Patent ID: 11886762
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 18:
19. A method for controlling printing performed by a printing control system including a first plurality of image forming apparatuses set as parent units and a second plurality of image forming apparatuses set as child units, the first and the second plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to each other through a network, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a parent unit of the parent units, a job list information item from another parent unit of the parent units, and storing the job list information item on the parent unit, the job list information item including a job name of a print data item stored on the other parent unit;
requesting, by a child unit of the child units, for transmission of a job list request to a connectable parent unit of the parent units, the connectable parent unit being identified by a parent unit connection information item stored in the child unit, the job list request requesting for transmission of the job list information item;
obtaining, by the connectable parent unit, the job list request transmitted from the child unit and transmitting, by the connectable parent unit, a job list response to the child unit;
obtaining, by the child unit, the job list response from either one of: the other parent unit storing the print data item identified by the job name of the print data item included in the job list information item requested by the job list request, or a parent unit included in the parent units and not storing the print data item;
saving at least one of the print data items in a first memory of each of the parent units;
transmitting a job list information item to the other parent unit, the job list information item including the job name of the at least one print data items saved on the first memory;
obtaining the job list request transmitted from the child unit and requesting for transmission of the job list information item to the child unit, the job list information item including the job name of the at least one print data items;
storing, on the first memory of the parent unit, the job list information item transmitted from the other parent unit; and
storing the parent unit connection information item that identifies the connectable parent unit, in a second memory of each of the child units.