Patent ID: 7855798
Filing Date: 2010-12-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing server in a distributed printing system comprising: a plurality of image forming devices; and a printing server, when a print job is generated, assigning print data to be sent to the plurality of image forming devices and carrying out distributed printing, and for at least each of the plurality of image forming devices, acquiring operational environment information including presence/absence of generating of bedewing, whether in a ready state (state where a fixing device is operable) or a standby state (state in a power saving mode where a fixing device is not electrified), a duration time of the ready state, a time that has passed at a temperature and humidity other than bedewing generating conditions, and an operation time of a dehumidification device, when a print job is generated, determining presence/absence of generating of bedewing on the basis of the operational environmental information, assigning a distributed job to be sent to the image forming device determined as not generating bedewing, and also for an image forming device in which bedewing is generated, estimating the shortest time taken to clear bedewing, and when the time has passed, assigning a distributed job to be sent.