Printing control device, image forming system and computer readable medium storing program

A printing control device comprising:

• a distributing unit that distributes received image data page by page;
• a plurality of image processing units that perform image processing for converting the image data distributed by page from the distributing unit into print data;
• a plurality of output control units that are provided in accordance with a plurality of image output sections respectively, and control the output processing of each of the plurality of the image output sections based on the print data generated by the image processing of the plurality of the image processing units, respectively;
• and
• a print data combining section that executes aggregate printing for merging a plurality of pages of images into one image and outputting,
• when aggregate printing where images of a plurality of pages are merged into one image and be output is executed, the distributing unit distributes the image data so that the image data of the plurality of pages are subjected to the image processing by a single image processing unit, and
• wherein the print data combining section combines print data of a plurality of pages subjected to the image processing by the single image processing unit, and the plurality of output control units transmit the print data respectively transferred from the print data combining section, to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units, respectively.

A printing control device comprising:

• a distributing unit that distributes received image data page by page;
• a plurality of image processing units that perform image processing for converting the image data distributed by page from the distributing unit into print data;
• and
• a plurality of output control units that are provided in accordance with a plurality of image output sections respectively, and control the output processing of each of the plurality of the image output sections based on the print data generated by the image processing of the plurality of the image processing units, respectively,
• when aggregate printing where images of a plurality of pages are merged into one image and be output is executed, the distributing unit selects either a first distributing method, which distributes the image data so that the image data of the plurality of pages are subjected to the image processing by a single image processing unit, or a second distributing method, which distributes the image data so that the plurality of page image data are subjected to the image processing by different image processing units, to distribute, and
• wherein the plurality of the output control units generate print data in units of plurality of pages by combining the plurality of page print data transferred respectively from the plurality of the image processing units, and transmit the generated print data to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units, respectively.

An image forming system comprising:

• a plurality of image output sections;
• a distributing unit that distributes received image data page by page;
• a plurality of image processing units that perform image processing for converting the image data distributed by page from the distributing unit into print data;
• and
• a plurality of output control units that are provided in accordance with a plurality of image output sections respectively, and control the output processing of each of the plurality of the image output sections based on the print data generated by the image processing of the plurality of the image processing units, respectively,
• when an aggregate printing where a plurality of pages of images are merged into one image and be output is executed, the distributing unit distributes the image data so that the image data of the plurality of pages are subjected to the image processing by a single image processing unit,
• wherein the plurality of the output control units generate print data in units of plurality of pages by combining the plurality of page print data, transferred respectively from the plurality of the image processing units, and transmit the generated print data to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units, respectively.

An image forming system comprising:

• a plurality of image output sections;
• a distributing unit that distributes received image data page by page;
• a plurality of image processing units that perform image processing for converting the image data distributed by page from the distributing unit into print data;
• a plurality of output control units that are provided in accordance with a plurality of image output sections respectively, and control the output processing of each of the plurality of the image output sections based on the print data generated by the image processing of the plurality of the image processing units, respectively;
• and
• a print data combining unit that executes aggregate printing for merging a plurality of pages of images into one image and outputting,
• when aggregate printing where images of a plurality of pages are merged into one image and be output is executed, the distributing unit distributes the image data so that the image data of the plurality of pages are subjected to the image processing by a single image processing unit, and
• wherein the print data combining section combines print data of a plurality of pages subjected to the image processing by the single image processing unit, and the plurality of output control units transmit the print data respectively transferred from the print data combining section, to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units, respectively.

A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for image processing, the process comprising:

• distributing image data so that, when aggregate printing where images of a plurality of pages are merged into one image and be output is executed, the image data of the plurality of pages are subjected to image processing by a single image processing unit;
• performing the image processing for converting the image data distributed by page from the distributing unit into print data;
• and
• controlling each output processing of a plurality of image output sections by combining the plurality of page print data transferred respectively from the plurality of the image processing units, to generate one print data of the plurality of pages, and transmitting the generated print data to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units, respectively.