Patent ID: 8494435
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming system, comprising: an image forming device to form an image on a paper, and a plurality of post processing devices which are serially connected to the image forming device and each of which carries out a predetermined post processing to the paper on which the image is formed by the image forming device and ejects the paper when designated as an ejecting place, wherein each one of the plurality of post processing devices comprises: a determination unit configured to determine whether the ejecting place is to be changed to another post processing device located in the upstream side of the post processing device based on ejecting place information from the image forming device, a permission request unit configured to request a permission to stop the one of the plurality of post processing devices from the image forming device when the determination unit determines that the ejecting place is to be changed to the another post processing device located in the upstream side of the post processing device, and an actuation determination unit configured to execute a stopping operation of the post processing device when stopping permission information from the image forming device is received and not to execute the stopping operation when the stopping permission information is not received, and wherein the image forming device comprises: an ejecting place information informing unit to inform the ejecting place information relating to which of the plurality of post processing devices is designated as the ejecting place of the paper, page by page, to each of the plurality of post processing devices, a comparing unit to compare a stop time to an estimated ejection time when a request is made by the permission request unit of one of the plurality of post processing devices, the stop time being calculated by a calculation unit and being a time needed to complete a stopping operation of the post processing device which made the request after ejecting a last paper before a change of the ejecting place to the another post processing device, the estimated ejection time being calculated by the comparing unit and being an estimated time between when the ejecting place is changed to the another post processing device located in the upstream side and when the paper is ejected in the post processing device which made the request after being changed back as the ejecting place, and a stopping permission information informing unit to inform the stopping permission information to the post processing device which made the request when the estimated ejection time is longer than the stop time as a result of a comparison by the comparing unit.