Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Abstract

A control method for an image forming apparatus for executing various jobs transmitted from an information processing apparatus includes analyzing a process transmitted from the information processing apparatus and generating a job according to the analysis. Each of information constituting a job, information constituting a binder, and information constituting a document, is managed. The generated job is divided into a smaller document unit to generate a document which is processed, the document is divided into a smaller page unit to generate a page, which is processed, and the page is divided into a smaller band unit to generated a band, which is processed. Requests are arbitrated for using a device from the document generation, document processing, page processing, and band processing. At least one of the document, page, and band processing is done according to formats of input and output data.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 - 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus, comprising; 
 reception means for receiving process information from said information processing apparatus;    job generation means for generating a job based on the process information received by said reception means;    generation means for generating process units of a hierarchic structure based on the job generated by said job generation means;    determination means for determining a device to be used, among plural device provided in said image forming apparatus, based on the process information received by said reception means; and    assignment means for assigning the process unit generated by said generation means to the device determined by said determination means.    
   
   
       24 . (canceled)