Information service apparatus and method, information display apparatus and information service system

An information display apparatus comprising:

• information service request means for sending a send request to an information service apparatus that provides information through a network, the send request for requesting said information and designating a language used in displaying said information;
• and
• information display means for displaying said information received from said information service apparatus,
• wherein, when said information service apparatus is incapable of providing said information in the language designated by said information service request means, said information display means displays said information received from said information service apparatus in a language used for displaying information on an operation panel of said information service apparatus.

An information service system comprising:

• a terminal connected to a network;
• and
• an information service apparatus sending information to said terminal through said network in accordance with a request sent from said terminal,
• wherein said information service apparatus comprises:
• an operation panel on which operation information on said information service apparatus is displayed;
• language correspondence judgment means for judging whether or not the information can be provided in a language designated by discrimination information contained in the request from said terminal;
• and
• language determination means for determining the language to be used in providing said information,
• wherein, when said language correspondence judgment means determines that said information in the language designated by said discrimination information cannot be provided, said language determination means sets an operation panel language used for displaying said operation information on said operation panel as the language used for providing said information;
• and
• wherein said terminal displays said information in the language determined by said language determination means.

An information service method for providing information from an information service apparatus to a terminal connected to said information service apparatus through a network in accordance with a request sent from said terminal, comprising:

• a language correspondence judgment procedure of judging whether or not the information can be provided in a language designated by discrimination information contained in the request from said terminal;
• and
• a language determination procedure of determining the language to be used in providing said information,
• wherein, when said language correspondence judgment procedure determines that said information in the language designated by said discrimination information cannot be provided, said language determination procedure sets an operation panel language used for displaying said operation information on said operation panel as the language used for providing said information.