| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more accurately evaluate the optimal number of copies of a job to be executed among available output units. <P>SOLUTION: A print job is accepted with a master output unit (16). Subsequently, if any other specific print unit can execute a received print job, an inquiry is made, to other print units on a network, about the characteristic of each of other output units and that a print job waiting for determination is to be determined (20). Furthermore, the print job is transferred from the master output unit to each of the other output units which can execute the print job (22). Then, the completion of a part of the accepted print job is reported from each of the other output units (26). Finally, the assignment of the number of copies of the accepted print job to be printed with the master output unit and each of the other output units is determined (32). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO |
