Method and apparatus to enable processing multiple capabilities for a sub-job when using a set of commonly shared resources

• US 6,762,857 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Salgado, David L., Turmon, Rodney L, Lamendola, Nicholas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vida, Melanie M.
• Application Number:
  US09/450,151
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.13, 358/296, 358/1.14, 358/1.18, 358/1.1, 358/1.17, 358/401, 358/1.12
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00915 Assigning priority to, or interrupting, a particular operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00954 Scheduling operations or managing resources H04N1/0096 takes precedence; program initiating or switching G06F9/48; allocation of computer resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32598 Bus based systems

Abstract

Prioritizing a printing system'"'"'s basic processing resources includes providing a job contention manager (JCM) that adds a first basic job resource to queues of each basic resource which a first video capability requires to perform a first sub-job. The first basic job resources are ready for processing if they are at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by the first video capability. The JCM adds a second basic job resource sub-job to queues of each basic resource which a second video capability requires to perform the first sub-job. The second basic job resources, are ready for processing after the first basic job resource, if the first and second basic job resources in the queue are submitted by the same job service and if the second basic job resource is for the same sub-job as the first basic job resource'"'"'s sub-job.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing the use of multifunctional printing system'"'"'s basic processing resources to enable a job service to process a sub-job for multiple video capabilities coordinated by a video control module, said system employing a controller with a job contention manager (JCM), said method comprising:

a) providing a plurality of basic resources of the printing system with each of said basic resources having a job queue;

b) one or more job services, at a desired time, sending a signal to said JCM to carry out a sub-job of a given job, said signal, for each of said sub-jobs, including information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority;

c) responsive to said signal, said JCM adding, for a first video capability coordinated by the video control module and required by a first sub-job, a corresponding first basic job resource to the queues of each basic resource which said first video capability will require in order to perform said first sub-job;

d) placing said first basic job resources for said first sub-job in an “

Active”

state ready for processing, if said first basic job resources for said first sub-job are at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by said first video capability;

e) responsive to said signal, said JCM adding, for a second. video capability coordinated by the video control module and required by said first sub-job, a corresponding second basic job resource sub-job to the queues of each basic resource which said second video capability will require in order to perform said first sub-job; and

f) placing said second basic job resources, which follow said first basic job resource in a basic resource queue, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing after said first basic job resource, if the first and second basic job resources in said queue are submitted by the same job service and if the second basic job resource is for the same sub-job as the first basic job resource'"'"'s sub-job.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein, said sub-jobs are placed in said queues of said basic resources in the order of their priority.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a first sub-job “

Propose”

for said first video capability from said job service to the JCM and wherein said JCM determines the state of the first basic job resource for said sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the first basic job resource for said sub-job is at the top of all the basic resource job queues its state is “

Active” and

if said state is “

Active”

said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said first sub-job is performed.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a second sub-job “

Propose”

for said second video capability from said job service to the JCM and wherein said JCM determines the state of the second basic job resource for said first sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the second basic job resource for said sub-job follows said first basic job resource and was proposed by the same job service for the same sub-job, then its state is “

Active” and

if said state is “

Active”

said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second basic job resource is performed after said first basic job resource is finished.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein, prior to step (f) said JCM determines upon receiving the “

Propose”

for said second video capability, if such second basic job resource is next in a basic resource job queue after said first basic job resource and if it was proposed for the same sub-job by the same job service as proposed the first basic job resource, and following said step (f) said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second sub-job is performed upon the completion of the first sub-job.

6. A resource based method of managing the processing of a plurality of jobs in a multifunctional printing system in which at least one job is inputted for processing at one or more job services, said system including a controller with a job contention manager (JCM) for prioritizing the use of the printing system'"'"'s basic processing resources, said method comprising:

a) including in at least a first level of a database a plurality of capability resources associated with sub-job is of said one or more job services and including in at least a second level of said database a plurality of basic resources of the printing system, with each capability resource containing a list of the basic resources it needs to carry out its capability and each basic resource containing a list of the capability resources that depend upon it;

b) each capability resource and each basic resource including a sub-job queue;

c) each respective job service, at a desired time, sending a signal to said JCM to carry out a sub-job of said at least one job, said signal for each of said sub-jobs including information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority;

d) responsive to step (c), said JCM creating for said at least one sub-job received from said job service, respective capability job resources containing said information, and adding each such capability job resource, based on priority, to the respective capability resource, job queue;

e) responsive to step (d) said JCM adding, for each capability job resource, component basic job resources to the queues of each basic resource which a respective capability resource will require;

f) placing first basic job resources, which are components of a first capability resource, for said at least one sub-job, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing, if said first basic job resources are at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by said first capability resource;

g) placing second basic job resources, which are components of a second capability resource, which follow said first basic job resource in a basic resource queue, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing after said first basic job resource, if said first and second basic job resources in said queue are submitted by the same job service and if said second basic job resource is for the same sub-job as said first basic job resource'"'"'s sub-job.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein, said sub-jobs are placed in said queues of said basic resources in the order of their priority.

8. A method as in claim 6 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a first sub-job “

Propose”

for said first capability resource, from said job service to the JCM, and wherein said JCM determines the state of the first basic job resource for said sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the first basic job resource for said sub-job is at the top of all the basic resource job queues its state is “

Active” and

if said state is “

Active”

said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said first sub-job is performed.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein, said signal comprises a second sub-job “

Propose”

for a second capability resource, from said job service to the JCM, and wherein said JCM determines the state of the second basic job resources upon receiving said second “

Propose”

, such that if a second basic job resource for said sub-job follows a first basic job resource and was proposed by the same job service for the same sub-job, then its state is “

Active” and

if said state is “

Active”

said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second basic job resource is performed after said first basic job resource is finished.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein, prior to step (g) said JCM determines upon receiving said second “

Propose”

, if such second basic job resource is next in a basic resource job queue after said first basic job resource and if it was proposed for the same sub-job by the same job service which proposed the first basic job resource, and following said step (g) said JCM forwards an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second sub-job is performed upon the completion of the first sub-job.

