Printer mailbox system signaling overdue removals of print jobs from mailbox bins

• US 5,435,544 A
• Filed: 02/16/1994
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mandel, Barry P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bollinger, David H.
• Application Number:
  US08/197,092
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 271/298, 271/207, 271/287, 270/58
• US Class Current: 271/298
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/121 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2407/30 Means for preventing damage of handled material, e.g. by controlling atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/412 of user, e.g. user code
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/24 multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5091 for user-identification or authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6538 Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/04 Preventing copies being made of an original
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00827 Stapler
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00907 Electronically addressable mailing bins
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00932 Security copies

Abstract

An electronic printer and multibin mailbox system for an electronically networked system of plural users of an electronic printer, in which printer mailbox system the individual users print jobs of printed sheets printed by the printer are automatically variably directed into particular electronically assigned print job storage mailbox bins of the multibin mailbox system, at least some of which mailbox bins are nominally locked but electronically unlockable mailbox bins providing restricted public access privacy storage of confidential print jobs, further including an electronic access code inputting system for individual users to respectively input a respective access code for unlocking their electronically assigned electronically unlockable user mailbox bins, and a control system for reporting to the individual user which locked mailbox bins are occupied by print jobs, the control system also monitoring and electronically providing a job removal prompting indicator display signal when the users leave print jobs unremoved from their mailbox bins for too long a time, exceeding a preset time period.

Claims

1. An electronic printer and multibin mailbox system for an electronically networked system of plural users of an electronic printer, including electronically assigned multiple print job storage mailbox bins,

said printer mailbox system further including a print job separation system by which the individual users print jobs of printed sheets printed by said printer are automatically variably directed into particular said electronically assigned print job storage mailbox bins of said multibin mailbox system,

at least some of which mailbox bins include a bin access locking system providing nominally locked but electronically unlockable mailbox bins providing restricted public access privacy storage of confidential print jobs,

further including an electronic access code inputting system for individual said users to respectively input a respective access code for unlocking their said electronically assigned electronically unlockable user mailbox bins,

and a control system for reporting to said individual said user which said locked mailbox bins are occupied by print jobs,

said control system also monitoring and electronically providing a job removal prompting indicator display signal when said users leave their print jobs unremoved from said mailbox bins for too long a time, exceeding a preset time period.

2. The electronic printer and multibin mailbox system of claim 1, wherein said control system automatically provides a prompting message instructing an operator to remove all print jobs printed more than 24 hours earlier and not yet removed from said mailbox bins.

3. The electronic printer and multibin mailbox system of claim 1, wherein said individual users print jobs may alternatively be selectably fed into one or more open unconfidential said job storage bins rather than into selected ones of said locked and electronically unlockable mailbox bins.

4. The electronic printer and multibin mailbox system of claim 1, wherein said control system automatically provides electronic instructions to a systems administrator who is also provided with an access code to open any of said electronically unlockable mailbox bins to remove said unremoved jobs from said locked mailboxes.

5. The electronic printer and multibin mailbox system of claim 1, wherein said control system for reporting which said locked mailbox bins are occupied by print jobs to said individual said user includes bin empty sensors for individual said bins to indicate which said bins are empty or contain print jobs therein.