US Patent 7603698 Image forming apparatus and image forming method

In a case where a client user is already registered in a database server, user authentication is executed. Specifically, login to a network with use of a username and a password is executed and an authentication server carries out an authentication process, or authentication with use of a user certificate is executed and the authentication server carries out the authentication process. If the authentication process by the authentication server is completed, image forming apparatus information including position information is displayed on the client user and the client user is permitted to execute network connection.