US 11,740,847 B2
Image forming system that transmits print job to transfer destination determined out of plurality of image forming apparatuses, and image forming method
Jason Bernard Lo, Osaka (JP); and Alcuin Allan Andrade, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed by KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/891,700.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-134935 (JP), filed on Aug. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0059211 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/1275 (2013.01) [G06F 3/1207 (2013.01); G06F 3/1211 (2013.01); G06F 3/1263 (2013.01); G06F 3/1267 (2013.01); G06F 3/1288 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. An image forming method to be executed by an image forming system including a terminal device, a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and a management apparatus, the method comprising:
a step in which the terminal device generates a print job based on a document to be printed, and transmits the print job to the management apparatus, via a first communication device that communicates with the management apparatus;
a step in which the management apparatus receives the print job transmitted from the terminal device, via a second communication device that communicates with the terminal device and the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and stores the print job in a storage queue;
a step in which the management apparatus performs a first transfer operation including determining one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses that completes a printing operation based on the print job most rapidly, as transfer destination, on a basis of printing ability of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and transmitting the print job to the image forming apparatus determined as the transfer destination, via the second communication device;
a step in which the image forming apparatus determined as the transfer destination receives the print job transmitted from the management apparatus, via a third communication device that communicates with the management apparatus, and causes an image forming device that executes the printing operation including forming an image on a recording medium, to execute the printing operation based on the print job; and
a step in which the management apparatus notifies information representing that the print job has been normally transmitted and information of an installation location of the image forming apparatus determined as the transfer destination, to a user of the terminal device.