Patent ID: 8038152

Claim:
A sheet conveyance relay unit, comprising: a convergence unit, including: a convergence section having a plurality of sheet receiving sections respectively connected to a plurality of image forming apparatuses to receive recording sheets, wherein sheet conveyance paths of the plurality of the sheet receiving sections are converged; and a first common sheet-conveyance section, which is configured to convey the recording sheets from the convergence section to a sheet feeding outlet; a divergence unit, including: a second common sheet-conveyance section, which is configured to convey the recording sheets conveyed from the convergence unit; a plurality of sheet feed-out sections, which are connected to a plurality of post-finishing apparatuses; and a divergence section, which sorts the recording sheets conveyed by the second common sheet-conveyance section, onto the plurality of the sheet feed-out sections; and a control section which is configured to receive (i) job information having been set, and (ii) specifications and working conditions information relating to the plurality of the image forming apparatuses connected to the convergence unit and the plurality of the post-finishing apparatuses connected to the divergence unit; wherein the control section selects an image forming apparatus to be used for a job among the plurality of the image forming apparatuses and selects a post-finishing apparatus to be used for a job among the plurality of the post-finishing apparatuses, based on the specifications and working conditions information, so that the control section conducts the job having been set.