An output system in which a first network printer and a second network printer, which perform output on the basis of output data, and a device using apparatus, which uses the network printers, are connected to be capable of communicating with each other and the network printers obtain authentication to perform the output, the output system characterized in that
- the device using apparatus includes:
- output data storing means that stores the output data;
- output-request-information transmitting means that transmits output request information, which includes acquisition source information concerning an acquisition source of the output data, to the first network printer;
- and
- output data providing means that provides output data in the output data storing means,
- the first network printer includes:
- output-request-information storing means;
- output-request-information receiving means that receives the output request information;
- output-request-information saving means that saves the output request information received by the output-request-information receiving means in the output-request-information storing means;
- first authentication information acquiring means that acquires authentication information;
- first output data authenticating and acquiring means that acquires, when it is judged on the basis of the authentication information acquired by the first authentication information acquiring means that a user is eligible to use the output data, the output data from the device using apparatus on the basis of acquisition source information included in the output request information in the output-request-information storing means;
- first output means that performs output on the basis of the output data acquired by the first output data authenticating and acquiring means;
- and
- output-request-information providing means that provides output request information in the output-request-information storing means,
- provision-destination-information storing means that stores provision destination information in which a provision destination of the output request information is registered, wherein the second network printer is registered as a provision destination of the first network device;
- and
- the second network printer includes:
- second authentication information acquiring means that acquires the authentication information;
- output-request-information acquiring means that acquires the output request information from the first network printer;
- second output data authenticating and acquiring means that acquires, when it is judged on the basis of the authentication information acquired by the second authentication information acquiring means that a user is eligible to use the output data, the output data from the device using apparatus on the basis of the acquisition source information included in the output request information acquired by the output-request-information acquiring means;
- the second network printer has acquisition source information storing means that stores acquisition source information in which an acquisition source of the output request information is registered, wherein the first network printer is registered as an acquisition source of the output request information, and
- the output-request-information acquiring means acquires the output request information from the first network printer registered in the acquisition source information as an acquisition source;
- and
- second output means that performs output on the basis of the output data acquired by the second output data authenticating and acquiring means
- wherein when the user elects to have output performed at the second network printer instead of the first network printer which has already received authentication information,
- a) the user provides the authentication information to the second authentication information acquiring means,
- b) the second network printer determines whether the first network printer is registered as an acquisition source in the acquisition source information storing means, and transmits an acquisition request to the first network printer, the acquisition request including user information,
- c) the first network printer receives the acquisition request from the second network device and determines whether the second network printer is registered as a provision destination in the provision-destination-information storing means, and the output-request-information providing means of the first network printer provides the output request information to second network printer upon determining that the second network printer is registered in the provision destination information as a provision destination,
- d) the output-request-information receiving means of the second network receives the output request information from the first network device and the second output data authenticating and acquiring means compares the authentication information provided by the user and the output request information to determine if the user is eligible to use the output data, and if so transmits an acquisition request including the user information to the device using apparatus, and
- e) the device using apparatus receives the acquisition request from the second network printer and compares the user information with stored user information stored on the device using apparatus, and transmits the output data to the second network printer upon determining that the user information and the stored user information match.