Image-forming system, image-forming apparatus, computer program, and image-forming method

An image-forming apparatus which is communicably connected to a judging device, and via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
• an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
• a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from one of the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the ink cartridge, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the printing person, a second information specifying a printing person;
• a communication mechanism which transmits the second information and the first information to the judging device, and receives a judgment result of an allowability of the printing with the identifiable ink, which is judged based on the second information and the first information by the judging unit;
• and
• an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink, when the judgment result received by the communication mechanism is a judgment not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.

An image-forming apparatus via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, comprising:

• a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
• an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
• a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the cartridge, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires a second information specifying a printing person;
• a judging mechanism which judges an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism and the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
• an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when the judging mechanism judges not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink;
• and
• a body which accommodates the cartridge-installation section, the ink jetting mechanism, the first-information acquiring mechanism, the second-information acquiring mechanism, the judging mechanism, and the inhibiting mechanism.

A computer program operating an image forming-system via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image-forming system having:

• a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
• an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
• a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the cartridge, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the printing person, second information specifying the printing person,
• wherein the computer program causes a computer to perform:
• judging an allowability of printing with the identifiable ink, based on the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism and the second-information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
• and
• inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.

A computer program which operates an image-forming apparatus communicably connectable to a judging unit, and via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image-forming apparatus having:

• a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
• an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
• a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the cartridge, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires a second information specifying the printing person,
• wherein the computer program causes a computer to perform:
• transmitting, to the judging unit, the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism and the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
• receiving a judgment result of the judgment of an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on the information specifying the printing person and the first information;
• and
• inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when the judgment result is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.

A computer program which operates an image-forming apparatus via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus having:

• a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
• an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
• a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the cartridge, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires second information specifying the printing person;
• wherein the computer program causes a computer to perform:
• judging an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism and the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
• and
• inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.

An image-forming method via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, comprising:

• providing an ink cartridge in which an identifiable ink having a predetermined attribute is filled;
• acquiring, from one of the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section and the identifiable ink filled in the ink cartridge, information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
• acquiring, from the printing person, information which specifies the printing person;
• verifying the information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink and the information indicating the printing person to authenticate the printing person;
• and
• inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink when the printing person is not authenticated or allowing the ink jetting mechanism to jet the identifiable ink only when the printing person is authenticated.