Method and system for aggregating print jobs

• US 8,817,324 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Giannetti, Fabio, Dempster, Benjamin I., Koh, Kok-Wei, Perez, Jose Manuel, Naples, Alysha
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NGON BINH
• Application Number:
  US13/700,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.6, 358/1.18, 358/1.12, 358/451, 358/540, 358/448, 358/1.16, 358/1.15, 382/296, 382/298, 382/299, 382/312, 382/284, 715/246, 715/251, 715/253, 715/273, 715/256, 715/254, 715/244, 715/245, 715/247
• US Class Current: 358/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1251 for continuous media, e.g. web media, rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1262 by grouping or ganging jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1264 by assigning post-processing resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1282 High volume printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/024 for printing on segmented surfaces, e.g. sticker sheets, label rolls

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for aggregating print jobs of different lengths and/or customers to decrease the need for rewinding and splicing operations. An exemplary embodiment provides a method that comprises identifying individual label-printing jobs (1-8) that can be aggregated onto a roll of substrate (302), and forming an aggregated label-printing job (300). In the aggregated label-printing job (300) a longest print job (8) is imposed adjacent to a first end of the roll of substrate (302), and one or more shorter print jobs (2, 5, 7) are imposed adjacent to the longest print job (8) in the direction of a second end of the roll of substrate (302).

Claims

1. A print ordering system for combining individual label-printing jobs into an aggregated label-printing job, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory comprises code configured to direct the processor to;

identify the individual label-printing jobs that can be combined on a single roll of substrate;

calculate a length of each of the individual label-printing jobs; and

impose the individual label-printing jobs on the roll of substrate by imposing a longest job along one side of the roll of substrate, then imposing shorter jobs along the roll of substrate until a shortest job is imposed at the other side of the roll of substrate, wherein the roll of substrate is cut to form a master roll for each individual label-printing job, wherein the master roll for each individual label-printing job is formed without splicing.

2. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to impose the individual label-printing jobs in such a way as to end the individual label-printing jobs in the aggregated label-printing job simultaneously.

3. The print ordering system of claim 1, comprising a storage system that comprises a database of print service providers.

4. The print ordering system of claim 3, wherein the database comprises a listing of multi-format dies.

5. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to place a dummy label after a label-printing job to mark the end of the label-printing job.

6. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to end the individual label-printing jobs that comprise the aggregated label-printing job at the same point on the roll of substrate.

7. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to place a header on the roll of substrate before and after the aggregated label-printing job to mark a beginning and an end of the aggregated label-printing job.

8. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to identify a print service provider that can perform the aggregated label-printing job.

9. The print ordering system of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises code configured to place the aggregated label-printing job with the print service provider.

10. The print ordering system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises code configured to place one or more dummy labels after one or more of the individual label-printing jobs to end two or more individual label-printing jobs at a same cut point.

11. A method for aggregating label jobs, comprising:

identifying individual label-printing jobs that can be aggregated onto a roll of substrate; and

forming an aggregated label-printing job from the individual label-printing jobs, wherein the aggregated label-printing job has a longest individual label-printing job imposed adjacent to a first end of the roll of substrate, and one or more shorter individual label-printing jobs imposed adjacent to the longest print job; and

separating the individual label-printing jobs from the aggregated label-printing job onto a master roll without splicing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying individual label-printing jobs that can be aggregated comprises determining that the individual label-printing jobs use a similar substrate.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising imposing the individual label-printing jobs along the roll of substrate by length from the longest individual label-printing job adjacent to the first end of the roll of substrate to a plurality of short individual label-printing jobs adjacent to a second end of the roll of substrate.

14. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising code configured to direct a processor to:

identify individual label-printing jobs that can be imposed on a single roll of substrate; and

form an aggregated label-printing job, wherein a longest print job is imposed along one edge of the roll of substrate and a shortest print job is imposed along an opposite edge of the roll of substrate, wherein the roll of substrate is cut to form a master roll for each individual label-printing job, wherein the master roll is formed without splicing.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 14, comprising code configured to direct a processor to impose the individual label-printing jobs along the roll of substrate by length from the longest label-printing job adjacent to the one edge of the roll of substrate to a plurality of short label-printing jobs adjacent to the opposite edge of the roll of substrate.