| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus performing the printing treatment from a device on a network. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: a data receiving part for receiving the printing data from an external data treatment device connected through the network; an expansion processing device connected to the network and for generating the data expanding the printing data; an information collecting part for collecting the processing capacity of the above device; a historical data-holding part for holding as a historical data, the processing capacity and the time required for generation when each expansion processing device generated the expansion data hitherto; an expansion destination-selecting part for selecting the expansion processing device in which the printing data is expanded; and a data transfer part for transferring the printing data to the selected expansion processing device. The expansion destination-selecting part estimates the anticipated expansion time of the printing data on the basis of the most recent processing capacity and the historical data of each expansion processing device. The expansion processing device in which the anticipated expansion time is shortest is selected, and receives the generated expansion data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT |
