METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING PAGES TO PRINTERS IN A MULTI-PRINT ENGINE AS A FUNCTION OF PRINT JOB PARAMETERS

• US 20070182992A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Barry, Michael, Zuber, Peter, Bartholmae, Jack, Rowe, Francis, Tompkins, E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5062 by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00021 Plural substantially independent image forming units in cooperation, e.g. for duplex, colour or high-speed simplex
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0005 without production of a specific test patch
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1514 Sub-job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1215 achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/124 Parallel printing or parallel ripping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1241 Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1281 Multi engine printer devices, e.g. one entity having multiple output engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1282 High volume printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1806 Receiving job control commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1856 characterized by its workflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1857 involving parallel processing in the same printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for routing page data of a print job to printers in a multi-engine printing system based on print job parameters associated with the page data. One or more virtual printers are configured, each with a plurality of individual print engines, each having associated printing characteristics. Page data of the print job are rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engine printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based on matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped image with the printing characteristics of the print engines to be selected.

Claims

1. A printing method comprising:

receiving a plurality of bit-mapped pages, each page comprising an associated print job parameter, the plurality of bit-mapped pages including a first bit-mapped page from a first document and a second bit-mapped page from a second document;

creating a virtual job stack comprising the first bit-mapped page;

merging the second bit-mapped page into the virtual job stack to create a single virtual print job; and

distributing the bit-mapped images from the single virtual print job to a plurality of print engines for printing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the virtual job stack comprises storing the first page in a buffer and inserting the second page in the buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing further comprises selecting a print engine to receive the bit-mapped images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting comprises matching the print job parameters associated with the bit-mapped images in the virtual print job with printing characteristics of the print engines.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the print job parameters are only discernible after rendering.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the print engine is selected according to its resolution.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the print engine is selected according to its printing speed.

10. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the means for distributing further comprises means for selecting a print engine to receive the bit-mapped images.

11. The printing system of claim 10, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for matching the print job parameters associated with the bit-mapped images in the virtual print job with printing characteristics of the print engines.

12. The printing system of claim 11, wherein the print job parameters are only discernible after rendering.

13. The printing system of claim 10, wherein the print engine is selected according to its resolution.

14. The printing system of claim 10, wherein the print engine is selected according to its printing speed.

8. A printing system comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of bit-mapped pages, each page comprising an associated print job parameter, the plurality of bit-mapped pages including a first bit-mapped page from a first document and a second bit-mapped page from a second document;

a means for creating a virtual job stack comprising the first bit-mapped page;

a means for merging the second bit-mapped page into the virtual job stack to create a single virtual print job; and

a means for distributing the bit-mapped images from the single virtual print job to a plurality of print engines for printing.

9. The printing system of claim 8, wherein the means for creating the virtual job stack comprises means for storing the first page in a buffer and inserting the second page in the buffer.