Composite service providing system for a plurality of communicatively connected electronic devices

An electronic device for a composite service providing system including a plurality of devices communicatively connected with each other, each of the plurality of electronic devices being a stand-alone electronic device, the plurality of devices including a first electronic device and a plurality of the electronic device, each of the plurality of devices including a service providing system that is capable of providing at least one service, the electronic device comprising:

• a composite service designating system that receives a first user input which designates a composite service to be provided;
• a usage condition designating system that receives a second user input which designates usage conditions of the composite service to be provided;
• an electronic device determining system that determines which of the plurality of devices provides each of a plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• a setting data generating system that generates second data indicating settings of operating conditions for each of the service providing systems of the electronic devices, that were determined by the electronic device determining system, the electronic devices being necessary for executing the composite service under the usage conditions designated by the second user input, wherein the composite service is designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• and
• a setting system that performs setting of the operating conditions of the service providing systems of the respective electronic devices determined by the electronic device determining system in accordance with the second data generated by the setting data generating system,
• wherein a necessary first electronic device is determined by the electronic device determining system as the first electronic device that is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system, the necessary first electronic device includes a first process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary first electronic device to output first data necessary for executing the composite service under the operating conditions set by the setting system, the composite service being designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• wherein a necessary second electronic device is determined by the electronic device determining system as the electronic device, which is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system, the second necessary electronic device includes:
• a receiving system that receives the first data output by the first electronic device;
• and a second process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary second electronic device to process the first data under the operating conditions set by the setting system when the first data is received by the receiving system;
• and
• wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic devices provides at least one of a scan service, a print service, a fax modem service, and a storage service, and
• the composite service includes at least one of a copy service, a fax transmission service, and an image storing service.

A non-transitory computer readable medium for a computer, the medium containing computer accessible instructions that cause the computer to function as an electronic device for a composite service providing system including a plurality of electronic devices communicatively connected with each other, each of the plurality of electronic devices being a stand-alone electronic device, the plurality of electronic devices including a first electronic device and second electronic devices, each of the first electronic device and the second electronic devices include a service providing system that is capable of providing at least one service, the electronic device including:

• a composite service designating system that receives a first user input which designates a composite service to be provided;
• a usage condition designating system that receives a second user input which designates usage conditions of the composite service to be provided;
• an electronic device determining system that determines which of the plurality of electronic devices provides each of a plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• a setting data generating system that generates second data indicating settings of the service providing systems of the electronic devices determined by the electronic device determining system, the electronic devices being necessary for executing the composite service under the usage conditions designated by the second user input, wherein the composite service is designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• a setting system that performs setting of the operating conditions of the service providing systems of the respective electronic devices determined by the electronic device determining system in accordance with the second data generated by the setting data generating system,
• wherein a necessary first electronic device is determined by the electronic device determining system as the first electronic device that is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system, the necessary first electronic device includes a first process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary first electronic device to output first data necessary for executing the composite service under the operating conditions set by the setting system, the composite service being designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system;
• wherein a necessary second electronic device is determined by the electronic device determining system as one of the second electronic devices that is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received with the composite service designating system, the second necessary electronic device includes:
• a receiving system that receives the first data output by the first electronic device;
• and
• a second process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary second electronic device to process the first data under the operating conditions set by the setting system when the first data is received by the receiving system;
• and
• wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic devices provides at least one of a scan service, a print service, a fax modem service, and a storage service, and
• the composite service includes at least one of a copy service, a fax transmission service, and an image storing service.

A composite service providing method for use with a plurality of electronic devices communicatively connected with each other, each of the plurality of electronic devices being a stand-alone electronic device, the plurality of electronic devices including a first electronic device and second electronic devices, each of the first electronic device and the second electronic devices including a service providing system that is capable of providing at least one service, the method comprising:

• receiving a first user input which designates a composite service to be provided;
• receiving a second user input which designates usage conditions of the composite service to be provided;
• determining which of the plurality of electronic devices provides each of a plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received;
• generating second data indicating settings of operating conditions for each of the service providing systems of the electronic devices, that were determined to provide the plurality of services necessary for providing the composite service, in order to execute the composite service under the usage conditions designated by the second user input, wherein the composite service is designated by the first user input received;
• setting the operating conditions of the service providing systems of the respective electronic devices in accordance with the second data,
• determining a necessary first electronic device as the first electronic device that is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input, the necessary first electronic device including a first process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary first electronic device to output first data necessary for executing the composite service under the operating conditions that were set, the composite service being designated by the first user input received;
• determining a necessary second device electronic as one of the second electronic devices that is necessary for providing the composite service designated by the first user input received, the second necessary electronic device includes:
• a receiving system that receives the first data;
• and
• a second process execution system that causes a service providing system included in the necessary second electronic device to process the first data under the operating conditions that have been set when the first data is received,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic devices provides at least one of a scan service, a print service, a fax modem service, and a storage service, and
• the composite service includes at least one of a copy service, a fax transmission service, and an image storing service.