METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ROUTING LARGE, HIGH-VOLUME, HIGH-VARIABILITY PRINT JOBS IN A DOCUMENT PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090025002A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rai, Sudhendu
• Application Number:
  US11/779,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025002A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A system of scheduling a plurality of print jobs in a document production environment may include a plurality of print job processing resources and a computer-readable storage medium including programming instructions for performing a method of processing a plurality of print jobs. The method may include receiving a plurality of print jobs and setup characteristics corresponding to each print job, grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds a job size threshold into a large job subgroup and grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup. The large job subgroup may be classified as a high setup subgroup or a low setup subgroup based on the setup characteristics corresponding to each print job in the large job subgroup. The large job subgroup may be routed to a large job autonomous cell.

Claims

1. A system of scheduling a plurality of print jobs in a document production environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of print job processing resources;

a computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions for performing a method of processing a plurality of print jobs in a document production environment, the method comprising;

receiving a plurality of print jobs and at least one setup characteristic corresponding to each print job, wherein each print job has a corresponding job size,

determining, for each print job, whether the corresponding job size exceeds a job size threshold,

grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup,

grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup,

routing the small job subgroup to a small job autonomous cell comprising one or more resources for processing the small job subgroup,

classifying the large job subgroup as a high setup subgroup or a low setup subgroup based on the setup characteristics corresponding to each print job in the large job subgroup,

routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell wherein, if the large job subgroup is a high setup subgroup, the large job autonomous cell comprises one or more first resources for processing the large job subgroup and wherein, if the large job subgroup is a low setup subgroup, the large job autonomous cell comprises one or more second resources for processing the large job subgroup.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

arranging the print jobs in the large job subgroup based on an order in which each print job was received.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

arranging the print jobs in the small job subgroup based on an order in which each print job was received.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

arranging the print jobs in the large job subgroup based on a due date of each print job.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

arranging the print jobs in the small job subgroup based on a due date of each print job.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein classifying the large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

identifying one or more setup characteristics associated with the large job subgroup, wherein each setup characteristic has one or more associated types;

for each setup characteristic, determining the number of types associated with the large job subgroup;

determining that the large job subgroup is a high setup subgroup if the number of associated types of at least one setup characteristic exceeds a threshold value associated with the setup characteristic; and

determining that the large job subgroup is a low setup subgroup if, for each setup characteristic, the number of corresponding types does not exceed the threshold value associated with the setup characteristic.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising one or more programming instructions for:

comparing the number of associated types to an average number of types associated with the setup characteristic over a specified time period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein routing the small subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

using a routing policy selected from a random policy, a round-robin policy, a least work-in-progress policy and a size interval task assignment with equal load policy.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

determining a work-in-progress level for each large job autonomous cell, wherein the work-in-progress level represents a level of print work that is being processed in the large job autonomous cell at a specified time; and

routing the large subgroup to the large job autonomous cell with the smallest work-in-progress level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

using a round-robin policy to route the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

randomly routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises one or more programming instructions for:

determining a range of job sizes for the print jobs in the large job subgroup; and

routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell, wherein the large job autonomous cell processes the determined range of job sizes.

13. A computer-implemented method of scheduling a plurality of print jobs in a document production environment, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of print jobs and at least one setup characteristic corresponding to each print job, wherein each print job has a corresponding job size,

determining, for each print job, whether the corresponding job size exceeds a job size threshold,

grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup,

grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup,

routing the small job subgroup to a small job autonomous cell comprising one or more resources for processing the small job subgroup,

classifying the large job subgroup as a high setup subgroup or a low setup subgroup based on the setup characteristics corresponding to each print job in the large job subgroup,

routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell wherein, if the large job subgroup is a high setup subgroup, the large job autonomous cell comprises one or more first resources for processing the large job subgroup and wherein, if the large job subgroup is a low setup subgroup, the large job autonomous cell comprises one or more second resources for processing the large job subgroup.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup comprises:

arranging the print jobs in the large job subgroup based on an order in which each print job was received.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup comprises:

arranging the print jobs in the small job subgroup based on an order in which each print job was received.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that exceeds the job size threshold into a large job subgroup comprises:

arranging the print jobs in the large job subgroup based on a due date of each print job.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein grouping each print job having a job size that does not exceed the job size threshold into a small job subgroup comprises:

arranging the print jobs in the small job subgroup based on a due date of each print job.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein classifying the large job subgroup comprises:

identifying one or more setup characteristics associated with the large job subgroup, wherein each setup characteristic has one or more associated types;

for each setup characteristic, determining the number of types associated with the large job subgroup;

determining that the large job subgroup is a high setup subgroup if the number of associated types of at least one setup characteristic exceeds a threshold value associated with the setup characteristic; and

determining that the large job subgroup is a low setup subgroup if, for each setup characteristic, the number of corresponding types does not exceed the threshold value associated with the setup characteristic.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

comparing the number of associated types to an average number of types associated with the setup characteristic over a specified time period.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the small subgroup comprises:

using a routing policy selected from a random policy, a round-robin policy, a least work-in-progress policy and a size interval task assignment with equal load policy.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises:

determining a work-in-progress level for each large job autonomous cell, wherein the work-in-progress level represents a level of print work that is being processed in the large job autonomous cell at a specified time; and

routing the large subgroup to the large job autonomous cell with the smallest work-in-progress level.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises:

using a round-robin policy to route the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises:

randomly routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the large job subgroup comprises:

determining a range of job sizes for the print jobs in the large job subgroup; and

routing the large job subgroup to a large job autonomous cell, wherein the large job autonomous cell processes the determined range of job sizes.