Patent ID: 7031014
Filing Date: 2006-04-18
Classification: G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. A control apparatus of an image forming system, the control apparatus comprising: an interface which performs data communications with another device connected to a network; a management table which manages an operation state of each of image forming apparatuses connected to the network; and a controller which, when a printing request for a tandem print job that corresponds to one print job that is distributed to the image forming apparatuses to complete the one print job, is received, prepares a schedule in which the tandem print job is distributed to the image forming apparatuses connected to the network based on the operation state of each of the image forming apparatuses, and transmits a content of the printing that is executed by each of the image forming apparatuses according to the schedule, wherein one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses includes the control apparatus, and the image forming apparatus including the control apparatus serves as a master apparatus, while the image forming apparatuses other than the master apparatus serve as slave apparatuses.