Patent ID: 7595903
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image forming device network system, a parent device including a first image scanning unit for scanning an image to generate image data, a first memory unit connected to the first image scanning unit for storing the image data that has been scanned in by the image scanning unit, a first image forming unit connected to the first memory unit for reading the image data and forming an image on an image-transferring medium and a first control unit connected to the first image scanning unit, the first memory unit and the first image forming unit for controlling the first image scanning unit, the first memory unit and the image forming unit, the first control unit controlling transfer of the image data via the network, at least one child device connected to the parent device through a network including a second memory unit operationally connected to the first memory unit for storing the image data that has been transferred from the first memory unit via the network, a second image forming unit connected to the second memory unit for reading the transferred image data and forming an image on an image-transferring medium, a second control unit connected to the second memory unit and the second image forming unit for controlling the second memory unit and the second image forming unit, the image forming device network system comprising: a first remaining memory detection unit connected to the first memory unit for detecting a remaining amount of memory in the first memory unit; a collaboration unit connected to the parent device and the child device for activating a collaboration mode for a collaboration print job between the child device and the parent device; a receiving unit located at the child device and connected to the parent device for receiving the image data that is transferred from the parent device to the child device; and an execution unit connected to said receiving unit for initiating the second image forming unit for the collaboration print job only after an entire portion of a predetermined size of the transferred image data for the collaboration print job is stored in the second memory unit.