Patent ID: 8711390

Claim:
An information processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of print queues, including a real job queue and a virtual job queue for each of a plurality of printing apparatus; registration means for registering print job information of a print job in a real job queue of a first printing apparatus and registering virtual job information in a virtual job queue of a second printing apparatus, wherein the virtual job information represents the same print job and contains a reference link to the print job information; and job control means for, (a) when the print job information registered in the real job queue of the first printing apparatus is at the top of the queue, (a1) deleting the virtual job information registered in the virtual job queue of the second printing apparatus, and (a2) executing the print job on the first printing apparatus based on the print job information registered in the real job queue of the first printing apparatus, and (b) when the virtual job information registered in the virtual job queue of the second printing apparatus is at the top of the queue, (b1) specifying the print job information registered in the real job queue of the first printing apparatus to which the virtual job information registered in the virtual job queue of the second printing apparatus contains a reference link, (b2) converting the virtual job information to print job information, based on the print job information to which the virtual job information contains a reference link, (b3) re-registering the print job information converted from the virtual job information in a real job queue of the second printing apparatus, and (b4) executing the print job on the second printing apparatus based on the print job information re-registered in the real job queue of the second printing apparatus, without executing the print job on the first printing apparatus based on the print job information registered in the real job queue of the first printing apparatus.