JP2011145606A5 - Image forming system and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system using a plurality of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an image forming system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to each other and a control method thereof .

Accordingly, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system capable of reducing power consumption when performing double-sided printing and performing post-processing in a post-processing apparatus, and a control method thereof. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming system according to the present invention includes first and second image forming apparatuses for forming an image on a recording sheet in accordance with image data, and the first and second image forming apparatuses. the image forming apparatus are connected to each other, the first image forming apparatus is positioned on the upstream side of the discharge direction of the recording sheet, before Symbol second image forming apparatus includes a duplex printing function, the second image In an image forming system including a post-processing device that performs post-processing on a recording sheet discharged from a forming device, when performing double-sided printing on the recording sheet, an image is formed on one surface of the recording sheet by the first image forming device. After the formation, the first double-sided printing control for forming an image on the other side of the recording sheet by the second image forming apparatus, and the double-sided printing on the recording sheet using the second image forming apparatus With the second duplex printing control Is intended to select a Zureka, if performing the post-processing by the post-processing device is designated, the first when performing duplex printing control the post the first per unit time including depending on the second processing capacity per unit of the processing capability second image forming apparatus time, to have a print control means to select one of said first and said second double-sided printing control Features.
In order to achieve the above object, a control method according to the present invention includes first and second image forming apparatuses that perform image formation on a recording sheet according to image data, and the first and second image forming apparatuses. Forming apparatuses are connected to each other, the first image forming apparatus is positioned upstream in the discharge direction of the recording sheet, the second image forming apparatus has a duplex printing function, and the second image forming apparatus In a control method for controlling an image forming system provided in a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on the recording sheet discharged from the apparatus, image formation is performed on the one surface of the recording sheet by the first image forming apparatus. Then, a first step of executing a first double-sided printing control for forming an image on the other surface of the recording sheet by the second image forming apparatus, and the recording sheet using the second image forming apparatus Image formation on both sides A second step of executing the second double-sided printing control, a first processing capacity per unit time including the post-processing when the first double-sided printing control is performed, and the second image. And a third step of selecting one of the first double-sided printing control and the second double-sided printing control according to the second processing capability per unit time of the forming apparatus. .

According to the present invention, the print control hand stage, if is possible to perform post-processing by the post-processing device is designated, the first per unit time including post-processing at the time of performing the first double-sided printing control According to the processing capability and the second processing capability per unit time of the second image forming apparatus, either one of the first and second duplex printing controls can be selected to perform duplex printing, which is unnecessary. There is an effect that power consumption can be reduced. In addition, if the power consumption is reduced, there is an effect that the life of the parts can be increased and unnecessary noise is reduced.

Claims (7)

First and second image forming apparatuses for forming an image on a recording sheet according to image data, and the first and second image forming apparatuses are connected to each other to form the first image forming apparatus. after the device is positioned on the upstream side of the discharge direction of the recording sheet, before Symbol comprises second image forming apparatus for double-sided printing function, performs post-processing on the discharged recording sheet from said second image forming apparatus In an image forming system including a processing device,
When performing double-sided printing on the recording sheet, the first image forming apparatus forms an image on one side of the recording sheet, and then the second image forming apparatus forms an image on the other side of the recording sheet. One of a first double-sided printing control and a second double-sided printing control for performing double-sided printing on a recording sheet using the second image forming apparatus is selected , and post-processing by the post-processing apparatus is performed. When it is specified that the first image processing apparatus performs the first double-sided printing control, the first processing capability per unit time including the post-processing and the second per unit time of the second image forming apparatus. depending on the processing power, the image forming system characterized by having a print control means to select one of said first and said second double-sided printing control.   In the printing control means, the first processing capability per unit time including the post-processing when the first double-sided printing control is performed is the second processing capability per unit time of the second image forming apparatus. The second double-sided printing control is selected when the first processing capacity is lower, and the first double-sided printing control is selected when the first processing capacity is higher than the second processing capacity. The image forming system according to claim 1. State selection means for selecting the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus between a standby state in which printing can be started immediately and a sleep state in which power consumption is lower than the standby state. ,
When the first double-sided printing control is selected, the printing control unit controls the state selecting unit to place the first and second image forming apparatuses in the standby state, and the second double-sided printing. 2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the control is selected , the state selection unit is controlled to set the first image forming apparatus to the sleep state and the second image forming apparatus to the standby state. 3. The image forming system according to 2.   The print control unit executes the first double-sided print control when it is not designated to perform post-processing by the post-processing device. Image forming system.   When it is designated to perform post-processing by the post-processing apparatus, the print control unit selects the first double-sided printing control for the first printing, and the first printing for the second and subsequent copies. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second duplex printing controls is selected based on the first processing capability and the second processing capability based on a processing time of a part. 5. The image forming system according to any one of 4 above.   6. The value obtained by dividing the time required from the start of printing of the first portion to the end of post-processing of the first portion by the number of pages of the first portion is determined as the first processing capability. Image forming system. First and second image forming apparatuses for forming an image on a recording sheet according to image data, and the first and second image forming apparatuses are connected to each other to form the first image forming apparatus. device located upstream side of the discharge direction of the recording sheet, before Symbol a second image forming apparatus duplex printing function, the post-processing on the recording sheet discharged from said second image forming apparatus In a control method for controlling an image forming system provided in a post-processing apparatus to perform,
After image formation in the previous SL said first image forming apparatus on one side of the recording sheet, to execute the first double-sided printing control for performing image formation by the second image forming apparatus on the other side of the recording sheet A first step;
A second step of executing a second double-sided printing control for forming an image on both sides of the recording sheet using the second image forming apparatus;
In accordance with the first processing capability per unit time including the post-processing when the first double-sided printing control is performed and the second processing capability per unit time of the second image forming apparatus. And a third step of selecting one of the first double-sided printing control and the second double-sided printing control .