Setting information management method, setting information management system, and printer driver

A setting management device that saves collective setting information that is-commonly used and that is connected, via a network, to an information processing device that uses the collective setting information to perform a function of an image forming device, the setting management device comprising:

• a storage in which setting contents of a plurality of setting items about a function of the image forming device are saved;
• a setting information saving circuitry saving the collective setting information including the setting contents that are respectively set for the plurality of setting items, in the storage;
• a sharing setting determining circuitry in which the plurality of setting items include information of collective setting sharing that determines:
• whether the saved collective setting information is commonly used in a plurality of information processing devices;
• and by the information of collective setting sharing, whether the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled;
• and
• a setting information delivering circuitry that, when the sharing setting determining circuitry determines that the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled, delivers collective setting information saved in the storage to the plurality of information processing devices;
• wherein delivered collective setting information is acquired and saved as sharing setting information by the information processing device, and
• only when the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled in the information of collective setting sharing, the collective setting information is commonly used in the setting management device and the plurality of information processing devices.

A setting information management system in which a setting management device that saves collective setting information commonly used and an information processing device that uses the collective setting information to perform a function of an image forming device are connected via a network, wherein:

• the setting management device comprising:
• a storage in which setting contents of a plurality of setting items about a function of the image forming device;
• a setting information saving circuitry saving the collective setting information including the setting contents that are respectively set for the plurality of setting items, in the storage;
• a sharing setting determining circuitry in which the plurality of setting items include information of collective setting sharing that determines:
• whether the saved collective setting information is commonly used in a plurality of information processing devices;
• and by the information of collective setting sharing, whether the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled;
• and
• a setting information delivering circuitry that, when the sharing setting determining circuitry determines that the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled, delivers collective setting information saved in the storage to the plurality of information processing devices;
• wherein the information processing device comprises a setting information acquirer that acquirers delivered collective setting information and saves the delivered collective setting information as sharing setting information, and
• when the collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is enabled in the information of collective setting sharing, the collective setting information is commonly used in the setting management device and the plurality of information processing devices.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a printer driver that includes one or more instructions to control a setting management device, the setting management device saving collective setting information that is commonly used and connected via a network to an information processing device, the information processing device using the collective setting information to perform a function of an image forming device, wherein when the one or more instructions are executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor controls the setting management device to:

• save setting contents of a plurality of setting items about a function of an image forming device;
• save the collective setting information including the setting contents that are respectively set for the plurality of setting items;
• determine, by information of collective setting sharing, whether saved collective setting information is commonly used in a plurality of information processing devices, the plurality of setting items including the information of collective setting sharing that determines whether the saved collective setting information is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices;
• and
• deliver, when the saved collective setting information that is commonly used in the plurality of information processing devices is determined as enabled, the saved collective setting information to the plurality of information processing devices,
• wherein delivered collective setting information is acquired and saved as sharing setting information by the plurality of information processing devices.