Apparatus and system for managing form data obtained from outside system

An image forming system, comprising:

• an image forming apparatus and a portable device configured to connect with each other via a communication interface,
• the image forming apparatus comprising:
• a first form data memory configured to store previously stored first form data, the first form data including data specifying (1) a layout of image data and (2) a layout of additional visual information that is associated with the image data, when the image data is printed on a recording sheet, and wherein the additional visual information includes at least one of character information or line information of one or more rule lines associated with each of respective of one or more images printed based on the image data, and printed on the recording sheet for the each of respective of one or more images printed based on the image data, or logo information;
• a first interface configured to access a second form data memory provided outside of the first form data memory;
• and
• a first controller configured to store layout capability information generated using information obtained from the previously stored first form data, determine whether additional second form data is stored in the second form data memory at a predetermined timing, update the layout capability information using information obtained from the additional second form data when the additional second form data is stored in the second form data memory to generate first updated layout capability information, and send capability information including the first updated layout capability information to the portable device in response to a request for capability information received from the portable device,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to overwrite one or more of the previously stored first form data with one or more of the additional second form data by checking the second form data memory for additional second form data having information different from corresponding of the previously stored first form data.

A portable device configured to connect with an image forming apparatus, the portable device comprising:

• an image data memory configured to store image data;
• a first interface configured to access a second form data memory provided outside of a first form data memory provided in the image forming apparatus;
• a controller configured to store layout capability information generated using information obtained from previously stored first form data stored in the first form data memory of the image forming apparatus, the first form data including data specifying (1) a layout of image data and (2) a layout of additional visual information that is associated with the image data, when the image data is printed on a recording sheet, and wherein the additional visual information includes at least one of character information or line information of one or more rule lines associated with each of respective of one or more images printed based on the image data, and printed on the recording sheet for the each of respective of one or more images printed based on the image data, or logo information, to determine whether additional second form data is stored in the second form data memory at a predetermined timing, update the layout capability information using information obtained from the second additional form data when the additional second form data is stored in the second form data memory to generate first updated layout capability information,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether to overwrite one or more of the previously stored first form data with one or more of the additional second form data by checking the second form data memory for additional second form data having information different from corresponding of the previously stored first form data;
• and
• a user interface configured to display the first updated layout capability information to a user.