# US 12,182,463 B2 · Image forming apparatus, control method of image forming apparatus and image forming system

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- Number: US 12,182,463 B2
- Document ID: US12182463B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/505,486
- Filed: 2023-11-09
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-03
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Kazunori Hasegawa; Satoshi Awata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182463B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/126: {Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device}
- G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data}
- G06F 3/1267: {Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing}
- G06F 3/1291: {Pool of printer devices: self-managing printing devices in a network, e.g. without a server}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

An image forming system includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus, and the plurality of image forming apparatuses include a parent apparatus and a child apparatus(es). The parent apparatus transmits, when receiving a print instruction that is transmitted from the child apparatus for outputting operated by a user, print data to the child apparatus for outputting. The parent apparatus transmits, when transmission instruction data is included in the print data, print image data included in the print data to a transmission destination apparatus such as a child apparatus other than the child apparatus for outputting, the information processing apparatus and a further external apparatus with which the parent apparatus can perform communication via a network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing apparatus, comprising:
a receiver that receives image data transmitted from an external apparatus;
a storer that stores destination information data of a predetermined transmission destination apparatus and the image data received by the receiver; and
a transmitter that transmits the image data to a further image processing apparatus when receiving a print instruction for the image data, wherein
the transmitter transmits, when transmission instruction data is included in the image data, the image data to the transmission destination apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein the image data transmitted to the transmission destination apparatus is still stored in the storer even after having been transmitted, and
the transmitter further transmits the image data that is still stored in the storer even after having been transmitted to one or more transmission destinations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to the claim 1, further comprising a deleter that deletes the transmission instruction data from the image data when the transmission instruction data is included in the image data,
wherein the transmitter transmits the image data from which the transmission instruction data is deleted by the deleter to the further image processing apparatus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to the claim 1, further comprising a notifier that notifies a transmission result to the further image processing apparatus when the transmitter transmits the image data to the transmission destination apparatus.

### Claim 5

A control method that a computer of an image processing apparatus comprising a storage that stores destination information data of a predetermined transmission destination apparatus, executing:
receiving image data transmitted from an external apparatus;
storing the image data in the storage; and
transmitting the image data to a further image processing apparatus when receiving a print instruction for the image data, wherein
the image data is transmitted to the transmission destination apparatus when transmission instruction data is included in the image data.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The control method according to the claim 5, wherein storing the image data transmitted to the transmission destination apparatus in the storer even after having been transmitted, and
further transmitting the image data that is still stored in the storer even after having been transmitted to one or more transmission destinations.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The control method according to the claim 5, further deleting the transmission instruction data from the image data when the transmission instruction data is included in the image data, wherein
the image data from which the transmission instruction data is deleted in the deleting is transmitted to the further image processing apparatus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The control method according to the claim 5, further notifying a transmission result to the further image processing apparatus when transmitting the image data to the transmission destination apparatus.