Method and apparatus for routing pages to printers in a multi-print engine as a function of print job parameters

• US 6,606,165 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronics For Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: T/R Systems, Inc. (Electronics For Imaging Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rowe, Francis A., Zuber, Peter A., Barry, Michael W., Bartholmae, Jack N., Tompkins, E. Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghee, Ashanti
• Application Number:
  US09/227,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 358/530, 358/1.9, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/296, 358/409
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• 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

A method and apparatus for routing page data of a print job to the printers in a multi-print engine based on print job parameters associated with the page data of the print job is disclosed. 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, downloaded from a print file and having the print job parameters associated therewith, is rasterized and stored as bit-mapped images in print buffers associated with the multi-engined printing system. The bit-mapped images are distributed to select ones of the print engines based upon matching the print job parameters of each bit-mapped images with the printing characteristics of the print engine to be selected.

Claims

1. A method for routing print jobs in a multi-engined printing system, according to print job parameters of a plurality of multi-page documents, comprising:

configuring a virtual printer with a plurality of individual print engines, each print engine having associated printing characteristics;

storing bit-mapped images, each formed of page data representing a page in a document downloaded from a print file and rendered into bit-mapped images and having print job parameters associated therewith, in print buffers associated with the multi-engined printing system; and

distributing the bit-mapped images to select ones of the print engines based upon matching ones of the print job parameters associated with the bit-mapped images with the printing characteristics of the print engine to be selected, the ones of the print job parameters only discernible after rendering.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring comprises specifying a first virtual printer for printing in monochrome and a second virtual printer for printing in color.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring comprises specifying a virtual printer according to its resolution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring comprises specifying a virtual printer according to its printing speed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring comprises providing selective access to individual print engines defined for each virtual printer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing comprises:

inputting the page data;

rendering the page data to produce bit-mapped page data for each page; and

storing the rendered page data in the print buffers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of inputting comprises:

spooling incoming page data; and

publishing printing cues representing printer characteristics.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of rendering includes compressing the rendered page data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of distributing comprises:

retrieving ones of the print job parameters associated with the bit-mapped image data from the print buffers;

organizing the page data for the document into virtual printing stacks of print job data corresponding to the virtual printer and according to the retrieved print job parameters; and

controlling distribution of the print job data from the virtual printing stacks to the print engines of the virtual printer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of retrieving comprises:

reading from the print buffers one or more of the print job parameters including color, resolution, bit depth, single-or-double sided pages, number of copies, number of pages per document, begin page and end page; and

transferring the print job parameters to registers associated with an image task manager.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of organizing comprises:

calculating print job variables for the total number of pages and stack boundaries from the print job parameters;

defining the print job in accordance with the print job variables;

collating page data in accordance with to the print job variables;

stacking the print jobs defined for each page in virtual printing stacks in accordance with the print job variables; and

selecting a virtual printer for printing each print job in accordance with the virtual printing stacks.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of collating comprises:

selecting the order of page data for printing M documents wherein each document contains N pages; and

collating the page data for printing into M successive sets of the N pages arranged in sequence for each set.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of collating comprises:

selecting the order of page data for printing M documents wherein each document contains N pages; and

gathering the page data for printing into a sequence of N sets of M copies of each of the N pages.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting comprises:

parsing the print job data in the virtual printing stacks into print job instructions defined for a particular virtual printer; and

allocating one or more physical print engines to the selected virtual printer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of parsing comprises:

routing the print job instructions to a job manager for distribution to the print engines.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of controlling comprises:

distributing print job instructions to the print engines allocated to the selected virtual printer;

executing the print job instructions; and

assembling the document.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of distributing comprises:

addressing the selected virtual printer for each print job instruction;

transferring the page data associated with each print job instruction to the print engines in the selected virtual printer; and

signaling the print engines to initiate printing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of executing comprises:

printing the document page; and

signaling a print manager when printing the document page is completed.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of assembling comprises distributing the printed pages into bins as collated in the print job instructions.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for rendering includes means for compressing said rendered page data.

20. An apparatus for routing print jobs in a multi-engined printing system, according to print job parameters of a plurality of multi-page documents, comprising:

means for configuring a virtual printer with a plurality of individual print engines, each print engine having associated printing characteristics;

means for storing bit-mapped images, each formed of page data representing a page in a document downloaded from a print file and rendered into bit-mapped images and having print job parameters associated therewith in print buffers associated with said multi-engined printing system; and

means for distributing said bit-mapped images to select ones of said print engines based upon matching ones of the print job parameters associated with said bit-mapped images with said printing characteristics of said print engine to be selected, the ones of the print job parameters only discernible after rendering.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for configuring includes means for specifying a first virtual printer for printing in monochrome and a second virtual printer for printing in color.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for configuring includes means for specifying a virtual printer according to its resolution.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for configuring includes means for specifying a virtual printer according to its printing speed.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for configuring includes means for providing selective access to said individual print engines defined for each virtual printer.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for storing includes:

means for inputting said page data;

means for rendering said page data to produce bit-mapped page data for each page; and

means for storing said rendered page data in said print buffers.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for inputting includes:

means for spooling incoming page data; and

means for publishing printing cues representing printer characteristics.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for distributing includes:

means for retrieving ones of said print job parameters associated with said bit-mapped image data from the print buffer;

means for organizing said page data for the document into virtual printing stacks of print job data corresponding to said virtual printer and according to said retrieved print job parameters; and

means for controlling distribution of said print job data from said virtual printing stacks to said print engines of said virtual printer.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for retrieving includes:

means for reading from said print buffers one or more of said print job parameters including color, resolution, bit depth, single-or-double sided pages, number of copies, number of pages per document, begin page and end page; and

means for transferring said print job parameters to registers associated with an image task manager.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for organizing includes:

means for calculating print job variables for the total number of pages and stack boundaries from said print job parameters;

means for defining said print job in accordance with said print job variables;

means for collating page data in accordance with said print job variables;

means for stacking said print jobs defined for each page in virtual printing stacks in accordance with said print job variables; and

means for selecting a virtual printer for printing each print job according to said virtual printing stacks.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for collating includes:

means for selecting the order of page data for printing M documents wherein each document contains N pages; and

means for collating said page data for printing into M successive sets of said N pages arranged in sequence for each set.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for collating includes:

means for selecting said order of page data for printing M documents wherein each document contains N pages; and

means for gathering said page data for printing into a sequence of N sets of M copies of each of said N pages.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for selecting includes:

means for parsing said print job data in the virtual printing stacks into print job instructions defined for a particular virtual printer; and

means for allocating one or more physical print engines to said selected virtual printer.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for parsing includes:

means for routing said print job instructions to a job manager for distribution to said print engines.

35. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for controlling includes:

means for distributing print job instructions to said print engines allocated to said selected virtual printer;

means for executing said print job instructions; and

means for assembling said document.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the means for distributing includes:

means for addressing said selected virtual printer for each print job instruction;

means for transferring said page data associated with each print job instruction to said print engines in said selected virtual printer; and

means for signaling said print engines to initiate printing.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for executing includes:

means for printing said document page; and

means for signaling a print manager when printing said document page is completed.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for assembling includes means for distributing said printed pages into bins as collated in said print job instructions.