Patent ID: 8564801

Claim:
A network system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses are communicably connected via a network, and an electronic device capable of independent operation is communicably connected to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; the electronic device comprising a data input/output unit that sends/receives control data of the electronic device to/from the image forming apparatus to which the electronic device is connected; and the image forming apparatus comprising a data communications unit that sends/receives the control data to/from the electronic device connected to the image forming apparatus, and a network communications unit that sends/receives the control data to/from another image forming apparatus via the network, wherein the data communications unit and the network communications unit of each image forming apparatus send the control data of the electronic device to each of the other electronic devices via the network, the data input/output unit of each of the other electronic devices receives the control data, and each of the other electronic devices operates based on the received control data wherein the data communications unit and the network communications unit of the image forming apparatus are configured to be operable even when the image forming apparatus is in a power-saving state.