Method and apparatus for arranging a plurality of orders for printed articles

• US 7,009,723 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Manning, Kyle P., Bartholet, Michael A., Dwyer, Carol L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/698,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 19, 358 111- 118, 715517-527
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/027 involving, marking, printing or coding

Abstract

A method is provided for arranging a plurality of orders for printed articles in order to reduce wasted space when printing the orders in multiple column'"'"'s. A plurality of orders for at least one printed article are obtained, and the orders are sorted according to the number of printed articles in each order to produce a sorted arrangement of the orders. For each successive order in the sorted arrangement of orders, the order is placed in a column which currently has a lowest number of total printed articles. In a preferred embodiment, the first K orders in the sorted arrangement of orders are placed in columns 1 to K, where K is the total number of columns. Also provided is a system for producing custom printed articles.

Claims

1. A method for arranging orders for printing articles in multiple columns, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of orders, each of the orders containing at least one article to be printed;

sorting the orders according to the number of articles to be printed in each order to produce a sorted arrangement of the orders; and

for each successive order in the sorted arrangement of orders, placing the order in a column which currently has a lowest number of total articles to be printed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

placing the first K orders in the sorted arrangement of orders in columns 1 to K where K is the total number of columns.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining the number of articles to be printed in a Ith group in an Mth column;

determining the number of articles to be printed in the Mth column;

determining the number of articles to be printed in a Jth group in a Nth column;

determining a number of articles to be printed in the Nth column; and

exchanging the Ith and Jth groups between the Mth and Nth columns if the following boolean expression is true;

(L(M)>

L(N) AND L(I,M)>

L(J,N) AND L(M)−

L(N)>

L(I,M)−

L(J,N)) OR

(L(M)<

L(N) AND L(I,M)<

L(J,N) AND L(N)−

L(M)>

L(J,N)−

L(I,M)),

where L(M) is the number of articles to be printed in the Mth column,

L(N) is the number of articles to be printed in the Nth column,

L(I,M) is the number of articles to be printed in the Ith order of the Mth column, and

L(J,N) is the number of articles to be printed in the Jth order of the Nth column.

4. A method for rearranging a data structure representing a multi column arrangement of a plurality of groups of printed articles, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the number of printed articles in a Ith group in a Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in the Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in a Jth group in a Nth column;

determining a number of printed articles in the Nth column; and

exchanging the Ith and Jth groups between the Mth and Nth columns if the following boolean expression is true;

(L(M)>

L(N) AND L(I,M)>

L(J,N) AND L(M)−

L(N)>

L(I,M)−

L(J,N)) OR

(L(M)<

L(N) AND L(I,M)<

L(J,N) AND L(N)−

L(M)>

L(J,N)−

L(I,M)),

where L(M) is the number of printed articles in the Mth column,

L(N) is the number of printed articles in the Nth column,

L(I,M) is the number of printed articles in the Ith order of the Mth column, and

L(J,N) is the number of printed articles in the Jth order of the Nth column.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

iteratively selecting different combinations of values of M and N.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

iteratively selecting different combinations of values of I and J.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining the plurality of groups of printed articles, each of the groups containing at least one printed article;

sorting the groups according to the number of printed articles in each group to produce a sorted arrangement of the groups; and

for each successive group in the sorted arrangement of groups, placing the group in a column which currently has a lowest number of total printed articles.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

placing the first K groups in the sorted arrangement of groups in columns 1 to K where K is the total number of columns.

9. A computer readable medium encoded with programming instructions for rearranging a data structure representing a multi column arrangement of a plurality of groups of printed articles, including programming instructions for:

determining the number of printed articles in a Ith group in a Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in the Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in a Jth group in a Nth column;

determining a number of printed articles in the Nth column; and

exchanging the Ith and Jth groups between the Mth and Nth columns if the following boolean expression is true;

(L(M)>

L(N) AND L(I,M)>

L(J,N) AND L(M)−

L(N)>

L(I,M)−

L(J,N)) OR

(L(M)<

L(N) AND L(I,M)<

L(J,N) AND L(N)−

L(M)>

L(J,N)−

L(I,M)),

where L(M) is the number of printed articles in the Mth column,

L(N) is the number of printed articles in the Nth column,

L(I,M) is the number of printed articles in the Ith order of the Mth column, and

L(J,N) is the number of printed articles in the Jth order of the Nth column.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further including programming instructions for:

obtaining the plurality of groups of printed articles, each of the groups containing at least one printed article;

sorting the groups according to the number of printed articles in each group to produce a sorted arrangement of the groups; and

for each successive group in the sorted arrangement of groups, placing the group in a column which currently has a lowest number of total printed articles.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further including programming instructions for:

placing the first K groups in the sorted arrangement of groups in columns 1 to K where K is the total number of columns.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with programming instructions for rearranging a data structure representing a multi column arrangement of a plurality of groups of printed matter, the programming instructions including programming instructions for:

determining the number of printed articles in a Ith group in a Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in the Mth column;

determining the number of printed articles in a Jth group in a Nth column;

determining a number of printed articles in the Nth column; and

exchanging the Ith and Jth groups between the Mth and Nth columns if a boolean expression;

(L(M)>

L(N) AND L(I,M)>

L(J,N) AND L(M)−

L(N)>

L(I,M)−

L(J,N)) OR

(L(M)<

L(N) AND L(I,M)<

L(J,N) AND L(N)−

L(M)>

L(J,N)−

L(I,M)),

where L(M) is the number of printed articles in the Mth column,

L(N) is the number of printed articles in the Nth column,

L(I,M) is the number of printed articles in the Ith order of the Mth column, and

L(J,N) is the number of printed articles in the Jth order of the Nth column is true.

13. A system for producing custom printed articles, the system comprising:

a high speed printer; and

a server electrically coupled to the high speed printer, the server including;

a processor programmed to;

determine a number of printed articles in a Ith group in a Mth column;

determine a number of printed articles in the Mth column;

determine a number of printed articles in a Jth group in a Nth column;

determine a number of printed articles in the Nth column; and

exchange the Ith and Jth groups between the Mth and Nth columns if the following boolean expression is true;

(L(M)>

L(N) AND L(I,M)>

L(J,N) AND L(M)−

L(N)>

L(I,M)−

L(J,N)) OR

(L(M)<

L(N) AND L(I,M)<

L(J,N) AND L(N)−

L(M)>

L(J,N)−

L(I,M)),

where L(M) is the number of printed articles in the Mth column,

L(N) is the number of printed articles in the Nth column,

L(I,M) is the number of printed articles in the Ith order of the Mth column, and

L(J,N) is the number of printed articles in the Jth order of the Nth column.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further programmed to:

obtain the plurality of groups of printed articles, each of the groups containing at least one printed article;

sort the groups according to the number of printed articles in each group to produce a sorted arrangement of the groups; and

for each successive group in the sorted arrangement of groups, place the group in a column which currently has a lowest number of total printed articles.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further programmed to:

place the first K groups in the sorted arrangement of groups in columns 1 to K where K is the total number of columns.