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Image forming system with image forming device prioritization function and method thereof

  • US 8,432,561 B2
  • Filed: 06/09/2010
  • Issued: 04/30/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An image forming system, comprising:

  • a plurality of image forming devices, which form images by receiving an image forming instruction; and

    an information processing device in communication with the plurality of image forming devices, and that sends the image forming instruction to the image forming devices, whereineach of the image forming devices includes a memory module that stores an operation mode showing a state of the image forming device and that stores power consumption information of the operation mode in advance;

    the operation mode being one of a plurality of operation modes that includes a standby mode in which the image forming device is ready to receive the image forming instruction, a power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced, and an image forming mode for forming an image by the received image forming instruction;

    the information processing device includes;

    an acquisition module that acquires the operation mode and the power consumption information stored in the memory module of each of the image forming devices;

    an order determination module that assigns a power consumption order to each of the image forming devices according to power consumption based on the operation mode, that calculates, based on the operation mode, image forming wait time from the time of receiving the image forming instruction at each of the image forming devices to the time of starting an image forming operation, and that assigns an image forming wait time order to each of the image forming devices according to image forming wait time; and

    a display device that displays the power consumption order and the image forming wait time order of each of the image forming devices assigned by the order determination module;

    the acquisition module acquires elapsed time from when the image forming device is shifted from the standby mode to the power saving mode in addition to the acquisition of the operation mode and the power consumption information; and

    the order determination module sets the image forming wait time order of the image forming device in which the elapsed time is shorter to higher order when two of the calculated image forming wait times are the same.

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