Image formation device, printing system, and printing method

A printing system comprising:

• an image formation device;
• and
• a server configured to communicate with the image formation device, wherein:
• the image formation device includes:
• a tray;
• a user interface configured to receive user identification information;
• a first communication interface configured to communicate with the server;
• a memory configured to store device identification information;
• a printer configured to form an image on a medium supplied from the tray;
• and
• first processing circuitry configured to:
• transmit the user identification information and the device identification information to the server;
• receive an indication of a valid medium associated with the user identification information from the server through the first communication interface;
• determine whether the valid medium is contained in the tray;
• in response to a determination that the valid medium is not contained in the tray, (a) transmit an inquiry related to the valid medium to the server, (b) receive, from the server through the first communication interface, printing support information about another image formation device that contains the valid medium, the printing support information including a position of the other image forming device that contains the valid medium, and (c) output the printing support information, including the position of the other image forming device, to the user interface;
• and
• instruct the printer to perform image formation on the valid medium in response to a determination that the valid medium is contained in the tray;
• and
• the server includes:
• a second communication interface configured to communicate with the image formation device;
• and
• second processing circuitry configured to:
• receive the user identification information and the device identification information from the image formation device;
• transmit the indication of the valid medium associated with the user identification information to the image formation device through the second communication interface;
• receive the inquiry from the image formation device;
• and
• transmit the printing support information based on the inquiry to the image formation device through the second communication interface.

A printing method comprising:

• transmitting user identification information and device identification information associated with an image formation device to a server;
• receiving a list of valid media associated with the user identification information from the server through a communication interface, the list of valid media including a first valid medium;
• determining whether a tray of the image formation device contains the first valid medium;
• in response to a determination that the tray does not contain the first valid medium, (a) transmitting an inquiry related to the first valid medium to the server, (b) receiving, from the server, printing support information about another image formation device that contains the first valid medium and that is closest to a position indicated by position information associated with the device identification information through the communication interface, and (c) outputting the printing support information to a user interface;
• and
• instructing a printer of the image formation device to perform image formation on the first valid medium in response to a determination that the tray contains the first valid medium.