Mixed output print control method and system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- starting a mixed output print job including a predetermined number of document sets to be printed using a printing system including perpendicular first and second bypass transport paths connecting first and second print engines to corresponding ones of first and second finishers and at least one redirect path connecting the first and second print engines to opposite ones of the second and first finishers;
determining whether outputs from the first and second print engines will be merged;
where the outputs of the first and second print engines are to be merged,sending the output from the first print engine to the first finisher on a sheet-by-sheet basis using the first bypass transport path;
simultaneously diverting output from the second print engine away from the second bypass transport path;
redirecting the output from the second print engine to a buffer, the output being stored in the buffer before the redirect path merges with the first bypass transport path;
scheduling a feeding of the output from the buffer into the redirect path;
rotating the output in the redirect path for merging with the output in the first bypass transport; and
delivering the merged output to the first finisher.
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Abstract
A merging module connects two printing systems at approximately 90 degrees to one another. The merging module includes a sheet rotator in a plane that is common to the paper paths of both print engines and a buffer. It also includes two bypass paths (one above and one below the rotator) to route the two paper paths around the rotator and enable both print engines to deliver their output to the appropriate finishing device as well as to the buffer.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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starting a mixed output print job including a predetermined number of document sets to be printed using a printing system including perpendicular first and second bypass transport paths connecting first and second print engines to corresponding ones of first and second finishers and at least one redirect path connecting the first and second print engines to opposite ones of the second and first finishers; determining whether outputs from the first and second print engines will be merged; where the outputs of the first and second print engines are to be merged, sending the output from the first print engine to the first finisher on a sheet-by-sheet basis using the first bypass transport path; simultaneously diverting output from the second print engine away from the second bypass transport path; redirecting the output from the second print engine to a buffer, the output being stored in the buffer before the redirect path merges with the first bypass transport path; scheduling a feeding of the output from the buffer into the redirect path; rotating the output in the redirect path for merging with the output in the first bypass transport; and delivering the merged output to the first finisher. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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a first marking engine delivering output to a first finisher using a first bypass transport path; a second marking engine delivering output to a second finisher using a second bypass transport path, the second bypass transport path being perpendicular to the first bypass transport path; a gate for diverting the output from entering one of the first or second bypass transport paths and redirecting the output to a multi-sheet buffer; and
,a redirect path for transporting the output from the buffer to an opposite one of the first and second bypass transport paths, the redirect path being perpendicular to the opposite one of the first and second bypass transport paths; wherein the buffer is a multi-sheet buffer including a plurality of sheet buffers, each sheet buffer being long enough to contain the largest sheet length entirely and a plurality of buffer paths, wherein each buffer path has a controllable decision gate to direct the sheets and each sheet buffer has separate drive control of a plurality of nip rollers for each buffer path to control each sheet. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for an image rendering system having at least two marking engines and at least one finisher, the apparatus comprising:
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a first marking engine delivering output to a first finisher using a first bypass transport path; a second marking engine delivering output to a second finisher using a second bypass transport path, the second bypass transport path being perpendicular to the first bypass transport path; a gate for diverting the output from entering one of the first or second bypass transport paths and redirecting the output to a multi-sheet buffer; a redirect path for transporting the output from the buffer into an opposite one of the first and second bypass transport paths, the redirect path being perpendicular to the opposite one of the first and second bypass transport paths; and
,a scheduler for controlling a merging of the output from the first and second print engines by tracking the output delivered to and fed from the buffer; wherein the buffer is a multi-sheet buffer including a plurality of sheet buffers, each sheet buffer being long enough to contain the largest sheet length entirely and a plurality of buffer paths, wherein each buffer path has a controllable decision gate to direct the sheets and each sheet buffer has separate drive control of a plurality of nip rollers for each buffer path to control each sheet. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification