Dynamic addition of programming conflicts for programming conflict checking

• US 6,975,417 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hilpl, R. Keith, Igoe, Patrick T., Waara, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Thierry L.
• Application Number:
  US09/510,167
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.2, 358 111- 116, 358/1.9, 358/449, 358/451
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/005 only locally
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0085 Error recovery

Abstract

A method to program a printer includes initiating a save conflict mode and saving a user defined conflict by either storing print job attributes in a conflict list while in the save conflict mode or storing at least one of a policy, a capability and a constraint based on the print job attributes while in the save conflict mode. One method to use a printer that has been so programmed includes receiving from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict, checking the at least one received job attribute against the stored print job attributes, determining whether a conflict condition exists, and displaying a conflict message when the conflict condition is determined to exist. Another method to use a printer that has been so programmed includes receiving from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict, checking for an itinerary to process a sheet according to the at least one received job attribute, determining whether an itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition, and displaying a conflict message when the itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition.

Claims

1. A method to program a printer, comprising:

initiating a save conflict mode from the printer when a user observes an undesirable result from the printer in a printed output in response to user specified print job attributes; and

saving a user defined conflict by one of storing the user specified print job attributes in a conflict list while in the save conflict mode and storing user specified conflict attributes based on user specified print job attributes while in the save conflict mode, the user specified conflict attributes including at least one of a policy, a capability and a constraint,

whereby that combination of attributes is no longer allowed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing print job attributes includes saving at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a save conflict mode includes:

receiving from a user at least one print job attribute that causes a conflict; and

recognizing a user initiated save conflict mode command.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein initiating a save conflict mode further includes verifying that the user is an authorized user.

5. A method to use a printer that has been programmed according to the method of claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

checking the at least one received job attribute against the stored print job attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether a conflict condition exists; and

displaying a conflict message when the conflict condition is determined to exist.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating a delete conflict mode; and

deleting the stored print job attributes from the conflict list.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein initiating a delete conflict mode includes recognizing a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating a delete conflict mode further includes verifying that the user is an authorized user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein storing conflict attributes includes formulating the conflict attributes based on at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing conflict attributes includes reinitializing a scheduler after storing the conflict attributes.

12. A method to use a printer that has been programmed according to the method of claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

checking for an itinerary to process a sheet according to the at least one received job attribute.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether an itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition; and

displaying a conflict message when the itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

initiating a delete conflict mode; and

deleting the stored conflict attributes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein initiating a delete conflict mode includes recognizing a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein initiating a delete conflict mode further includes verifying that the user is an authorized user.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein deleting the stored conflict attributes includes reinitializing a scheduler after deleting the stored conflict attributes.

18. A printer comprising a processor and a plurality of modules to control the processor, wherein the modules include:

a module that allows a user to initiate a save conflict mode from the printer when the user observes an undesirable result from the printer in a printed output in response to user specified print job attributes; and

one of a module to store user specified print job attributes in a conflict list while in the save conflict mode and a module to store user specified conflict attributes based on user specified print job attributes while in the save conflict mode, the user specified conflict attributes including at least one of a policy, a capability and a constraint,

whereby that combination of attributes is no longer allowed.

19. The printer of claim 18, wherein the module to store print job attributes includes logic to save at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

20. The printer of claim 18, wherein the module to initiate a save conflict mode includes:

logic to receive from a user at least one print job attribute that causes a conflict; and

logic to recognize a user initiated save conflict mode command.

21. The printer of claim 20, wherein the module to initiate a save conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

22. The printer of claim 18, further comprising:

a module to receive from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

a module to check the at least one received job attribute against the stored print job attributes, the modules to initiate and store being operated before the module to receive.

23. The printer of claim 22, further comprising:

a module to determine whether a conflict condition exists; and

a module to display a conflict message when the conflict condition is determined to exist.

24. The printer of claim 23, further comprising:

a module to initiate a delete conflict mode; and

a module to delete the stored print job attributes from the conflict list.

25. The printer of claim 24, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode includes logic to recognize a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

26. The printer of claim 25, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

27. The printer of claim 18, wherein the module to store conflict attributes includes logic to formulate the conflict attributes based on at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

28. The printer of claim 27, wherein the module to store conflict attributes includes logic to reinitialize a scheduler after storing the conflict attributes.

29. The printer of claim 18, further comprising:

a module to receive from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

a module to check for an itinerary to process a sheet according to the at least one received job attribute.

30. The printer of claim 29, further comprising:

a module to determine whether an itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition; and

a module to display a conflict message when the itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition.

31. The printer of claim 30, further comprising:

a module to initiate a delete conflict mode; and

a module to delete the stored conflict attributes.

32. The printer of claim 31, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode includes logic to recognize a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

33. The printer of claim 32, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

34. The printer of claim 31, wherein the module to delete the stored conflict attributes includes logic to reinitialize a scheduler after deleting the stored conflict attributes.

35. A computer readable media storing program instructions that control a processor of a printer, the program instructions comprising a plurality of modules to control the processor, wherein the modules include:

a module that allows a user to initiate a save conflict mode from the printer when the user observes an undesirable result from the printer in a printed output in response to user specified print job attributes; and

one of a module to store user specified print job attributes in a conflict list while in the save conflict mode and a module to store user specified conflict attributes based on user specified print job attributes while in the save conflict mode, the user specified conflict attributes including at least one of a policy, a capability and a constraint,

whereby that combination of attributes is no longer allowed.

36. The program instructions of claim 35, wherein the module to store print job attributes includes logic to save at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

37. The program instructions of claim 35, wherein the module to initiate a save conflict mode includes:

logic to receive from a user at least one print job attribute that causes a conflict; and

logic to recognize a user initiated save conflict mode command.

38. The program instructions of claim 37, wherein the module to initiate a save conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

39. The program instructions of claim 35, further comprising:

a module to receive from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

a module to check the at least one received job attribute against the stored print job attributes, the modules to initiate and store being operated before the module to receive.

40. The program instructions of claim 39, further comprising:

a module to determine whether a conflict condition exists; and

a module to display a conflict message when the conflict condition is determined to exist.

41. The program instructions of claim 40, further comprising:

a module to initiate a delete conflict mode; and

a module to delete the stored print job attributes from the conflict list.

42. The program instructions of claim 41, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode includes logic to recognize a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

43. The program instructions of claim 42, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

44. The program instructions of claim 35, wherein the module to store conflict attributes includes logic to formulate the conflict attributes based on at least one of an enlargement/reduction parameter, an orientation, a simplex/duplex parameter, a sort parameter, a binding parameter, and a fed medium select parameter.

45. The program instructions of claim 44, wherein the module to store conflict attributes includes logic to reinitialize a scheduler after storing the conflict attributes.

46. The program instructions of claim 35, further comprising:

a module to receive from a user at least one job attribute that causes a conflict; and

a module to check for an itinerary to process a sheet according to the at least one received job attribute.

47. The program instructions of claim 46, further comprising:

a module to determine whether an itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition; and

a module to display a conflict message when the itinerary is unavailable due to a conflict condition.

48. The program instructions of claim 47, further comprising:

a module to initiate a delete conflict mode; and

a module to delete the stored conflict attributes.

49. The program instructions of claim 48, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode includes logic to recognize a user initiated delete conflict mode command.

50. The program instructions of claim 49, wherein the module to initiate a delete conflict mode further includes logic to verify that the user is an authorized user.

51. The program instructions of claim 48, wherein the module to delete the stored conflict attributes includes logic to reinitialize a scheduler after deleting the stored conflict attributes.