US 11,748,050 B2
Network printing service using instant messaging
Sintarou Ogino, Ota (JP)
Assigned to SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Sakai (JP)
Filed by SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Sakai (JP)
Filed on Mar. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/701,254.
Application 17/701,254 is a continuation of application No. 17/123,946, filed on Dec. 16, 2020, abandoned.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-227668 (JP), filed on Dec. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0214846 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 3/12 (2006.01); H04L 51/046 (2022.01)
CPC G06F 3/1268 (2013.01) [G06F 3/1203 (2013.01); G06F 3/126 (2013.01); G06F 3/1286 (2013.01); G06F 3/1288 (2013.01); G06F 3/1293 (2013.01); H04L 51/046 (2013.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a message acquirer that acquires a plurality of messages from a server, the plurality of messages comprising messages that are posted on each of a plurality of devices in a chronological order;
a print data generator that generates print data based on a first message posted in the plurality of messages;
a print information manager that stores print information which includes the print data and a print execution phrase included in a second message posted after the first message in the plurality of messages;
a message determiner that determines whether the same print execution phrase is included in a third message posted after the second message in the plurality of messages; and
a print data output controller that outputs the print data when the message determiner determines that the same print execution phrase is also included in the third message,
wherein the print execution phrase is a text comprising a character string decided by a user of at least one of the plurality of devices.