Network control method and system

A network control system comprising:

• a computer network that includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses accessible through the computer network;
• an image forming apparatus of said plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to said network comprising,
• recording means for recording an image on a recording paper, and
• operating means for receiving and responding to a print instruction regarding an image forming condition of the image to be recorded by said recording means, said operating means having a displayed image of an operating panel of said image forming apparatus;
• a computer connected to said network, comprising,
• a display that displays said displayed image, and
• inputting means for inputting said image forming condition in the computer on the basis of said displayed image;
• executing means for holding user-selectable attributes of the displayed image, for retrieving said image forming condition from said inputting means of said computer, for displaying on said display an indication of said image forming condition, and for sending the print instruction including said image forming condition to the image forming apparatus, and
• means for simultaneously first displaying information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses on a first display, including information of a location of the plurality of image forming apparatus, and in response to a user first selecting at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatus from the first display, simultaneously second displaying functional attributes of each of the first selected image forming apparatuses for side-by-side comparison on a second display second, and in response to a user second selecting one of the first selected image forming apparatuses from the second display, third displaying an operation panel of the second selected of the plurality image forming apparatuses.

A method for controlling a network having a computer and an image forming apparatus connected thereto, comprising the steps of:

• selecting from a display a suitable image forming apparatus, including
• displaying side-by-side functional attributes of the image forming apparatus and other image forming apparatuses;
• determining if a plurality of suitable image forming apparatuses are present;
• displaying a list of input items of suitable image forming apparatuses if said plurality of image forming apparatuses are determined to be present and selecting one of the suitable image forming apparatuses as a finally selected image forming apparatus;
• displaying an operation panel image of the finally selected image forming apparatus;
• selecting an image forming condition at said computer based on said operation panel image;
• and
• recording at said image forming apparatus an image on recording paper based on said image forming condition selected at said computer.

A method for controlling a network having a computer and a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected thereto, comprising the steps of:

• displaying at said computer a plurality of input items corresponding to an image forming condition, said input items including a priority identifier;
• selecting at said computer a portion of said plurality of input items;
• determining whether at least one of said plurality of image forming apparatuses satisfies all of the plurality of input items and if so, selecting a final image forming apparatus that satisfies all of the plurality of input items;
• displaying an indication of another plurality of said image forming apparatuses having an attribute corresponding to a priority identifier, if none of said plurality of image forming apparatuses satisfy all of the plurality of input items;
• selecting as the final image forming apparatus one of said another plurality of said image forming apparatuses having an attribute corresponding to the priority identifier when none of said plurality of image forming apparatuses satisfy all of the plurality of input items;
• and
• recording at said final image forming apparatus an image on recording paper based on said image forming condition.