In a system in which an image input apparatus and image forming apparatus are directly connected, the operation of the image input apparatus may stop during the operation of the image forming apparatus. The performance between the apparatuses is unbalanced, and the total throughput is low. According...http://www.google.com/patents/US7397574?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7397574 - Image processing controlling distribution of work among apparatuses based on apparatus performance
