Printing system, image forming apparatus and proxy response method

A base image forming apparatus that operates in a printing system, the printing system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are communicable with each other and a host apparatus that is communicable with the plurality of the image forming apparatuses through a wireless network, wherein each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses operates in one of a waiting state in which print processing can be performed and a power saving state in which electric power is not supplied at least to an interface section thereof connected to the wireless network, the plurality of image forming apparatuses comprising a sub image forming apparatus and the base image forming apparatus, the sub image forming apparatus comprising a control section that requests, on changing from the waiting state to the power saving state, another of the image forming apparatuses to make a proxy response to the host apparatus for the sub image forming apparatus, the base image forming apparatus comprising:

• a print processing section that performs print processing in the waiting state;
• an interface section connected to the wireless network, wherein at least the interface section does not receive electric power in the power saving state;
• and
• a control section that:
• receives a request to make the proxy response from the sub image forming apparatus,
• receives, after receiving the request to make the proxy response, a packet for a print request sent through the wireless network from the host apparatus to the sub image forming apparatus that requested the proxy response,
• determines whether a communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, and
• when the base image forming apparatus determines that the communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, selects one of the image forming apparatuses in the waiting state to be instructed to receive the packet sent from the host apparatus according to one of:
• an order of increasing distance between the one of the image forming apparatuses and the sub image forming apparatus that has requested the proxy response;
• and an order of increasing power consumption under the waiting state.

A proxy response method for use in a printing system, the printing system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are communicable with each other and a host apparatus that is communicable with the plurality of the image forming apparatuses through a wireless network, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses operates in one of a waiting state in which print processing can be performed and a power saving state in which electric power is not supplied at least to an interface section thereof connected to the wireless network, wherein the plurality of image forming apparatuses comprises a sub image forming apparatus and a base image forming apparatus, the sub image forming apparatus comprising a control section that requests, on changing from the waiting state to the power saving state, another of the image forming apparatuses to make a proxy response to the host apparatus for the sub image forming apparatus, the base image forming apparatus comprising a control section that makes, in response to receiving a request to make the proxy response from the sub image forming apparatus, the proxy response,

• the proxy response method comprising:
• operating the base image forming apparatus to receive a request to make the proxy request from the sub image forming apparatus,
• operating the base image forming apparatus to receive, after the request to make the proxy response, a packet for a print request sent through the wireless network from the host apparatus to the sub image forming apparatus that requested the proxy response,
• operating the base image forming apparatus to determine whether a communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, and
• operating the base image forming apparatus to select, when the base image forming apparatus determines that the communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, one of the image forming apparatuses in the waiting state to be instructed to receive the packet sent from the host apparatus according to one of:
• an order of increasing distance between the one of the image forming apparatuses and the sub image forming apparatus that has requested the proxy response;
• and an order of increasing power consumption under the waiting state.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program logic stored thereon for enabling a processor of an image forming apparatus in a printing system to perform a proxy response method, the printing system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are communicable with each other and a host apparatus that is communicable with the plurality of the image forming apparatuses through a wireless network, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses operates in one of a waiting state in which print processing can be performed and a power saving state in which electric power is not supplied at least to an interface section thereof connected to the wireless network, wherein the plurality of image forming apparatuses comprises a sub image forming apparatus and a base image forming apparatus, the sub image forming apparatus comprising a control section that requests, on changing from the waiting state to the power saving state, another of the image forming apparatuses to make a proxy response to the host apparatus for the sub image forming apparatus, the base image forming apparatus comprising a control section that makes the proxy response in response to receiving a request to make the proxy response from the sub image forming apparatus, the proxy response method comprising:

• operating the base image forming apparatus to receive a request to make the proxy request from the sub image forming apparatus;
• operating the base image forming apparatus to receive, after receiving the request to make the proxy response, a packet for a print request sent through the wireless network from the host apparatus to the sub image forming apparatus that requested the proxy response,
• operating the base image forming apparatus to determine whether a communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, and
• operating the base image forming apparatus to select, when the base image forming apparatus determines that the communication error has occurred on receiving the packet, one of the image forming apparatuses in the waiting state to be instructed to receive the packet sent from the host apparatus according to one of:
• an order of increasing distance between the one of the image forming apparatuses and the sub image forming apparatus that has requested the proxy response;
• and an order of increasing power consumption under the waiting state.