Patent ID: 8570575

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a higher-level device that generates a plurality of pieces of raster image data for different colors by performing a raster image processing on print job data supplied from a host device, and generates control information, which is used for controlling printing operations; and an image forming unit that includes a print controller and a printer engine including a plurality of data storage units, wherein the print controller issues, to the higher-level device, a request to transfer pieces of the image data for different colors of a page, wherein the plurality of data storage units receive respective pieces of the image data transferred from the higher-level device in response to the request via a plurality of first transfer paths corresponding to the respective pieces of the image data, and store therein the respective pieces of the image data, and the print controller receives control information from the higher-level device via a second transfer path, controls the data storage units on the basis of the control information so that the data storage units receive and store therein the respective pieces of the image data transferred from the higher-level device, controls the printer engine on the basis of the received control information so as to form an image based on the pieces of image data onto a recording medium, and issues, to the higher-level device, a next request to transfer pieces of the image data for different colors of a next page.