Image forming apparatus, image forming process system, and information processing method

An image forming system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a server,

• wherein each of the image forming apparatuses comprises:
• a forming component configured to form an image on a print medium,
• a communication component configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless tag,
• a reader/writer configured to execute, if the forming component executes the image formation on the print medium, using the communication component, one of at least an operation of writing data into a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed or an operation of reading data from a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed,
• a reader configured to read, if the image formation that is accompanied by one of at least the operation of writing data or the operation of reading data by the reader/writer is not executed, an identifier of a user from a wireless tag that stores the identifier using the communication component if communication between the wireless tag and the communication component is enabled, and
• a determination component configured to determine that the user approaches the image forming apparatus if the identifier read by the reader satisfies a predetermined condition, and
• the server comprises:
• an instruction component configured to select, if the predetermined condition is satisfied, one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses among the plurality of image forming apparatuses and to instruct the selected image forming apparatuses to stand by for the approach of the user.

An image forming system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a server,

• wherein the server comprises:
• a storage component configured to correlate print data regarding an image to be formed by an image forming apparatus with an identifier of a user and to store the correlated data, and
• each of the image forming apparatuses comprises:
• a forming component configured to form an image on a print medium,
• a communication component configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless tag,
• a reader/writer configured to execute, if the forming component executes the image formation on the print medium, using the communication component, one of at least an operation of writing data into a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed or an operation of reading data from a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed,
• a reader configured to read, if the image formation that is accompanied by one of at least the operation of writing data or the operation of reading data by the reader/writer is not executed, an identifier of a user from a wireless tag that stores the identifier using the communication component if communication between the wireless tag and the communication component is enabled,
• a determination component configured to determine that the user approaches the image forming apparatus if the identifier read by the reader satisfies a predetermined condition,
• an acquisition component configured to acquire, if print data is correlated with an identifier previously linked to the identifier read by the reader unit and is stored in the storage component, the print data from the server, the acquisition component being provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and
• a print controller configured to control the forming component such that an image is formed based on the print data acquired by the acquisition component, the print controller being provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses.

An information processing method, comprising:

• forming an image on a print medium using a forming component;
• wirelessly communicating with a wireless tag with a communication component;
• executing with a reader/writer, if the forming component executes the image formation on the print medium, using the communication component, one of at least an operation of writing data into a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed or an operation of reading data from a wireless tag attached to the print medium on which the image formation is to be executed;
• reading with a reader, if the image formation that is accompanied by one of at least the operation of writing data or the operation of reading data by the reader/writer is not executed, an identifier of a user from a wireless tag that stores the identifier using the communication component if communication between the wireless tag and the communication component is enabled;
• and
• determining that the user approaches the image forming apparatus if the identifier read by the reader satisfies a predetermined condition.