentication information that proves authorization to use said document control service of another image forming apparatus from said external network apparatus and said second authentication information that proves authorization to access said stored document, an obtaining request to obtain said stored document using said first and said second authentication information to a document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to reception of said stored document corresponding to said second authentication information from said document control service, said stored document.

103. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said stored document using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said stored document.

104. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said document control service receives said authentication information from said document output service, and transmits identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

105. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and holds said content of said authentication information.

106. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 105, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said document output service, identifies content of said authentication information using said identification information of said authentication information, and transmits said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said content of said authentication information to said document output service.

107. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said document output service transmits said authentication information to said document control service, and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service.

108. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

109. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 105, wherein said authentication information includes at least identification information of said authentication stored documents among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

110. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said document control service, said document output service, and said external network apparatus communicates each other in compliance with simple object access protocol.

111. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session, and provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said stored document using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies session information of said first session corresponding to session information of said second session, obtains and outputs said authentication information and said stored document corresponding to session information of said first session.

112. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 111, wherein said document control service receives said authentication information and said session information of said first session from said document output service, and transmits identification of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and said session information of said first session to said document output service.

113. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 111, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information, transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and holds said content of said authentication information.

114. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 113, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information and said session information of said first session from said document output service, identifies said content of said authentication information, and transmits said identification information of said stored document corresponding to said content of said authentication information to said document output service.

115. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 111, wherein said document output service transmits said authentication information and said session information of said first session to said document control service, and obtains identification information of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service.

116. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 111, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authority of access said stored document.

117. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 113, wherein said content of said authentication information includes at least identification information of the authenticated stored documents among a plurality of stored documents stored in said document storage unit.

118. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 111, wherein said document control service, said document output service, and said external network apparatus communicates each other in compliance with simple object access protocol.

119. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, said stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising the steps of:

receiving an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for a stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, and generating and providing said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to said external network apparatus;

receiving an output request to output said stored document using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, and obtaining and outputting said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit.

120. A method of outputting a stored document for an image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, said stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising the steps of:

receiving an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for a stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus, generating authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlating said session information of said first session with session information of second session established with said external network apparatus, and providing said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus; and

receiving an output request to output said stored document using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifying said authentication information corresponding to said session information of said second session and said session information of said first session, and obtaining and outputting said stored document corresponding to said authentication information and said session information of said first session from said document storage unit.

121. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said stored document using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said stored document.

122. A stored document output system that outputs a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using at least one external network apparatus, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session, and provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said stored document using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies said session information of said first session corresponding to said session information of said second session, obtains and outputs said authentication information and a stored document corresponding to session information of said first session.

123. An image forming apparatus that provides, in response to a user request, a thumbnail stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to provide said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains, in response to reception of said request, authentication information corresponding to said request, and provides location information in which said thumbnail is stored to said external network apparatus; and

a document control service that generates authentication information corresponding to said request to obtain said thumbnail, reads said location information in which said thumbnail is stored, corresponding to said authentication information, and transmits said location information to said network service.

124. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said network service receives said location information where said thumbnail is stored from said external network apparatus, obtains said thumbnail corresponding to said location information from said document control service, and provides said location information to said external network apparatus.

125. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said document control receives said location information at which said thumbnail is located from said network service, reads said thumbnail corresponding to said location information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to said network service.

126. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said document control receives said location information at which said thumbnail is located from said network service, reads said thumbnail corresponding to said location information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to said external network apparatus.

127. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said document control receives said location information at which said thumbnail is located from said network service, causes to read said thumbnail corresponding to said location information from said document storage unit and to transmit said thumbnail to said network service.

128. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 125, further comprising an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail,

wherein said document control service causes said image conversion unit to generate said thumbnail corresponding to said received location information, and transmits said thumbnail to said network service.

129. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 125, further comprising an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail,

wherein said document control service causes said image conversion unit to generate said thumbnail corresponding to said received location information, and transmits said thumbnail to said external network apparatus.

130. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 125, further comprising an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail,

wherein said document control service causes said image conversion unit to generate said thumbnail corresponding to said received location information and to transmit said thumbnail to said external network apparatus.

131. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 125, wherein said document control service further comprises an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail, causes said image conversion unit to generate said thumbnail corresponding to said received location information and to transmit said thumbnail to said network service.

132. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 126, wherein said document control service further comprises an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail, causes said image conversion unit to generate said thumbnail corresponding to said received location information and to transmit said thumbnail to said external network apparatus.

133. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail includes at least identification information to identify said thumbnail of said stored document and password information to prove authorization to use said thumbnail.

134. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 123, wherein said document control service generates contents and identification information of said authentication information, transmits said identification information to said network service as authentication information, and holds said content.

135. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 134, wherein said document control service identifies said content of authentication information corresponding to said identification information of said authentication information, and transmits said location information at which said thumbnail is located corresponding to said content of said authentication information to said network service.

136. A method of obtaining a thumbnail of an image forming apparatus that provides said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit in response to a user request, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a network service, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail of said stored document from an external network apparatus, and obtaining authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service; and

obtaining, by said network service, location information in which said thumbnail of said stored document is stored from said document control service, and providing said location information to said external network apparatus.

137. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document;

a document control service that generates authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document and transmits said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains a said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs the obtained thumbnail.

138. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, wherein said network service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said output request to output said thumbnail from said document control service, and transmits said authentication information to said document output service.

139. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, said document control service receives an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information, and transmits identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

140. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, wherein said document output service receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains identification information or said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, and obtains and outputs said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

141. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, wherein

said network service provides output processing information transmitted from said document output service to said external network apparatus;

and

said document output service provides output processing information of said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information to said network service.

142. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, wherein said document output service provides output processing information of said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information to said external network apparatus.

144. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 137, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said authentication information corresponding to said output request to output said thumbnail, transmits said identification information to said network service as authentication information, and holds said content.

145. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 144, wherein said network service transmits said identification information of said authentication information to said document output service;

and

said document control service identifies said content of said authentication information using said identification information of said authentication information transmitted from said document output service, and transmits said identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information to said document output service.

146. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request, and obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request and identification information of said thumbnail, and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtains and outputs said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

147. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 146, wherein said network service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said output request, obtains and transmits said identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said output request from said document control service using said authentication information.

148. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 146, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said authentication information from said network service, generates and transmits said authentication information corresponding to said output request to said network service, and generates and transmits, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, identification information of said thumbnail to said network service.

149. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 146, wherein said output request includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

150. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 146, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said authentication information corresponding to said output request, transmits said identification information to said network service as authentication information, and holds said content.

151. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information using said identification information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request and said identification information of said thumbnail, and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtains said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information, and outputs said thumbnail.

152. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 151, wherein said network service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information from said document control service;

and

said network service, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains said identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information using said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said identification information of said thumbnail to said document output service.

153. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 151, wherein said document control service, in response to an obtaining request for said authentication information corresponding to said output request from said network service, generates and transmits said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request to said network service, and generates and transmits, in response to said authentication information from said network service, identification information of said thumbnail to said network service.

154. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, obtains said identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request, obtains and outputs said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

155. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 154, wherein said network service obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request for said authentication information, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, and transmits said authentication information to said document output service.

156. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 154, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of said authentication information from said document output service, generates said authentication information of said thumbnail and transmits said authentication information to said document output service.

157. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 154, wherein said document output service, in response to reception of said authentication information of said thumbnail from said document control service, obtains said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

158. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a network service, an output request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, and obtaining authentication information corresponding to said output request from a document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, authentication information from said network service, and obtaining and outputting said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding said authentication information from said document control service.

159. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to reception of an output request for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, authentication information corresponding to said output request from a document control service, and obtaining said authentication information of said thumbnail corresponding to said output request using said authentication information from said document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtaining said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

160. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service, generating session information of a session established with said network apparatus, and correlating said session information with said authentication information, and transmitting said session information to said network apparatus;

identifying, by said network service, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, and obtaining identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request using said authentication information from said document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtaining said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said thumbnail.

161. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generating session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlating said session information with said authentication information, and transmitting said session information to said network apparatus;

receiving, by said network service, said session information from said network apparatus, and identifying said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

obtaining, by said document output service, said authentication information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request from said document control service using said authentication information received from said network service, obtaining said thumbnail corresponding to identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said thumbnail.

162. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that receives a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document and transmits said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs the obtained thumbnail.

163. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises;

a network service that, in response to reception of a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request, and obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request and identification information of said thumbnail, and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtains and outputs said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

164. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information using said identification information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request and said identification information of said thumbnail, and transmits said authentication information and said identification information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to said identification information of said thumbnail from said network service, obtains said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information, and outputs said thumbnail.

165. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprise,

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request, obtains and outputs said thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

166. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to reception of a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

174. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 166, wherein said document control service generates content and identification information of said authentication information, transmits said identification information as authentication information, and holds said content.

175. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 166, wherein said document control service, in response to reception of identification information of said authentication information, identifies said content of said authentication information using said identification information, and transmits said thumbnail or said identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said authentication information.

176. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 166, further comprising an image conversion unit that converts said stored document into a thumbnail;

wherein

said image conversion unit generates said thumbnail correspondingly to said received identification information of said thumbnail.

167. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlates said authentication information with session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

168. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to reception of a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

169. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information of said second session and said session information of said first session, obtains said authentication information and said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

170. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document control service that:

generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus; and

obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

171. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document output service that:

transmits, in response to reception of authentication information for another thumbnail of another stored document stored in a document storage unit of another image forming apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said other thumbnail using said authentication information to said document control service of said other image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to said other thumbnail of said other stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said other thumbnail.

172. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document control service that:

generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of said document control service and said authentication information, and transmits said session information and said authentication information to said network apparatus; and

obtains, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of a document control service and authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

173. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a storage unit, comprising a document output service that:

transmits in response to reception of session information of a document control service of another image forming apparatus and authentication information from an external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain another thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to said other thumbnail of a stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said other thumbnail.

177. A method of outputting a thumbnail of an image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and providing said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtaining said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputting said thumbnail.

178. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlating said authentication information with session information of a session established with the external network apparatus, and providing said session information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, identifying said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtaining said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputting said thumbnail.

179. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and providing said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by said document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtaining said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputting said thumbnail.

180. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, generating said authentication information and session information of a first session corresponding to said obtaining request, correlating said authentication information and said session information with session information of a second session of said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifying said authentication information and said session information of said first session corresponding to said session information of said second session, obtaining said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session and said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputting said thumbnail.

181. A method of outputting a thumbnail of a thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from another document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to said other document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises a document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in a document storage unit of said to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information to a document control service of said other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said thumbnail.

182. A method of outputting a thumbnail of a thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of said document control service and said authentication information, and transmits said session information and said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of another document control service and said authentication information from another document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises the other document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said session information of said other document control service of said other image forming apparatus and said authentication information from said external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtaining said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information form said document control service, said thumbnail.

183. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, generates authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

184. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlates said authentication information with session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

185. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, obtains said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

186. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information of said second session and said session information of said first session, obtains said authentication information and said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session from said document storage unit, and outputs said thumbnail.

187. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises said document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit of said other image forming apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information to a document control service of said other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said thumbnail.

188. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of said document control service and said authentication information, and transmits said session information and said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of another document control service and said authentication information from another document output service of another image forming apparatus, said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said thumbnail to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises said other document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said session information of said document control service of another image forming apparatus and said authentication information from said external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said thumbnail.

189. An image forming apparatus that provides, in response to a user request, a thumbnail stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to provide said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains, in response to reception of said request, authentication information corresponding to said request, and provides location information in which a duplicated thumbnail for displaying is stored to said external network apparatus; and

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to obtain said thumbnail reads said location information in which said duplicated thumbnail for displaying is stored, corresponding to said authentication information, and transmits said location information to said network service.

190. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said network service receives said location information of said thumbnail from said external network apparatus, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said location information from said document control service, and provides said duplicated thumbnail of outputting to said network apparatus.

191. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said network service receives said location information of said thumbnail from said external network apparatus, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said location information from said document control service, and provides said duplicated thumbnail of outputting to said network service.

192. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said document control service receives said location information of said thumbnail from said network service, reads said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said location information of said thumbnail from said document storage unit, and provides said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said external network apparatus.

193. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said document control service receives said location information of said thumbnail from said network service, causes to read said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said location information of said thumbnail from said document storage unit and to provide said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said external network apparatus.

194. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said location information is a uniform resource locator (URL).

195. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 189, wherein said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail includes at least identification information to identify said stored document and password information to prove authorization to access said stored document.

196. A method of obtaining a thumbnail of an image forming apparatus that provides said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit in response to a user request, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a network service, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail of said stored document from an external network apparatus, and obtaining authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service; and

obtaining, by said network service, location information in which a duplicated thumbnail for displaying of said stored document is stored from said document control service, and providing said location information to said external network apparatus.

197. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that receives a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document, transmits said authentication information to said network service, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, obtains said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs the obtained duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

198. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service, in response to reception of a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request, and obtains identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request, and transmits said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, obtains and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

199. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains identification information of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information using said identification information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request, and transmits said identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

200. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, transmits said authentication information, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting; and

a document output service that, in response to reception of said authentication information from said network service, obtains said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said obtaining request, obtains and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

201. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a network service, an output request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, and obtaining authentication information corresponding to said output request from a document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, said authentication information from said network service, and obtaining and outputting a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service.

202. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to reception of an output request for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, authentication information corresponding to said output request from a document control service, and obtaining identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said output request using said authentication information from said document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, and obtaining said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

203. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request from a document control service, generating session information of a session established with said network apparatus, and correlating said session information with said authentication information, and transmitting said session information to said network apparatus;

identifying, by said network service, in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, and obtaining identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said obtaining request using said authentication information from said document control service; and

receiving, by a document output service, said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, obtaining said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

204. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, of an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by a network service, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generating session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlating said session information with said authentication information, and transmitting said session information to said network apparatus;

receiving, by said network service, said session information from said network apparatus, and identifying said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

obtaining, by said document output service, said authentication information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail corresponding to said obtaining request from said document control service using said authentication information received from said network service, obtaining said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

205. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses and said image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that receives a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit and obtains authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said request to output said thumbnail of said stored document, transmits said authentication information to said network service, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

an document output service that receives said authentication information from said network service, receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, and outputs the obtained duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

206. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of a request to output said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, obtains authentication information corresponding to said output request, and obtains identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said output request using said authentication information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request, transmits said identification information to said network service, and transmits said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, obtains and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

207. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information of said thumbnail stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, obtains said identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said obtaining request to obtain said authentication information using said identification information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said output request, transmits said authentication information to said network service, and transmits said identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information to said network service; and

a document output service that, in response to said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said network service, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

208. A thumbnail outputting system that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus using one or more external network apparatuses, said image forming apparatus being connected to said external network apparatus via a network, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises:

a network service that, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, obtains said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, generates session information of a session established with said network apparatus, correlates said session information with said authentication information, transmits said session information to said network apparatus, and in response to reception of said session information from said network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a document control service that generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, transmits said authentication information, outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that, in response to receptor of said authentication information from said network service, obtains said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said obtaining request, obtains and outputs a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

209. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to reception of a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus, outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

210. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlates said authentication information with session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information to said external network apparatus, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

211. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to reception of a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, receives said identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

212. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session established with said external network apparatus, provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus, and outputs said authentication information and identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information of said second session and said session information of said first session, receives identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information and said session information of said first session, and obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

213. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document control service that:

generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus; and

obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

214. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document output service that:

transmits, in response to reception of authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in a document storage unit of another image forming apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information to a document control service of another image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to a duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

215. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising a document control service that:

generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of said document control service and said authentication information, and transmits said session information and said authentication information to said network apparatus; and

obtains, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of a document control service and said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus.

