Offline markless post processing of printed media

• US 20050044550A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Perdu, Patrick G. L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6573 Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00426 Post-treatment device adding qualities to the copy medium product G03G2215/00421 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for printing media includes accumulating post processing instructions for printed media during printing operations, recording the post processing instructions on an information device, and playing back the post processing instructions for controlling offline post processing of the printed media.

Claims

1. A method of printing media comprising:

accumulating post processing instructions for printed media during printing operations;

recording the post processing instructions on an information device; and

playing back the post processing instructions for controlling offline post processing of the printed media.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transporting the information device with the printed media from an online printing/copying system where the printing operations occur to an offline post processing system where the post processing occurs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accumulating post processing instructions comprises compiling post processing instructions from each of a plurality of printing modules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the post processing instructions comprises:

conveying the accumulated post processing instructions to an individual one of a plurality of printing modules; and

recording the accumulated post processing instructions by way of a link between the individual one printing module and the information device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein playing back the post processing instructions comprises:

conveying the post processing instructions from the information device through a link to a post processing system; and

routing the post processing instructions to one or more post processing modules for performing the offline post processing.

6. A method of printing media comprising:

accumulating post processing instructions for printed media from a plurality of printing modules;

recording the post processing instructions on an information device;

transporting the information device with the printed media to an offline post processing system; and

playing back the post processing instructions for controlling offline post processing of the printed media.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein recording the post processing instructions comprises:

conveying the accumulated post processing instructions to an individual one of the plurality of printing modules; and

recording the accumulated post processing instructions by way of a link between the individual one printing module and the information device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein playing back the post processing instructions comprises:

conveying the post processing instructions from the information device through a link to the post processing system; and

routing the post processing instructions to one or more post processing modules for performing the offline post processing.

9. A printing system comprising:

an online printing/copying operation having a controller for determining post processing instructions for printed media and for recording the post processing instructions on an information device; and

an offline post processing operation operable to play back the post processing instructions from the information device for controlling offline post processing of the printed media.

10. The printing system of clam 9, wherein the information device is transportable with the printed media from the online printing/copying system to the offline post processing system.

11. The printing system of clam 9, wherein the online printing/copying operation further comprises a plurality of printing modules, and the post processing instructions are compiled from each of the plurality of printing modules.

12. The printing system of clam 11, further comprising:

a final printing module where post processing instructions are accumulated from the plurality of printing modules; and

a link for recording the accumulated post processing instructions from the final printing module to the information device.

13. The printing system of clam 9, wherein the offline post processing operation further comprises:

one or more post processing modules for performing the offline post processing;

a link, connected to at least one of the one or more post processing modules for playing back the post processing instructions for use by the one or more post processing modules.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to print media, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to accumulate post processing instructions for the printed media during printing operations;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to record the post processing instructions on an information device; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to play back the post processing instructions for controlling offline post processing of the printed media.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code means for causing a computer to accumulate post processing instructions comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compile post processing instructions from each of a plurality of printing modules.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code means for causing a computer to record the post processing instructions comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to convey the accumulated post processing instructions to an individual one of a plurality of printing modules; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to record the accumulated post processing instructions by way of a link between the individual one printing module and the information device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code means for causing a computer to play back the post processing instructions comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to convey the post processing instructions from the information device through a link to a post processing system; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to route the post processing instructions to one or more post processing modules for performing the offline post processing.