Patent ID: 8797571
Filing Date: 2014-08-05
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A host device for a distributed printing setup, comprising: a user interface (UI) generator to generate a UI screen to allow a user to select a plurality of image forming apparatuses for a distributed printing; a workflow generator to generate, when the plurality of image forming apparatuses are selected in the generated UI screen, a workflow by combining distributed printing setup of the selected plurality of image forming apparatuses to distribute a printing job of a file to be printed, such that the workflow is mapped to the user, a communication unit to communicate with the image forming apparatuses over a communication network; and a host controller to control the communication unit to send a workflow list mapped to the user and including the workflow and other workflows mapped to the user therein to one of the selected plurality of image forming apparatuses in response to a user authentication succeeding to allow a user to select from among the workflow and the other workflows within the workflow list such that the printing job is distributedly performed among the selected plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein the workflow is used for distributing a number of copies of a same file to the selected plurality of image forming apparatuses.