11. An apparatus for prioritizing the use of multifunctional printing system'"'"'s basic processing resources comprising:

a) a controller having a job contention manager (JCM);

b) a plurality of basic resources of the printing system with each of said basic resources having a job queue;

c) means for one or more job services, at a desired time, sending a signal to said JCM to carry out a sub-job of a given job, said signal, for each of said sub-jobs, including information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority;

d) means, responsive to said signal, for said JCM to add, for a first video capability coordinated by a video control module and required by a first sub-job, a corresponding first basic job resource to the queues of each basic resource which said first video capability will require in order to perform said first sub-job;

e) means for placing said first basic job resources for said first sub-job in an “

Active”

state ready for processing, if said first basic job resource for said first sub-job is at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by said first video capability;

f) means, responsive to said signal, for said JCM to add, for a second video capability coordinated by the video control module and required by said first sub-job, a corresponding second basic job resource sub-job to the queues of each basic resource which said second video capability will require in order to perform said first sub-job; and

g) means for placing said second basic job resources, which follow said first basic job resource in a basic resource queue, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing after said first basic job resource, if the first and second basic job resources in said queue are submitted by the same job service and if the second basic job resource is for the same sub-job as the first basic job resource'"'"'s sub-job.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 including, means for placing said sub-jobs in said queues of said basic resources in the order of their priority.

13. A apparatus as in claim 11 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a first sub-job “

Propose”

for said first video capability from said job service to the JCM and wherein said JCM includes means for determining the state of the first basic job resource for said sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the first basic job resource for said sub-job is at the top of all the basic resource job queues its state is “

Active” and

said JCM further including means, if said state is “

Active”

for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said first sub-job is performed.

14. A apparatus as in claim 13 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a second sub-job “

Propose”

for said second video capability from said job service to the JCM and wherein said JCM includes means for determining the state of the second basic job resource for said first sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the second basic job resource for said sub-job, follows said first basic job resource in a queue and was proposed by the same job service for the same sub-job, then its state is “

Active” and

said JCM further includes means, if said state is “

Active”

for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second basic job resource is performed after said first basic job resource is finished.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein, said JCM includes means responsive to receiving the “

Propose”

for said second video capability, for determining if said second basic job resource is next in a basic resource job queue after said first basic job resource and if it was proposed for the same sub-job, by the same job service as proposed the first basic job resource, and means for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second video capability is performed upon the completion of the first video capability.

16. An apparatus for managing the processing of a plurality of jobs in a multifunctional printing system in which at least one job is inputted for processing at one or more job services, said apparatus comprising:

a) a controller having a job contention manager (JCM) for prioritizing the use of the printing system'"'"'s basic processing resources

b) a database including in at least a first level a plurality of capability resources associated with sub-jobs of said one or more job services and including in at least a second level a plurality of basic resources of the printing system, with each capability resource containing a list of the basic resources it needs to carry out its capability and each basic resource containing a list of the capability resources that depend upon it;

c) each capability resource and each basic resource including a sub-job queue;

d) means for each respective job service, at a desired time, to send a signal to said JCM to carry out a sub-job of said at least one job, said signal for each of said sub-jobs including information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority;

e) each respective job service including means, at a desired time, for sending a signal to said JCM to carry out a sub-job of said at least one job, said signal for each of said sub-jobs including information about the respective sub-job and its job service and priority;

f) said JCM including, for said at least one sub-job received from said job service, means for creating respective capability job resources containing said information, and adding each such capability job resource, based on priority, to the respective capability resource, job queue;

g) said JCM including means for adding, for each capability job resource, component basic job resources to the queues of each basic resource which a respective capability resource will require;

h) said JCM including means for placing first basic job resources, which are components of a first capability resource, for said at least one sub-job, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing, if said first basic job resources are at the top of all of the queues, of all the basic resources, required by said first capability resource;

i) said JCM including means for placing second basic job resources, which are components of a second capability resource, which follow said first basic job resource in a basic resource queue, in an “

Active”

state ready for processing after said first basic job resource, if said first and second basic job resources in said queue are submitted by the same job service and if said second basic job resource is for the same sub-job as said first basic job resource'"'"'s sub-job.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16 including, means for placing said sub-jobs in said queues of said basic resources in the order of their priority.

18. A apparatus as in claim 16 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a first sub-job “

Propose”

for said first capability resource, from said job service to the JCM and wherein said JCM includes means for determining the state of the first basic job resource for said sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the first basic job resource for said sub-job is at the top of all the basic resource job queues its state is “

Active” and

said JCM further including means, if said state is “

Active”

for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said first sub-job is performed.

19. A apparatus as in claim 18 wherein, said signal for said first sub-job comprises a second sub-job “

Propose”

for said second capability resource, from said job service to the JCM, and wherein said JCM includes means for determining the state of the second basic job resource for said first sub-job upon receiving the “

Propose”

, such that if the second basic job resource for said sub-job, follows a first basic job resource in said queue and was proposed by the same job service for the same sub-job, then its state is “

Active” and

said JCM further includes means, if said state is “

Active”

for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second basic job resource is performed after said first basic job resource is finished.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein, said JCM includes means responsive to receiving the “

Propose”

for said second video capability, for determining if said second basic job resource is next in a basic resource job queue after a first basic job resource and if it was proposed for the same sub-job, by the same job service as proposed the first basic job resource, and means for forwarding an “

Accept”

to said job service so that said second capability resource is performed upon the completion of the first capability resource.