Patent ID: 7061635

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for dividing print data amongst a plurality of printer drivers that generate a plurality of print jobs to make a plurality of printers execute a print process, comprising: first spooling means for spooling device-independent-format data converted from data provided by an application, the spooled device-independent-format data being processed by a distributed printer driver that is independent of each of the plurality of printer drivers corresponding to the plurality of printers; first assignment means for generating from the device-independent-format data spooled by said first spooling means, a plurality of pieces of divided process data for distribution printing, the divided process data being formed in a device-independent format; output means for outputting the plurality of pieces of divided process data generated by said first assignment means to respective corresponding printer drivers which generate device-dependent-format data; second spooling means for spooling one of said plurality of device-dependent-format data generated by a predetermined one of said plurality of printer drivers; second assignment means for generating from the device-dependent-format data spooled by said second spooling means, a plurality of pieces of divided print data for distribution printing; determination means for determining whether the plurality of printers for distribution printing can process a same printer language data; control means for performing the spooling process by said first spooling means in a case where said determination means determines that the plurality of printers can not process the same printer language data, and for performing the spooling process by said second spooling means in a case where said determination means determines that the plurality of printers can process the same printer language data; and output control means for outputting a plurality of pieces of print data in the device-dependent format to the plurality of printers.