216. An image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a storage unit, comprising a document output service that:

transmits, in response to reception of session information of a document control service of another image forming apparatus and authentication information from an external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus; and

outputs, in response to said duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

217. A method of outputting a thumbnail of an image forming apparatus that outputs, in response to a user request, said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and providing said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus;

a step of outputting, by said document control service, identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information;

a step of receiving, by said document output service, said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtaining said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

218. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlating said authentication information with session information of a session established with the external network apparatus, and providing said session information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, and identifying said authentication information corresponding to said session information;

a step of outputting, by said document control service, identification information of a duplicated thumbnail that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a step of receiving, by said document output service, said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, and obtaining and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit.

219. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generating said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and providing said authentication information to said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus;

a step of outputting, by said document control service, identification information of a duplicated thumbnail that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information;

a step of receiving, by said document output service, said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, and obtaining and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit.

220. A method of outputting, in response to a user request, a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a step of receiving, by a document control service, an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit, generating authentication information and session information of a first session corresponding to said obtaining request, correlating said authentication information and said session information with session information of a second session of said external network apparatus; and

a step of receiving, by a document output service, an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifying said authentication information and said session information of said first session corresponding to said session information of said second session;

a step of outputting, by said document control service, said authentication information and identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session;

a step of receiving, by said document output service, said authentication information and said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said session information of said first session, obtaining and outputting said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit.

221. A method of outputting a thumbnail of a thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, a duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus Comprises said document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in a document storage unit of another image forming apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information to a document control service of another image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

222. A method of outputting a thumbnail of a thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs said thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of a document control service and said authentication information, and transmits said session information and said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of said obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of a document control service and said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail to a document output service of the other image forming apparatus, and said second image forming apparatus comprises said document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said session information of said document control service of another image forming apparatus and said authentication information from said external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to a document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises a document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said session information of a document control service of another image forming apparatus and said authentication information from said external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

223. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, receives said identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

224. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from said external network apparatus generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, correlates said authentication information with session information of a session established with said external network apparatus, and provides, said session information to said external network apparatus, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information, receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

225. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and provides said authentication information to said external network apparatus, and outputs identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from said external network apparatus, receives identification information of a duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said authentication information, obtains said duplicated thumbnail for outputting corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

226. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses and an image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a document control service that receives an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, generates said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request and session information of a first session, correlates said session information of said first session with session information of a second session established with said external network apparatus, and provides said session information of said second session to said external network apparatus, and outputs said authentication information and identification information of a duplicated thumbnail that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said session information of said first session; and

a document output service that receives an output request to output said thumbnail using said session information of said second session from said external network apparatus, identifies said authentication information corresponding to said session information of said second session and said session information of said first session, receives said identification information of said duplicated thumbnail for outputting, obtains said duplicated thumbnail corresponding to said identification information from said document storage unit, and outputs said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

227. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, said authentication information corresponding to said obtaining request, and transmits said authentication information to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of an output request to output said thumbnail using said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, a duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail for outputting to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises a document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit of another image forming apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said authentication information to a document control service of another image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to said duplicated thumbnail for outputting of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.

228. A thumbnail output system having one or more external network apparatuses, a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus connected to said external network apparatus via a network, that outputs a thumbnail of a stored document stored in a document storage unit of said image forming apparatus, wherein

said first image forming apparatus comprises a document control service that generates, in response to reception of an obtaining request to obtain authentication information for said thumbnail of said stored document stored in said document storage unit from an external network apparatus, session information of a document control service and said authentication information, and transmits to said network apparatus, and obtains, in response to reception of obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of a document control service and said authentication information from a document output service of another image forming apparatus, a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document storage unit, and transmits said duplicated thumbnail to said document output service of the other image forming apparatus;

and

said second image forming apparatus comprises said document output service that transmits, in response to reception of said session information of said document control service of another image forming apparatus and said authentication information from said external network apparatus, an obtaining request to obtain said thumbnail using said session information of said document control service and said authentication information to said document control service of the other image forming apparatus, and outputs, in response to a duplicated thumbnail for outputting that is a duplicate of said thumbnail of said stored document corresponding to said authentication information from said document control service, said duplicated thumbnail for outputting.