Image forming apparatus and method for generating user information

A method of generating information for an apparatus which is connected to one or more other image forming apparatuses through a network, and includes a user information storing unit to store local image forming apparatus user information about one or more users of the apparatus, and an apparatus information storing unit to store information indicative of the one or more other image forming apparatuses, the method comprising:

• acquiring, by use of a user information acquiring unit, remote image forming apparatus user information from the one or more other image forming apparatuses indicated by the information stored in the apparatus information storing unit;
• and
• merging, by use of a user information integration unit, the local image forming apparatus user information and the remote image forming apparatus user information to generate display-purpose user information to be displayed on a screen, and transmitting the local image forming apparatus user information to the one or more other image forming apparatuses with a request to generate display-purpose user information, wherein the user information includes account information in which a user ID to log in any one of the image forming apparatus and the one or more other image forming apparatuses and a setting value settable for each function of each of the one or more other image forming apparatuses are registered according to each user of the one or more other image forming apparatuses,
• performing a job by utilizing a function of the image forming apparatus and a function of at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses;
• and
• receiving information indicative of the at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses and information indicative of the function of the at least one of the one or more other image forming apparatuses.

A system in which plural image forming apparatuses are connected through a network, a first one of the image forming apparatuses comprising:

• a user information storing unit to store local image forming apparatus user information about one or more users of the first one of the image forming apparatuses;
• an apparatus information storing unit to store information indicative of a second one of the image forming apparatuses;
• a user information acquiring unit to acquire remote image forming apparatus user information stored in the second one of the image forming apparatuses from the second one of the image forming apparatuses indicated by the information stored in the apparatus information storing unit;
• and
• a user information integration unit to merge the local image forming apparatus user information and the remote image forming apparatus user information to generate display-purpose user information to be displayed on a screen, and to transmit the local image forming apparatus user information to the second one of the image forming apparatuses with a request to generate display-purpose user information, wherein the user information includes account information in which a user ID to log in any one of the plural image forming apparatuses and a setting value settable for each function of each of the plural image forming apparatuses are registered according to each user of the plural image forming apparatuses, and
• an apparatus coordination unit to perform a job by utilizing a function of the first one of the image forming apparatuses and a function of at least the second one of the image forming apparatuses;
• and
• a selection receiving unit to receive information indicative of the at least second one of the image forming apparatuses and information indicative of the function of the at least second one of the image forming apparatuses.