Image forming system and image forming apparatus

• US 20050043883A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogura, Kazuhiro, Iwase, Akinori, Haraguchi, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

An image forming system and apparatus are provided which utilizes a portable terminal such as a cellular phone when printing and outputting map data, etc. on a network by separating the operation through the cellular phones from the operation through a terminal printer. The system includes a portable terminal that is connected to a network via a gateway through radio communication and provides a desired map destination data to a server. The server receives the destination data via the network and stores the destination data in a prescribed area. A printer that is connected to the server provides its position data to the server and receives a map data comprising the position data of the printer as a starting point and the destination data as an ending point and prints this map data.

Claims

1. A method of printing an image by using a printer which is included in an image forming system comprising a portable terminal that is connected to a network through a radio communication, a server and the printer being connected to the network, the method comprising:

supplying to the server a position data of the printer and a data to designate destination data, which corresponds to a user ID inputted by the user and which is stored in a prescribed area;

receiving, from the server, a map data, comprising the position data of the printer as a starting point and the destination data as an ending point; and

printing an image corresponding to the map data on a recording medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position data of the printer is set by a GPS (Global Positioning System).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a user to insert money in a money receiver according to the map data provided in response to the direction by the user for the map data printed on the recording medium.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

charging as a part of the fee for telephone calls of the portable terminal according to the map data provided and the image formed in response to the direction by the user for the map data printed on the recording medium.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

charging a sponsor of the server according to the map data provided and the image formed in response to the direction of the user for an image printing of the map data on the recording medium.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

printing an image with an advertisement of a prescribed place in the guide route of the map data when a direction by the user for printing the image on the recording medium according to the map data is received; and

charging a sponsor of the place according to the map data provided and the image printed.