An image forming apparatus and a method thereof are disclosed. The image forming apparatus comprises: a first interface unit, which includes a first port and a second port, respectively used for establishing a first channel and a second channel between the image forming apparatus and a driving device of the image forming apparatus; an imaging controller, used for receiving data from the first channel as page data to be imaged, and acquiring data from the second channel as virtual data; and a timer, used for calculating a first duration from a last time when the image forming apparatus receives either page data from the first channel or virtual data from the second channel, whichever comes later, wherein when the first duration reaches a first predetermined duration, the imaging controller performs timeout handling for ceasing a present imaging job. The image forming apparatus can save resources and improve user friendliness.

An information processing apparatus capable of correctly identifying an image processing apparatus from which an event notification has been transmitted. The information processing apparatus, e.g., a PC, transmits to image processing apparatuses, e.g., MFPs, an event notification request packet that requests the MFPs to transmit an event notification upon occurrence of an event therein, acquires transmission source addresses from response packets sent from the MFPs in reply to the event notification request, and registers the acquired addresses. When receiving an event notification packet from any of the MFPs (S1001), the PC acquires a transmission source address from the event notification packet and compares the acquired address with the registered addresses (S1003), and determines that the MFP from which the event notification packet has been transmitted is one of registered MFPs, if the acquired address coincides with one of the registered addresses.

Display control is made so as to obtain an optimum setting picture plane in accordance with a change in designation of an outputting method of a distribution print, a multiple address print, an automatic substitute print, or the like without allowing the user to be conscious therewith.

A method and system which allows a remote monitoring and diagnostic computer or system to communicate using different communication protocols which are stored within a data base. After a communication is received, it is analyzed to determine if there is a protocol identifier. If the protocol identifier exists, a data base is searched to determine the format of the header of the communication. Once the format of the header is determined, the header of the received communication is read to determine the information contained therein. This information is utilized to determine the actual format of the data which follows. If the protocol identifier does not exist, the received communication is examined to determine if it is in a format which matches one of a plurality of previously defined format. Critical fields are defined which must have certain values and if the received communication matches these critical values, the record in a communication protocol data base matching the critical values will be utilized in order to determine the protocol of the data which has been received in the communication. The machine to which the remote monitoring and diagnostic system is connected is a business office device such as a copier, printer, or facsimile machine, a digital camera, or another type of device.

Print data including text or graphics data is transferred from a host computer to a printer. The printer develops the received data on band basis. When data processing to be performed by the printer is expected to fail due to shortage of the memory area size, the host computer cancels the data which has already been sent to the printer, and develops the text or graphics data to form image data. The image data thus formed is sent to the printer. Image data is transferred in a hierarchical manner. Disclosed also is a method which makes it possible to eliminate as much as possible any data processing failure in the printer attributable to shortage of memory capacity.