Image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a modality

1. An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a modality, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores a setting for a first process in association with an identifier;

a receiver that receives the identifier, medical image data, and a request for a second process of the medical image data sent from the modality; and

a processor that, when the identifier received from the modality that has sent the request for the second process of the medical image data to the image forming apparatus is stored in the memory, performs the first process on a basis of the medical image data for which the second process is requested by the received request for the second process of the medical image data, according to the setting for the first process stored in association with the received identifier, wherein:

the first process is printing,

the second process is storage, and

when the identifier received from the modality that has sent the request for storage of the medical image data to the image forming apparatus is stored in the memory and the modality that has sent the medical image data is a Storage Service Class User (SCU), the processor performs printing of the medical image data for which storage is requested by the received request for storage of the medical image data, according to the setting for printing stored in association with the received identifier.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory receives the setting for the first process and the identifier, and stores the setting in association with the identifier.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the identifier received by the receiver does not match the identifier stored in the memory, the processor rejects reception of the medical image data by the receiver.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiver further receives information associated with the medical image data, and

the processor superimposes the information on the medical image data.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modality is an apparatus incapable of requesting printing as the second process.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the medical image data is medical image data captured by a modality compliant with a Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) standard.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is an Application Entity Title (AET) name.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the setting is one of a plurality of settings for the first process, and

the memory stores the plurality of settings in association with the identifier.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first process is printing on one or more media fed from a tray, and

the plurality of settings include a setting specifying the tray, a setting specifying a size of the media, and a setting specifying a number of the media.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the setting is one of a plurality of settings for the first process, and the identifier is one of a plurality of identifiers for identifying the plurality of settings,

for each of the plurality of settings, the memory stores the setting in association with the identifier for identifying the setting,

before receiving the request for the second process, the receiver receives the identifier from the modality, and

the processor performs the first process on a basis of the medical image data according to the setting stored in association with the identifier received by the receiver.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor determines whether the modality is the Storage SCU, on a basis of a unique identifier (UID) received from the modality.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor deletes the medical image data after performing printing of the medical image data for which storage is requested by the received request for storage of the medical image data.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiver directly communicates with the modality.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the image forming apparatus is further capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus,

the image forming apparatus comprises a web server that allows the setting for the first process to be stored in the memory in association with the identifier, and

the processor receives the setting for the first process and the identifier from the information processing apparatus through the web server, and stores, in the memory, the received setting in association with the received identifier.