Patent ID: 8422050

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, the image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of operation units each of which executes an assigned operation from among the plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, and the plurality of operation units forms the image while interacting with each other; and a plurality of modules that corresponds respectively to the plurality of operation units and control the plurality of operation units to execute the image forming operations, the plurality of modules each including: a control value holding device that holds a control value for controlling a corresponding operation unit; a control device that autonomously controls a corresponding operation unit in accordance with the control value that is held by the control value holding device; and a communication device that receives, at least, a common trigger signal that is a communication signal and is sent simultaneously to the plurality of modules; wherein the control device, upon receiving the trigger signal from the communication device, shifts to a state in which control of a corresponding operation unit is enabled; and wherein the plurality of operation units executes the plurality of image forming operations to form the image.