Patent ID: 6771386
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
In an image forming system which comprises at least one terminal and first, second image forming apparatuses connected to said terminal via a communication line, for respectively effecting image formation on image forming media based on an image forming job from said terminal and in which said first, second image forming apparatuses are set close to each other,the image forming system characterized in that said terminal includes: transmission means for transmitting an image forming job having a password, for causing said first image forming apparatus or second image forming apparatus to independently effect image formation to said first image forming apparatus, and said first image forming apparatus includes: receiving means for receiving the image forming job having the password and transmitted from said terminal, storage means for sequentially storing the image forming job having the password and received by said receiving means, first display means for displaying image forming jobs stored in said storage means, selecting means for selecting one of the image forming jobs displayed on said first display means, input means for inputting the password of the image forming job, determining means for determining whether the image forming job is permitted or not according to whether or not the password input by said input means and the password of the image forming job selected by said selecting means coincide, second display means for displaying a selection screen which indicates whether or not independent image formation by said first image forming apparatus or second image forming apparatus is switched to distributed image formation in said first, second image forming apparatuses when it is determined by said determining means that the image forming job is permitted, first execution means for executing distributed image formation on image forming media by said first, second image forming apparatuses with respect to the image forming job which is determined to be permissible by said determining means when switching to the distributed image formation in said first, second image forming apparatuses is selected according to the display of said second display means, and second execution means for executing image formation on an image forming medium in said first image forming apparatus or second image forming apparatus with respect to the image forming job which is determined to be permissible by said determining means when switching to the distributed image formation in said first, second image forming apparatuses is not selected according to the display of the second display means.