Automated cover-driven workflows for manufacturing books in a production environment

• US 20060225570A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Levine, Jonathan, Evan, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,413,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/109
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 11/02 Machines or equipment for casing-in or applying covers to pamphlets, magazines, pads, or other paper-covered booklets B42C11/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A cover-driven book production method and system are disclosed. The method of cover-driven book production includes providing a plurality of book covers. The book covers can be identified using, for example, a scanner. A book block can then be retrieved from a book repository based on the identified cover. After performing raster image processing (RIP) of the book block, copies of the book block can be printed. Finishing can be accomplished by binding the printed book blocks to the book covers using an in-line binder or off-line binder.

Claims

1. A method of book production comprising:

providing a plurality of covers;

examining a first cover of the plurality of covers to identify the first cover;

retrieving a book block based on the identified first cover;

performing a raster image processing (RIP) of the book block;

printing a copy of the book block; and

binding the first cover to the copy of the book block.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

printing a plurality of copies of the book block;

, and

binding ones of the plurality of copies of the book block to ones of the plurality of covers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

examining each cover of the plurality of covers after the first cover to identify each cover;

retrieving at least a second book block based on the identified covers;

performing a raster image processing (RIP) of the at least second book block;

printing a number of copies of the at least second book block, wherein the number of copies of the at least second book block matches a number of corresponding identified covers; and

binding the number of copies of the at least second book block to the number of corresponding identified covers.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

loading a second plurality of covers into the book printing system;

examining one of the second plurality of covers to identify the second plurality of covers; and

retrieving another book block based on the identified second plurality of covers prior to completing binding ones of the plurality of covers to ones of the plurality of copies of the book block.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of examining a first cover of the plurality of covers to identify the first cover comprises one of scanning the first cover with a scanner integrated into a bypass tray and scanning the first cover with a hand-held scanner.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein scanning the first cover comprises one of using a bar code, using a data glyph, extracting semantic information from the first cover, and recognizing unique characteristics of the first cover.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein examining a first cover of the plurality of covers to identify the first cover further comprises initiating a program that controls printing of the book block, the program stored on one of a printer, a digital front end (DFE), and a server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the program provides at least one of registration points, paper size, image size, image location, and a number of copies of the book block to be printed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a plurality of covers comprises loading a plurality of covers into a book block printer.

10. A method of book production comprising:

instructing a first digital front end to retrieve an electronic file corresponding to a book cover from a book repository;

exchanging information relating to the book cover electronic file between the first digital front end and a second digital front end information relating to the book cover electronic file to determine which book block to retrieve from the book repository;

retrieving a book block file from the book repository corresponding to the book cover;

printing a plurality of copies of the book cover and a plurality of copies of the book block; and

forming a plurality of books by binding the plurality of copies of the book block to the plurality of copies the cover.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transporting the printed plurality of book covers to a book block printer, the book block printer being disposed in-line with a binder.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transporting the printed plurality of book covers and the printed plurality of book blocks to an binder disposed off-line from the book-block printer.

13. A book production system comprising:

a book repository;

a first digital front end (DFE) that drives a cover printer, wherein the first DFE receives cover information from the book repository; and

a second DFE that drives a book block printer, wherein the second DFE receives book block information from the book repository, and

wherein the book block printer retrieves a corresponding book block from the book repository based on identification of a cover.

14. The book production system of claim 13, further comprising a line of communication between the first DFE and the second DFE to exchange information on retrieving the corresponding book block based on identification of the cover.

15. The book production system of claim 13, further comprising a binder disposed in-line with the book block printer, the in-line binder configured to receive covers and copies of book blocks from the book block printer.

16. The book production system of claim 13, further comprising a binder disposed off-line from the book block printer, the off-line binder comprising a tray for loading covers and a tray for loading copies of book blocks.

17. The book production system of claim 13, wherein the book block printer comprises a bypass tray for accepting covers.

18. The book production system of claim 13, wherein the book block printer further comprises a scanner to facilitate identification of the cover.

19. The book production system of claim 18, wherein the scanner scans one or more of barcodes, data glyphs, and images.

20. The book production system of claim 13, further comprising a hand-held scanner to facilitate identification of the cover.

21. A book production system comprising:

a book repository;

a first digital front end (DFE) that drives a cover printer, wherein the first DFE receives cover information from the book repository;

a second DFE that drives a book block printer, wherein the second DFE receives book block information from the book repository; and

program code to control the first DFE and the second DFE, wherein the program code determines when a book block should be sent to the second DFE from the book repository based on a communication from the first DFE.

22. The book production system of claim 21, wherein the program code is configured to send a book block to the second DFE after a printed cover is loaded into a bypass tray of the book block printer and scanned.

23. The book production system of claim 21, wherein the program code is configured to send a book block to the second DFE based on a printing status of the cover printer.