An output control unit comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a control apparatus, an operation amount for a switching apparatus configured to switch between driving and stopping of an output apparatus; and an instruction output unit configured to perform time proportional output of an instruction for instructing the switching apparatus to drive or stop the output apparatus, to the switching apparatus, based on the operation amount acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the operation amount represents the ratio of a time during which the output apparatus is driven and a time during which the output apparatus is stopped, and characterized in that: the instruction output unit is configured: (a) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to stop the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, to perform the time proportional output based on the changed operation amount, starting with the next cycle following the one cycle, and (b) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to drive the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, to perform the time proportional output based on the changed operation amount, during the one cycle; and (c) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to drive the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, and the switching apparatus has driven the output apparatus for at least a period indicated by the changed operation amount in the one cycle, to output an immediate stop instruction and to continue outputting an instruction to stop the output apparatus to the switching apparatus for the remaining time of the one cycle. an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a control apparatus, an operation amount for a switching apparatus configured to switch between driving and stopping of an output apparatus; and an instruction output unit configured to perform time proportional output of an instruction for instructing the switching apparatus to drive or stop the output apparatus, to the switching apparatus, based on the operation amount acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the operation amount represents the ratio of a time during which the output apparatus is driven and a time during which the output apparatus is stopped, and (a) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to stop the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, to perform the time proportional output based on the changed operation amount, starting with the next cycle following the one cycle, and (b) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to drive the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, to perform the time proportional output based on the changed operation amount, during the one cycle; and (c) if the operation amount that is acquired by the acquisition unit changes during one cycle of the time proportional output and at a timing when an instruction to drive the output apparatus is being output to the switching apparatus, and the switching apparatus has driven the output apparatus for at least a period indicated by the changed operation amount in the one cycle, to output an immediate stop instruction and to continue outputting an instruction to stop the output apparatus to the switching apparatus for the remaining time of the one cycle.