# US 12,001,737 B2 · Image forming apparatus, cloud system, control method, and non-transitory storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,001,737 B2 - Document ID: US12001737B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/158,728 - Filed: 2023-01-24 - Published: 2023-08-03 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-28 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yuto Terashima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001737B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management} - G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs} - G06F 3/12: Digital output to print unit {, e.g. line printer, chain printer} - G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data} - G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job} - G06F 3/1267: {Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing} - G06F 3/1287: {via internet} - G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An image forming apparatus configured to communicate with a first cloud cooperation system receives selection of a file stored in a cloud storage service, acquires the selected file via the first cloud cooperation system, performs control to execute printing of the acquired file, receives input of authentication information to be used for connection to a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system, and transmits information about a result of the executed printing to the second cloud cooperation system via the first cloud cooperation system by using the input authentication information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus configured to communicate with a first cloud cooperation system, the image forming apparatus comprising: a printer; at least one memory that stores instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: request the first cloud cooperation system to acquire a list of files stored in a cloud storage service which is different from the first cloud cooperation system; receive, from the first cloud cooperation system, the list of files which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; request the first cloud cooperation system to acquire a file which is selected from the received list by a user; receive, from the first cloud cooperation system, the selected file which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; print the received file; receive input of authentication information to be used for connection to a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system; and transmit the input authentication information and information about a result of the printing to the first cloud cooperation system for causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the result of the printing to the second cloud cooperation system by using the input authentication information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where information indicating the second cloud cooperation system is stored as a transmission destination of the result of the printing in the cloud storage service, the image forming apparatus displays an input screen for inputting the authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system, with the information indicating the second cloud cooperation system set on the input screen, and receives the input of the authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system via the input screen. ### Claim 3 A cloud system comprising: a first cloud cooperation system configured to communicate with an image forming apparatus; and a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system, wherein the first cloud cooperation system performs: receiving, from the image forming apparatus, a first request for acquisition of a list of files stored in a cloud storage service which is different from the first cloud cooperation system; acquiring the list of files stored in the cloud storage service; transmitting the acquired list of files to the image forming apparatus; receiving, from the image forming apparatus, a second request for acquisition of a file stored in a cloud storage service from which is selected from the list by a user of the image forming apparatus; acquiring the file for which the received acquisition request is made from the cloud storage service; transmitting the acquired file to the image forming apparatus; receiving, from the image forming apparatus, authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system; receiving information about a print result of the transmitted file from the image forming apparatus; and transmitting the information about the print result to the second cloud cooperation system by using the authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system, and wherein the second cloud cooperation system performs: receiving the information about the print result from the first cloud cooperation system; and managing the received information about the print result. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cloud system according to claim 3, wherein the second cloud cooperation system transmits information indicating the second cloud cooperation system to the cloud storage service, and the cloud storage service stores the transmitted information indicating the second cloud cooperation system as a transmission destination of the result of the printing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cloud system according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the information indicating the second cloud cooperation system is stored as the transmission destination of the result of the printing in the cloud storage service, the first cloud cooperation system transmits the acquired file and the information indicating the second cloud cooperation system to the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 6 A control method for an image forming apparatus including a printer and configured to communicate with a first cloud cooperation system, the control method comprising: requesting the first cloud cooperation system to acquire a list of files stored in a cloud storage service which is different from the first cloud cooperation system; receiving, from the first cloud cooperation system, the list of files which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; requesting the first cloud cooperation system to acquire a file which is selected from the received list by a user; receiving, from the first cloud cooperation system, the selected file which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; printing the received file; receiving input of authentication information to be used for connection to a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system; and transmitting the input authentication information and information about a result of the printing to the first cloud cooperation system for causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the result of the printing to the second cloud cooperation system by using the input authentication information. ### Claim 7 A control method for a cloud system including a first cloud cooperation system configured to communicate with an image forming apparatus, and a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system, the control method comprising: causing the first cloud cooperation system to receive, from the image forming apparatus, a first request for acquisition of a list of files stored in a cloud storage service which is different from the first cloud cooperation system; causing the first cloud cooperation system to acquire the list of files stored in the cloud storage service; causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the acquired list of files to the image forming apparatus; causing the first cloud cooperation system to receive, from the image forming apparatus, a second request for acquisition of a file which is selected from the list by a user of the image forming apparatus; causing the first cloud cooperation system to acquire the file for which the received acquisition request is made from the cloud storage service; causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the acquired file to the image forming apparatus; causing the first cloud cooperation system to receive, from the image forming apparatus, authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system; causing the first cloud cooperation system to receive information about a print result of the transmitted file from the image forming apparatus; causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the information about the print result to the second cloud cooperation system by using the authentication information to be used for connection to the second cloud cooperation system; causing the second cloud cooperation system to receive the information about the print result from the first cloud cooperation system; and causing the second cloud cooperation system to manage the received information about the print result. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program, wherein the program causes a processor of an information processing apparatus including a printer to perform: requesting a first cloud cooperation system to acquire a list of files stored in a cloud storage service which is different from the first cloud cooperation system; receiving, from the first cloud cooperation system, the list of files which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; requesting the first cloud cooperation system to acquire a file which is selected from the received list by a user; receiving, from the first cloud cooperation system, the selected file which is acquired from the cloud storage service by the first cloud cooperation system; printing the received file; receiving input of authentication information to be used for connection to a second cloud cooperation system different from the first cloud cooperation system; and transmitting the input authentication information and information about a result of the printing to the first cloud cooperation system for causing the first cloud cooperation system to transmit the result of the printing to the second cloud cooperation system by using the input authentication information.