Enhanced management of raster image processing resources

• US 20040196493A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Christiansen, Robert D., Wissenbach, Paul R., Stevahn, Robert E. Jr., Hoffmann, Brian E., Clouthier, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,576,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1277 using filter pipeline, e.g. outside the driver, adding traps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources are described. In one aspect, a printing environment includes a RIP engine and multiple RIP pipelines. The RIP engine is scheduled to perform RIP for a first time period for a first pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines. Responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, the RIP engine is automatically transferred to the first pipeline for RIP.

Claims

1. In a printing environment including a raster image processor (RIP) engine and multiple RIP pipelines, a method for enhancing management of RIP resources, the method comprising:

scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for a first time period for a first pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines; and

responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, automatically transferring the RIP engine from a different pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines to the first pipeline for RIP.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for a first time period further comprises specifying the first time period on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first pipeline is utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a first type of print data, the different pipeline being utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a second type of print data, the first and second types of print data may be of the same type of PDL.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting schedules for the first RIP engine with respect to the first and/or other individual ones of the multiple pipelines, the schedules being presented for a user to manipulate respective RIP schedules corresponding to any one or more of the first and/or other individual ones of the multiple pipelines.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the different pipeline is a default pipeline.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a default pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines for the RIP engine to perform default RIP;

evaluating criteria to determine whether the RIP engine should be transferred from a current pipeline of the multiple pipelines to the default pipeline; and

responsive to a positive evaluation of at least one of the criteria, transferring the RIP engine from the current pipeline to the default pipeline for RIP.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein evaluating the criteria further comprise:

indicating a positive criteria evaluation when;

(a) subsequent to expiration of a time slot scheduling the RIP engine to the current pipeline for RIP, it is determined that the RIP engine is not immediately scheduled to perform RIP on any other pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines;

or

(b) a threshold amount of time has passed wherein the RIP engine has remained idle in the current pipeline.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-program instructions executable by a processor for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

scheduling a raster image processor (RIP) engine to perform RIP for a first time period in a first pipeline of multiple RIP pipelines;

scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for a second time period for a second pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines, the first time period not overlapping the second time period;

responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, automatically assigning the RIP engine to the first pipeline for RIP; and

responsive to occurrence of a start time of the second time period, automatically transferring the RIP engine to the second pipeline for RIP.

9. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the first pipeline is configured to perform RIP on a print job based on a first set of criteria, and wherein the second pipeline is configured to perform RIP on a print job based on a second set of criteria, and wherein the first and second sets of criteria are not equivalent.

10. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the first and second criteria are based on one or more of print data type, print job page count, and/or print job size.

11. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer-program instructions for scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for at least first and second time periods further comprise instructions for specifying the at least first and/or second time periods on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer-program instructions for automatically assigning the RIP engine to the second pipeline further comprise instructions for automatically transferring the RIP engine from the first pipeline for insertion into the second pipeline.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising computer-program instructions for displaying schedules for the first RIP engine with respect to the first and second pipelines, the schedules being displayed in a user interface providing for at least user manipulation of the first and/or second time frames.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising computer-program instructions executable by the processor for:

identifying a default pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines for the RIP engine to perform default RIP;

evaluating criteria to determine whether the RIP engine should be transferred from a current pipeline of the multiple pipelines to the default pipeline; and

responsive to a positive evaluation of at least one of the criteria, transferring the RIP engine from the current pipeline to the default pipeline for RIP.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer-program instructions for evaluating the criteria further comprise instructions for:

indicating a positive criteria evaluation when;

(a) subsequent to expiration of a time slot scheduling the RIP engine to the current pipeline for RIP, it is determined that the RIP engine is not immediately scheduled to perform RIP on any other pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines;

or

(b) a threshold amount of time has passed wherein the RIP engine has remained idle in the current pipeline.

16. A computing device for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources, the computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising computer-program instructions executable by the processor for;

presenting a scheduler for an administrative entity to manage distribution of RIP resources with respect to time across individual ones of multiple RIP pipelines; and

responsive to generation of a schedule via the scheduler, archiving the schedule for subsequent automatic implementation of specified RIP resource distribution across indicated RIP pipelines, the schedule specifying at least a first time period for a RIP engine to perform RIP in a first pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines; and

responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, automatically transferring the RIP engine from a different pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines to the first pipeline for RIP.

17. A computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the first time period is specified on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.

18. A computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the first pipeline is utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a first type of page description language (PDL), the different pipeline being utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a second type of PDL, the first and second types of PDL not being a same type of PDL.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the computer-program instructions further comprise instructions for:

identifying a default pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines for the RIP engine to perform default RIP;

evaluating criteria to determine whether the RIP engine should be transferred from a current pipeline of the multiple pipelines to the default pipeline; and

responsive to a positive evaluation of at least one of the criteria, transferring the RIP engine from the current pipeline to the default pipeline for RIP.

20. A computing device as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer-program instructions for evaluating the criteria further comprise instructions for:

indicating a positive criteria evaluation when;

(a) subsequent to expiration of a time slot scheduling the RIP engine to the current pipeline for RIP, it is determined that the RIP engine is not immediately scheduled to perform RIP on any other pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines;

or

(b) a threshold amount of time has passed wherein the RIP engine has remained idle in the current pipeline.

23. A computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the means for scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for a first and second time periods further comprise means for specifying the first and/or second time periods on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.

21. A computing device for enhancing management of raster image processing (RIP) resources, the computing device comprising:

means for scheduling a raster image processor (RIP) engine to perform RIP for a first time period in a first pipeline of multiple RIP pipelines;

means for scheduling the RIP engine to perform RIP for a second time period for a second pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines, the first time period not overlapping the second time period;

means for responsive to occurrence of a start time of the first time period, automatically assigning the RIP engine to the first pipeline for RIP; and

means for responsive to occurrence of a start time of the second time period, automatically assigning the RIP engine to the second pipeline for RIP.

22. A computing device as recited in claim 22, wherein the first pipeline is utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a first type of page description language (PDL), the second pipeline being utilized to perform RIP on a print job of a second type of PDL, and wherein the first and second types of PDL are not equivalent.

24. A computing device as recited in claim 22, wherein means for automatically assigning the RIP engine to the second pipeline further comprise means for automatically transferring the RIP engine from the first pipeline for insertion into the second pipeline.

25. A computing device as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

means for identifying a default pipeline of the multiple RIP pipelines for the RIP engine to perform default RIP;

means for determining that the RIP engine should be transferred to the default pipeline; and

responsive to that the RIP engine should be transferred to the default pipeline, means for transferring the RIP engine to the default pipeline for RIP.