Patent ID: 8228534

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a relay device that comprises a first power output device and an output section, the first power output device configured to convert a voltage of a commercial power supply to a voltage to be output, the output section configured to output power of the converted voltage to a plurality of image formation apparatuses over a communication line; and the plurality of image formation apparatuses are connected to the relay device through the communication line and receive the power output from the relay device, wherein: each of the image formation apparatuses comprises a function section that performs a function by using the power output from the relay device; a second power output device that converts a voltage of a commercial power supply to a predetermined voltage, and that outputs power of the predetermined voltage; an image formation section that forms an image on a medium by using the power of the predetermined voltage output from the second power output device; and a distribution-and-transmission section that receives the power output from the relay device and supplies the power output from the relay device to the function section, and the output section of the relay device is configured to output image information to be formed on the medium as the image to one of the plurality of image formation apparatuses based upon image formation apparatus identifying information contained within the image information.