Image forming system, control method therefor, recording medium storing control program therefor, and information processing apparatus

A control method for an image forming system comprising:

• a comparison step, executed by an external apparatus that is provided with first functions, of comparing information about the first functions with information about second functions with which an image forming apparatus is provided;
• a determination step, executed by the external apparatus, of determining functions to be used by the image forming apparatus among the first functions based on a comparison result in said comparison step;
• a screen information sending step, executed by the external apparatus, of sending screen information that is used for setting the functions determined in said determination step to the image forming apparatus;
• an information sending step, executed by the image forming apparatus, of sending the information about the second function with which the image forming apparatus is provided to the external apparatus;
• and
• a display step, executed by the image forming apparatus, of displaying a setting screen for setting the first functions based on the screen information received from the external apparatus.

An external apparatus provided with first functions comprising:

• a comparison unit configured to compare information about the first functions with information about second functions with which an image forming apparatus is provided;
• a determination unit configured to determine functions to be used by the image forming apparatus among the first functions based on a comparison result by said comparison unit;
• and
• a screen information sending unit configured to send screen information that is used for setting the functions determined by said determination unit to the image forming apparatus.

An information processing apparatus provided with public functions that can be used by another apparatus and capable of communicating via a network with an image forming apparatus that can singly provide client functions to a user, comprising:

• a comparison unit configured to compare information about the public functions with information about the client functions received from the image forming apparatus;
• a registration unit configured to register a first public function of a newer version among the public functions corresponding to the client functions based on the comparison result by said comparison unit;
• and
• a screen information sending unit configured to add screen information for setting details of the first public function to the information about the first public function registered by said registration unit, and to send it to the image forming apparatus.