(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a print system, an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, a print service system, and a storage medium.
(ii) Related Art
In recent years, there is suggested a cloud print service provided on the Internet, such as Google Cloud Print (trademark) which is a concept of Google (registered trademark). A user logs in to a cloud print service from a personal computer (PC) or the like, by using a user ID of the service, and after the login, the user sends print data to the cloud print service. The print data is provided from the cloud print service to an image forming apparatus through the Internet or the like, and hence printing is performed.
When a public cloud print service, such as Google Cloud Print, is used, a user previously registers capability information etc. of image forming apparatuses, which are used by the user, in the cloud print service. The user logs in to the print service, designates a document to be printed, and selects a print output target of this time from among the previously registered image forming apparatuses. In response to this, the print service converts the document to be printed into print data in a predetermined print data format such as portable Document Format (PDF), and provides the print data to the selected image forming apparatus to cause the apparatus to print the print data.
An image forming apparatus, which is frequently used by the user (for example, a printer at home), may be associated with the account of the user and may be registered in the cloud print service. With the registration, by logging in to the cloud print service with the account of the user and instructing printing, the user may execute a printout from the image forming apparatus.
In contrast, such registration may be complicated for an image forming apparatus, which is owned or administered by other person, for example, an image forming apparatus in a shop such as a convenience store on a street corner, or an image forming apparatus at a visiting place (other department of a company to which the user belongs, or a company of a business partner). In general, an image forming apparatus is permanently registered in a cloud print service, and it lasts unless a cancel operation is performed (for example, in case of Google Cloud Print). Hence, in the viewpoint of the owner or administrator of the image forming apparatus, a person other than the persons concerned is not generally allowed to make registration for an image forming apparatus.
In case of Google Cloud Print, by using a share function, the owner or administrator of the image forming apparatus may allow other person to use the image forming apparatus that is registered by the owner or administrator in Google Cloud Print. For example, when printing is desired to be performed through the cloud from an image forming apparatus at a visiting place, if the owner or administrator of the image forming apparatus at the visiting place previously makes setting for account sharing, an output may be made from the image forming apparatus through the cloud print service by using the account of the owner or administrator.
Also, in case of Google Cloud Print, when printing is instructed to the cloud, a logical printer corresponding to a physical image forming apparatus serving as an output target is required to be selected and a print instruction is required to be given to the selected logical printer.