Patent ID: 8520235

Claim:
An image storage system comprising: a plurality of image processing apparatuses that execute collaborative multifunction image processing on image data in collaboration with one another to generate collaborative result data that includes collaborative history data, the collaborative multifunction image processing including a first image processing function performed by a first one of the image processing apparatuses and a second image processing function performed by a second one of the image processing apparatuses, the first image processing function being different than the second image processing function, the first image processing apparatus being different than the second image processing apparatus, each image processing apparatus implemented using at least one respective micro-processor; a storage unit, implemented using at least one non-transitory storage medium, that is shared by at least two of the image processing apparatuses and that stores information on the image data; a plurality of transmitting units, each transmitting unit implemented by a respective one of the image processing apparatuses, for transmitting the information on the image data to the storage unit; an information acquisition unit that is implemented by a master one of the image processing apparatuses and that acquires apparatus information on the plurality of image processing apparatuses; and a determination unit that is implemented by the master one of the image processing apparatuses and that determines, based on the acquired apparatus information, at least one of the image processing apparatuses to transmit the collaborative result data to the storage unit, wherein each of the image processing apparatuses engaged in the collaborative multifunction image processing terminates the collaborative multifunction image processing of its own respective portion of the collaborative multifunction image processing, and wherein the master one of the image processing apparatuses controls which of the transmitting units transmits the collaborative result data to the storage unit based on the determination by the determination unit.