Patent ID: 8308255
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of controllers that controls nozzle groups for forming an image on an image forming medium based on image data; a plurality of distribution processing units that are connected to a portion of the controllers to transmit to the controllers image data for controlling the nozzle groups allocated to the controllers; and a transmitting processing unit that is used to transmit the image data to a plurality of the distribution processing units, wherein upper level distribution processing units and lower level distribution processing units from the first distribution processing unit at the uppermost level to the second distribution processing unit at the lowermost level are communicatably connected to each other, and the first distribution processing unit is communicatably connected to the transmitting processing unit, wherein the transmitting processing unit includes: a memory that stores the image data; a next transmitting destination determining unit that determines the next transmitting destination identification information indicating the controller as the next transmitting destination with respect to the controller as the transmitting destination; an image data reading unit that reads from the memory the image data that are to be transmitted to the controller of the transmitting destination; an image data transmitting unit that transmits to the controller of the transmitting destination the read image data; a next transmitting destination identification information transmitting unit that transmits the next transmitting destination identification information to the first distribution processing unit before the transmission of the image data to the controller of the transmitting destination is completed; and a determination-result receiving unit that receives from the first distribution processing unit a result of determination as to whether or not the controller indicated by the next transmitting destination identification information receives the image data, wherein in the case where the image data can be received as the result of determination and in the case where the transmission of the image data to the controller of the next transmitting destination is prepared, the image data transmitting unit transmits the image data to the controller indicated by the next transmitting destination identification information as a new transmitting destination, and wherein the distribution processing unit includes: a next transmitting destination receiving unit that receives the next transmitting destination identification information from the transmitting processing unit or the upper level distribution processing unit; a reception determining unit that determines whether or not the controller can receive the image data in the case where the controller indicated by the received next transmitting destination identification information is the controller allocated to the corresponding distribution processing unit; a lower level determination-result receiving unit that receives the result of determination from the lower level distribution processing unit; a determination-result transmitting unit that transmits to the transmitting processing unit or the upper level distribution processing unit the result of determination that the image data can be received in the case where the image data can be received as the result of self determination or the result of determination from the lower level distribution processing unit, and that transmits to the transmitting processing unit or the upper level distribution processing unit the result of determination that the image data cannot be received in the other cases; an image data receiving unit that receives the image data for the transmitting destination from the transmitting processing unit or the upper level distribution processing unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits the image data to the corresponding controller in the case where the image data are the image data for the controller allocated to the corresponding distribution processing unit.