Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and method of controlling image forming apparatus
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorSatoshi Yuruzume
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one or more embodiments, an image forming apparatus comprises a communication interface, an image forming unit, and a processor. The communication interface communicates with a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network and receives print jobs from the information processing apparatuses. The image forming unit executes printing according to a first print job. The processor determines a presence of a user associated with a second print job near the image forming apparatus, and then determines, based on the presence of the user, whether to execute the first print job or to transmit or forward the first print job to another image forming apparatus.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a communication interface configured to communicate with a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network and receive a plurality of print jobs transmitted from the information processing apparatuses;
- an image forming unit configured to execute printing according to a first print job of the plurality of print jobs;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- when the first print job from a first user is received via the network, determine a presence of a second user associated with a second print job of the plurality of print jobs, the second print job having been received via the network before the first print job, and
- select between executing the first print job and transmitting the first print job to another image forming apparatus based on the presence of the second user associated with the second print job.
An image forming system, comprising:
- a plurality of image forming apparatuses, each configured to execute printing based on print jobs from a plurality of information processing apparatuses, wherein
- a first image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses comprises:
- a communication interface configured to communicate with the plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network and receive a plurality of print jobs transmitted from the information processing apparatuses;
- an image forming unit configured to execute printing according to a first print job of the plurality of print jobs;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- if the first print job has been received via the network, detect a presence of a user associated with a second print job of the plurality of print jobs in the vicinity of the first image forming apparatus, the second print job having been received via the network before the first print job;
- and
- select between executing the first print job and transmitting the first print job to a second image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the presence of the user associated with the second print job.
A method for controlling a plurality of image forming apparatuses, each configured to receive a plurality of print jobs from information processing apparatuses and execute printing based on at least one of the plurality of print jobs, the method comprising:
- receiving a first print job from a first user at a first image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses via a network;
- determining whether a second user associated with a second print job is present in the vicinity of the first image forming apparatus, the second print job having been received via the network before the first print job;
- and
- selecting between executing the first print job on the first image forming apparatus or forwarding the first print job to a second image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the presence of the second user associated with the second print job.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.