Patent ID: 6930798
Filing Date: 2005-08-16
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A control method for an image formation system which causes a first image formation apparatus for forming a color image and a second image formation apparatus for forming a black and white image to cooperate with each other in forming on at least one of a plurality of sheets, using toner, a series of images including a color image and a black and white image inputted from an image input unit through an image control apparatus, and causes a sheet processing apparatus to compile the sheets on which the color images were formed by the first image formation apparatus and the sheets on which the black and white images were formed by the second image formation apparatus as one sheet sheaf where the first image formation apparatus, the second image formation apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus are electrically connected with others through a data communication path, said method comprising: an input image discrimination step, of discriminating whether the image inputted from the image input unit is a color image or a black and white image; a development step, of setting the toner by which the first and second image formation apparatuses form the images; a distribution step, of distributing image formation to the first and second image formation apparatuses in accordance with the color content of the image inputted from the image input unit and the color by which the image can be formed, wherein said distribution step includes a judgment step of judging in the series of images whether the image is a color image or a black and white image; a first transmission step, of correlating first instruction data, including an instruction to perform preparation of the image formation operation, with page number information of the image to be formed on the sheet and for selectively transmitting the correlated data to the first and second image formation apparatuses, according to the judgement in said judgment step; a first reception step, executed in the first image formation apparatus, of receiving the first instruction data, the page number information and an image corresponding to the page number information; a first notification step, executed in the first image formation apparatus, of performing preparation to form the color image of the page corresponding to the page number information on the sheet, correlating the preparation with the page number information, and notifying the sheet processing apparatus of the correlated data through the data communication path, according to the reception of the first instruction data in said first reception step; a second reception step, executed in the second image formation apparatus, of receiving the first instruction data, the page number information and an image corresponding to the page number information; a second notification step, executed in the second image formation apparatus, of performing preparation to form the black and white image of the page corresponding to the page number information on the sheet, correlating the preparation with the page number information, and notifying the sheet processing apparatus of the correlated data through the data communication path according to the reception of the first instruction data in said second reception step; a third reception step, executed in the sheet processing apparatus, of receiving the page number information in said first notification step and said second notification step through the data communication path; a second transmission step, executed in the sheet processing apparatus, of selectively transmitting second instruction data including an instruction to allow the start of the image formation operation to the first and second image formation apparatuses through the data communication path, on the basis of the page number information received in said third reception step; and a postprocessing step, of simultaneously performing postprocessing on the plurality of sheets on which the images were formed, respectively by the first and second image formation apparatuses.