Information processing apparatus, recording medium, and image forming system for maintaining a communication with an image forming apparatus

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a process performed in an information processing apparatus that performs communication with an image forming apparatus and that controls a printing process performed by the image forming apparatus, the process comprising:

• causing a display to display an operation screen for accepting a setting or an operation relating to the printing process;
• transmitting, after the communication is established between the information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus, predetermined data that explicitly instructs a maintenance of the communication with the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus, said transmitting being performed by starting transmitting the predetermined data when a user of the image forming apparatus makes a request for displaying the operation screen and stopping transmitting the predetermined data when the image forming apparatus stops displaying the operation screen;
• and
• generating print data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the communication, according to the setting or the operation accepted at the operation screen.

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus;
• and
• an information processing apparatus that controls a printing process performed by the image forming apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus includes:
• a communication controller configured to perform communication with the image forming apparatus;
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display an operation screen for accepting a setting or an operation relating to the printing process;
• a data transmitter configured to transmit, after the communication is established between the information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus, predetermined data that explicitly instructs a maintenance of the communication with the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus, said data transmitter being configured to start transmitting the predetermined data when a user of the image forming apparatus makes a request for displaying the operation screen displayed and stop transmitting the predetermined data when the display controller stops displaying the operation screen;
• and
• a renderer configured to generate print data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the communication, according to the setting or the operation accepted at the operation screen, and wherein
• the image forming apparatus includes:
• a transmitter/receiver configured to start the communication with the information processing apparatus in response to a request from the information processing apparatus;
• a session controller configured to maintain the communication upon receiving the predetermined data by the communication from the information processing apparatus;
• and
• an image former configured to execute the printing process with respect to the print data transmitted by the communication from the information processing apparatus.