Output timing controlled image forming apparatus, system and method
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTakumi Komori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming system includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses which are connected to each other via a communication line. Each of the image forming apparatuses includes an image reader that reads an image of an original document as image data; an image data storage that stores the image data; an image forming unit that forms an image onto a sheet of paper from the image data; and a communication unit that transmits and receives any one of the image data and control data for controlling an image forming operation. At least one of the image forming apparatuses includes an output timing controller that controls the plurality of image forming apparatuses so that start time of an image forming operation are different among the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus which is connected to another image forming apparatus via a communication line, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a communication unit that transmits and receives any one of image data and control data for controlling an image forming operation, to and from the another image forming apparatus;
- and
- an output timing controller that generates a timing control signal indicating that a start time of an image forming operation is different between the image forming apparatus and the another image forming apparatus.
An image forming system comprising:
- a plurality of image forming apparatuses which are connected to each other via a communication line, wherein
- each of the image forming apparatuses includes
- a communication unit that transmits and receives any one of image data and control data for controlling an image forming operation, to and from other image forming apparatuses, and
- at least one of the image forming apparatuses includes
- an output timing controller that controls the plurality of image forming apparatuses so that a start time of an image forming operation is different among the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
An image forming operation control method for controlling a plurality of image forming apparatuses which are connected to a communication line, the method comprising:
- allowing the plurality of image forming apparatuses to start an image forming operation at a different time among the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on a delay information output to the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.