Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method

An image forming system comprising:

• one or more image forming apparatuses including a plurality of hardware resources including at least a scanner device and a printer device, a user interface including a display, and a network interface;
• and
• a server apparatus connected to the network interface of the one or more image forming apparatus via a network;
• wherein the server apparatus includes
• a storage unit that stores web contents including screen information pertaining to an operation screen of a copying process that uses the scanner device and the printer device and script information pertaining to a script for controlling the copying process, and
• a management unit that provides the web contents to the image forming apparatus in response to a request from the image forming apparatus, the web contents include an obtaining part that obtains the web contents from the server apparatus;
• wherein one of the one or more image forming apparatuses includes
• a web browser part including
• an obtaining part that obtains the web contents from the server apparatus,
• a display control part that displays the operation screen of the copying process on the display based on the web contents obtained by the obtaining unit, and
• a script execution part that executes the script for controlling the copying process based on the script information included in the web contents obtained by the obtaining unit, and
• an image forming unit including an interface for receiving a request for controlling the copying process by the execution of the script for controlling the copying process by the script execution part.

An image forming method for a system including one or more image forming apparatuses and a server apparatus connected to the one or more image forming apparatus including at least a scanner device, a printer device, and a display via a network, the method comprising:

• requesting the server apparatus to provide web contents stored in the server apparatus by way of a web browser of the one or more image forming apparatus, the web contents including screen information pertaining to an operation screen of a copying process that uses the scanner device and the printer device and script information pertaining to a script for controlling the copying process;
• providing the web contents in response to the request from the one or more image forming apparatus;
• displaying an operation screen of a copying process on the display of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the web contents;
• receiving a request for controlling the copying process by way of an interface of the one or more image forming apparatuses;
• and
• controlling the copying process by executing a the script for controlling the copying process based on the script information included in the web contents obtained from the server apparatus.