Information processing apparatus and information processing method

An information processing system comprising:

• a terminal apparatus connected to a network, the terminal apparatus being configured to perform a print process;
• a server connected to the network;
• and
• an information processing apparatus connected to the terminal apparatus and the server through the network, the information processing apparatus comprising:
• a display unit that displays first explanatory information of the terminal apparatus;
• an input unit that receives a user operation input by a user;
• a processor that is configured to function as a first acquisition unit that, when the display unit displays the first explanatory information, based on a first instruction from the input unit, acquires a first identifier corresponding to the first explanatory information displayed by the display unit, the first instruction being one type of the user operation;
• a first communication unit that transmits the first identifier acquired by the first acquisition unit to the terminal apparatus;
• and
• a second communication unit that communicates with the server through the network, the server storing operation explanatory information that includes multiple explanatory informations including the first explanatory information and operation explanatory information that includes correspondence information identifying correspondence between multiple identifiers including the first identifier and the multiple explanatory informations, wherein
• the first acquisition unit uses the correspondence information to acquire the first identifier corresponding to the first explanatory information from the server,
• the terminal apparatus displays an operation screen that corresponds to the first identifier transmitted from the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus and receives operation information in the displayed operation screen, and
• the terminal apparatus performs the print process based on the operation information entered in the operation screen.

An information processing system comprising:

• a terminal apparatus connected to a network, the terminal apparatus being configured to perform a print process;
• and
• an information processing apparatus connected to the terminal apparatus through the network, the information processing apparatus comprising:
• a display unit that displays first explanatory information of the terminal apparatus;
• an input unit that receives a user operation input by a user;
• a processor that is configured to function as a first acquisition unit and a second acquisition unit, the first acquisition acquiring, when the display unit displays the first explanatory information, based on a first instruction from the input unit, a first identifier corresponding to the first explanatory information displayed by the display unit, the first instruction being one type of the user operation;
• and
• a first communication unit that transmits the first identifier acquired by the first acquisition unit to the terminal apparatus,
• wherein,
• based on a fourth instruction from the input unit, the first communication unit receives a third identifier from the terminal apparatus by requesting the terminal apparatus to transmit the third identifier,
• the second acquisition unit acquires third explanatory information of the terminal apparatus corresponding to the third identifier received by the first communication unit,
• the display unit displays the third explanatory information acquired by the second acquisition unit,
• the terminal apparatus displays an operation screen that corresponds to the first identifier transmitted from the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus and receives operation information in the displayed operation screen,
• terminal apparatus transmits the third identifier to the first communication unit of the information processing apparatus based on the fourth instruction, and
• the terminal apparatus performs the print process based on the operation information entered in the operation screen.

An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus that communicates with an terminal apparatus through a network, the method comprising:

• causing a display unit of the information processing apparatus to display first explanatory information of the terminal apparatus;
• causing an input unit of the information processing apparatus to receive a user operation input by a user;
• causing the information processing apparatus to acquire a first identifier corresponding to the first explanatory information displayed by the display unit and to transmit the first identifier to the terminal apparatus, based on a first instruction from the input unit, the first instruction being one type of the user operation;
• causing the terminal apparatus to receive the first identifier and to display a first operation screen corresponding to the first identifier;
• causing the terminal apparatus to display a second operation screen;
• causing the information processing apparatus to request the terminal apparatus to transmit a second identifier of the second operation screen, based on a second instruction from the input unit, the second instruction being another type of the user operation;
• causing the terminal apparatus to transmit the second identifier to the information processing apparatus;
• causing the information processing apparatus to receive the second identifier and to acquire second explanatory information corresponding to the second identifier;
• causing the display unit to display the second explanatory information;
• causing the terminal apparatus to receive operation information in at least one of the first operation screen and the second operation screen from the user, and
• causing the terminal apparatus to perform the print process based on the operation information.